By Alan Butterfield For Dailymail.Com In Los Angeles, Ca
23:25 23 Dec 2023, updated 01:02 24 Dec 2023
- Actor Ryan O’Neal was buried today next to his longtime lover Farrah Fawcett in Los Angeles, CA at Westwood Memorial Park Cemetery
- Exclusive DailyMail.com pictures show about 25 people in attendance including O’Neal’s ex-wife, Leigh Taylor-Young, and their son, Patrick O’Neal
- Services started at 11am with a ceremony inside the chapel. O’Neal’s redwood colored coffin was then taken to his final resting place beside partner Fawcett
Actor Ryan O’Neal was buried today next to his longtime lover Farrah Fawcett in Los Angeles, California at Westwood Memorial Park Cemetery.
The 82-year-old Oscar nominated actor died in Los Angeles on December 8th of congestive heart failure.
Exclusive DailyMail.com pictures show about 25 people in attendance at his graveside service including ex-wife, Leigh Taylor-Young, and their son, Patrick O’Neal and Fawcett’s best friend Alana Stewart.
The services started at 11 AM with a brief ceremony inside the chapel at the cemetery, then O’Neal’s redwood colored coffin was taken to his final resting place beside his longtime partner Fawcett.
The former A list Hollywood couple endured a tumultuous relationship for the better part of three decades until she died on June 24, 2009 from cancer at the young age of 62.
O’Neal was best known for his movies in the 1970s, which included Paper Moon, costarring his daughter Tatum. The acclaimed film, which was directed by Ryan’s What’s Up, Doc? collaborator Peter Bogdanovich, earned the young girl the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress when she was just 10, making the budding star — who had turned nine during the production — the youngest person to ever win a competitive Oscar.
He also worked with some of the top female stars of his day such as Barbra Streisand on What’s Up, Doc? and The Main Event, and Marisa Berenson on Barry Lyndon.
Streisand shared a tribute to the late star on X, formerly known as Twitter, upon hearing the heartbreaking news of Ryan’s passing and shared a black and white image of the pair taken in the past.
The actress also typed, ‘So sad to hear the news of Ryan O’Neal’s passing. We made two films together, What’s Up, Doc? and The Main Event. He was funny and charming, and he will be remembered.’
Mia Farrow also uploaded a tribute by sharing various throwback images and penned, ‘Rest in peace dear Ryan.’ The two notably costarred in the series, Peyton Place.
His son Patrick posted a lengthy note with the photo a beach at sunset.
‘This is very difficult for my wife Summer and I, but I will share some feelings to give you an idea of how great a man he is,’ he wrote.
‘My father Ryan O’Neal has always been my hero. I looked up to him and he was always bigger than life. When I was born in 1967 my dad was already a TV star on Peyton Place.
‘That’s where he met my mom Leigh Taylor-Young, and about 9 months later (give or take a date night or two) I was born,’ he added.
‘My dad became an international movie star with Love Story at the beginning of the 1970’s, a decade he absolutely crushed by starring in movies like What’s Up, Doc?, Paper Moon, Barry Lyndon, A Bridge Too Far, The Main Event, and The Driver.
‘He is a Hollywood legend. Full stop. The growth spurt of the first name Ryan can be traced back to my dad. That’s a fact.
‘He was Rodney Harrington on Peyton Place 3 days a week (he starred in 500 shows over 5 years) and then of course the name Ryan peaked after Love Story (the film that saved Paramount Studios and earned my dad a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame).’
Sharon Stone also paid tribute with a black-and-white photo of O’Neal from his later years.
‘It’s w deep sadness I post this. RIP Ryan O’Neal,’ she wrote, adding a heart emoji.
Ryan was known for his high-profile relationship to Charlie’s Angels actress Farrah Fawcett which lasted decades; they never wed.
The two were partners from 1979 to 1997 after he stole the bubbly blonde beauty away from her husband, Lee Majors of The Six Million Dollar Man fame.
Ryan is survived by four children: Tatum O’Neal and Griffin O’Neal with Joanna Moore, Patrick O’Neal with Leigh Taylor-Young, and Redmond James Fawcett O’Neal with Fawcett.
And the star has five grandchildren.
Ryan was born in Los Angeles and began acting in the 1960s.
He did guest roles on TV shows such as Bachelor Father, My Three Sons and Leave It To Beaver.
He then landed his big breakthrough role on the soapy night time TV series Peyton Place as he played small town hot stuff Rodney Harrington alongside Mia Farrow.
Soon after Hollywood snapped him up for film roles, as he had the looks and charisma to carry the silver screen.
In 1970, he played an Olympic athlete in The Games. He was next in the TV movie Love Hate Love (1971), then the Western Wild Rovers (1971) with William Holden.
His next hit was the comedy What’s Up, Doc? (1972) opposite Streisand. He played the stiff, uptight man to her wacky, outspoken drifter. They had a romance in real life too.
Later O’Neal played a jewel thief in The Thief Who Came to Dinner (1972) opposite Jacqueline Bisset and Warren Oates.
Then he was reunited with director Peter Bogdanovich for Paper Moon (1973) in which he starred opposite his daughter Tatum O’Neal.
His performance earned him a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and he was voted by exhibitors as the second-most-popular star of 1973 in the country.
O’Neal spent over a year making Barry Lyndon (1975) for Kubrick but the costume drama was not well received.
Next was the comedy Nickelodeon (1976) with Burt Reynolds and Tatum O’Neal. It was a bomb.
O’Neal followed this with the big ensemble movie A Bridge Too Far (1977), playing General James Gavin. It was another dud for the box-office king. An action film was next, The Driver (1978), but it didn’t have wheels.
His reputation as a massive film star who could sell movie tickets was starting to strain.
More flops followed, however, like Green Ice in 1981 and Circle Of Two, which he would later say he did for the money. In 1989 he had a mild hit with Chances Are with Cybill Shepherd.
He turned to TV with Farrah as they costarred in Good Sports in 1991. Fans were hoping for chemistry and sizzle, but it was DOA.
Next came a string of bad movies like Malibu’s Most Wanted (2003) and the Alicia Silverstone TV series Miss Match, also in 2003. His next highlight was in 2016, when reunited with Love Story co-star MacGraw in a staging of A.R. Gurney’s play Love Letters.
His love life made headlines for decades as he had a penchant for pretty ladies with their own fame.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
