Ryan O’Neal, the Oscar-nominated “Love Story” actor who starred in some of the most memorable movies of the 1970s, from “What’s Up, Doc” and “Paper Moon” to “Barry Lyndon,” died today. He was 82.
His death was announced by his son Patrick O’Neal on Instagram. Though a cause was not specified, O’Neal had battled various health issues for decades, from a leukemia diagnosis in 2001 to stage 4 prostate cancer in 2012.
“This is just so hard for us,” Patrick O’Neal said in the caption of an Instagram post. “Ryan made such an impact and this will be difficult without him. This is and will be a huge void in our lives.”
Prior to acting, Ryan O’Neal was a professional boxer. Born Patrick Ryan O’Neal on April 20, 1941, in Los Angeles, to writer Charles O’Neal and actress Patricia O’Callaghan. He trained as a boxer and competed in two Golden Gloves championships before landing a role as a stuntman on a TV show called, “Tales of the Vikings,” according to a biography about the actor on his website.
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