The best Ryan O’Neal movies and TV shows have spanned six decades and genres, from Westerns and war movies to dramas, comedies, and television soaps. O’Neal was born the son of an actress (Patricia O’Callaghan) and a novelist/screenwriter (Charles O’Neal). While in high school, he worked on becoming a Golden Gloves boxer, but then he ended up getting a job on television when his mother helped pull some strings as he struggled to get through high school. This led to him entering the industry.
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After a period of time where he made guest appearances on TV shows, he got his big break as a regular on the 1960s Western series Empire and then an even bigger role on the nighttime soap opera Peyton’s Place. He then enjoyed his mainstream breakout thanks to landing the co-lead in the romantic drama movie Love Story. After that, he worked for everyone from Stanley Kubrick and Peter Bogdanovich to Richard Attenborough and Walter Hill. His final roles came on television again before his passing in 2023.
10 Empire (1962-1963)
Ryan O’Neal Played Tal Garrett
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Ryan O’Neal’s first starring role in a television series was in the mostly forgotten modern-day Western series Empire. The series was a modern-day Western (for that era, meaning the 1960s). In the series, Jim Redigo (Richard Egan) is the foreman for the enormous Garrett Ranch owned by matriarch Lucia (Anne Seymour) with her children Tal (Ryan O’Neal) and Connie (Terry Moore). Jim has to keep the ranch running properly and also has a romantic interest in Connie.
The series remains forgotten thanks to it getting canceled after just one season. NBC tried to save it by bringing it back as Redigo, at shorter episodes and in black and white instead of color, but it was still unable to find an audience. However, the cast was great, with Charles Bronson in a major role in that second season and guest appearances by names like Ed Begley, Lon Chaney Jr., Bill Mumy, and Frank Gorshin.
9 Nickelodeon (1975)
Ryan O’Neal Played Leo Harrigan
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Nickelodeon PGComedy
Set during the silent film era, Nickelodeon follows attorney Leo Harrigan and gunslinger Buck Greenway as they unexpectedly become part of a film production. Their newfound careers lead to a personal rivalry over starlet Kathleen Cooke, highlighting their rise in the show business industry.
Director Peter Bogdanovich Release Date December 21, 1976 Cast Burt Reynolds , Ryan O’Neal , Tatum O’Neal , Brian Keith , Stella Stevens , John Ritter , Jane Hitchcock , Jack Perkins , Brion James , Sidney Armus , Joe Warfield , Tamar Cooper , Alan Gibbs , Mathew Anden , Lorenzo Music , Arnold Soboloff , Jeffrey Byron , Priscilla Pointer , Don Calfa , Philip Bruns , Edward Marshall , John Blackwell , E.J. André , Christa Lang , Maurice Manson Runtime 121 minutes Expand
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The director that Ryan O’Neal worked with the most early in his career was the brilliant Peter Bogdanovich. In 1976, O’Neal took on a role in Bogdonovich’s screwball comedy Nickelodeon. In this film, O’Neal plays an attorney named Leo who is hired along with a gunslinger named Buck (Burt Reynolds) to stop an illegal film production. However, they decide to instead team up with the filmmakers and become players themselves in the movie-making business.
Related The Last Picture Show & 9 Other Best Peter Bogdanovich Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes
Peter Bogdanovich is a writer, director, actor, producer and film historian with a long and varied career. Rotten Tomatoes ranks his best films here.
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While Leo learns he is actually a good film director, and Buck has the looks to be a leading man in the film industry, they both fall in love with the same woman (Jane Hitchcock), and that drives a wedge between the two. While the film received mostly poor reviews from critics, it maintains the director’s brilliant technical style and has some great performances by Reynolds, O’Neal, and Hitchcock, delivering some big laughs throughout.
8 The Driver (1978)
Ryan O’Neal Played The Driver
In 1978, Ryan O’Neal teamed up with director Walter Hill (The Warriors, 48 Hrs) in just the second movie directed by Hill in his career. The film was called The Driver and stars O’Neal as the titular The Driver (with no other name given), a man who steals cars to use as getaway vehicles for robberies around Los Angeles. He is pursued by The Detective (Bruce Dern), who is obsessed with bringing down The Driver, who he has nicknamed Cowboy.
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Directors like Nicolas Winding Refn, Edgar Wright, and Quentin Tarantino call the film an influence on their careers.
Things get deadly when The Detective sets up an illegal sting operation to bring down The Driver, and while he knows it is a trap, he agrees to the job just for the thrill of the moment. The film received almost all negative reviews when released, but it has since become a cult classic and has been praised in reappraisals, sitting at 79% on Rotten Tomatoes. Directors like Nicolas Winding Refn, Edgar Wright, and Quentin Tarantino call the film an influence on their careers.
7 Bones (2006-2017)
Ryan O’Neal Played Max Keenan
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16 9.6/10 Bones ComedyDramaCrime
Bones follows Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel), a forensic anthropologist who teams up with FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) to solve crimes in the DC area. Using Brennan’s forensic knowledge, the pair work together to catch killers with the help of a team at the fictional Jeffersonian Institute.
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*Availability in US Cast Emily Deschanel , T.J. Thyne , Michaela Conlin , John Francis Daley , David Boreanaz , Tamara Taylor Release Date September 13, 2005 Seasons 12 Showrunner Hart Hanson
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At the end of his career, Ryan O’Neal took on a role in the network TV police procedural Bones. Based on the novels by Kathy Reichs, Bones stars Emily Deschanel as Temperance “Bones” Brennan, a forensic anthropologist, and David Boreanaz as Seeley Booth, an FBI Special Agent who works with her to solve murders that involve just finding bones and skeletal remains of the deceased. In the show, Ryan O’Neal stars as Bone’s dad, Max Keenan.
O’Neal’s character is hugely important and appears in episodes from season 2 until season 12.
While it is only a recurring role with limited episodes, O’Neal’s character is hugely important and appears in episodes from season 2 until season 12. In his first season, Booth arrests him on murder charges, and he is acquitted in season 3, during which time he becomes closer to his daughter and future grandchildren. The series ended up lasting 12 seasons, and O’Neal proved to be a popular cast member for the entire run of the show.
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6 What’s Up Doc? (1972)
Ryan O’Neal Played Dr. Howard Bannister
In 1972, Peter Bogdanovich directed the screwball comedy What’s Up Doc?, starring Ryan O’Neal and Barbra Streisand in a film that was meant to pay homage to classic screwball comedies, such as Howard Hawks’s Bringing Up Baby. O’Neal stars as Dr. Howard Bannister, a musicologist from Iowa who goes to San Francisco on a research grant. His fiance, Eunice (Madeline Kahn), comes with him, but once there, he meets Judy Maxwell (Streisand), a charming troublemaker.
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Judy, Howard, a mysterious Mr. Smith, and a wealthy socialite named Mrs. Van Hiskins have the same bags, and when all four accidentally get the wrong bags, Howard and Judy find themselves running for their lives. The movie was a huge box office success, making $66 million on a $4 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). It also has a high 89% Rotten Tomatoes score, and it won the WGA honor for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen.
5 Peyton Place (1964-1969)
Ryan O’Neal Played Rodney Harrington
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Peyton Place ApprovedDramaRomance
Set in a seemingly respectable New England town, Peyton Place explores the intertwining lives of its residents, particularly Constance McKenzie, as she grapples with past indiscretions. The film portrays themes of romance, societal expectations, and personal struggles, focusing on characters like Constance’s daughter, Allison, and the enigmatic Michael Rossi.
Director Mark Robson Release Date December 13, 1957 Cast Diane Varsi , Lana Turner , Hope Lange , Lee Philips , Arthur Kennedy , Lloyd Nolan , Russ Tamblyn , Terry Moore , David Nelson , Barry Coe , Betty Field , Mildred Dunnock , Leon Ames , Lorne Greene , Robert H. Harris , Tami Conner , Staats Cotsworth , Peg Hillias , Erin O’Brien-Moore , Scotty Morrow , John Doucette , Arthur Tovey , Edna Smith Runtime 157 minutes Expand
While it wasn’t the first TV show that Ryan O’Neal had a leading role in, Peyton Place was the one that helped make him a star. The show was a nighttime soap opera that aired on ABC from 1964 to 1969 and attempted to be the American version of the UK’s Coronation Street. The plot follows the same basic story from the book and the 1957 film of the same name and follows the citizens of the titular Peyton Place. The cast was amazing, with names like Leslie Nielsen, Gena Rowlands, Mia Farrow, and Ryan O’Neal in lead roles.
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O’Neal plays Rodney Harrington, the oldest son of Leslie and Catherine Harrington and the more popular of the two brothers. His character was always an important one, constantly getting into trouble and finding himself at the wrong place at the wrong time, but eventually finding love with Betty Anderson (Barbara Perkins). O’Neal was a character in the first 501 episodes of the series, leaving right before the series wrapped up.
4 A Bridge Too Far (1977)
Ryan O’Neal Played Brigadier General James M. Gavin
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A Bridge Too Far PGDramaHistoryWar
A Bridge Too Far is a 1977 war film directed by Richard Attenborough that chronicles the failed World War II operation, Market Garden, a massive Allied attempt to capture key bridges in the Netherlands. Featuring an ensemble cast including Sean Connery, Michael Caine, and Anthony Hopkins, the film explores the intense battles and strategic mishaps that resulted in one of the war’s most significant setbacks.
Director Richard Attenborough Release Date June 15, 1977 Cast Dirk Bogarde , James Caan , Michael Caine , Sean Connery , Edward Fox , Elliott Gould , Anthony Hopkins , Gene Hackman , Hardy Krüger , Laurence Olivier , Ryan O’Neal , Robert Redford , Maximilian Schell , Liv Ullmann , Siem Vroom , Marlies van Alcmaer , Erik van ‘t Wout , Wolfgang Preiss , Hans von Borsody , Josephine Peeper , Paul Maxwell , Walter Kohut Runtime 175 Minutes Expand
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In 1977, Ryan O’Neal took a role in the war movie A Bridge Too Far. Directed by Richard Attenborough, the film tells the story of Operation Market Garden, a failed Allied operation during World War II. William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) wrote the script based on the novel by Cornelius Ryan, and it had a hugely recognizable ensemble cast led by Michael Caine, James Caan, Sean Connery, Elliott Gould, Gene Hackman, Robert Redford, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, and Ryan O’Neal.
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O’Neal stars as Brigadier General James Gavin, a United States division commander who later (in real life) became the United States Ambassador to France. The film doubled its budget and won four BAFTA Awards out of 10 nominations, including an actor award for Edward Fox. O’Neal was an important part of the cast, but it was a large ensemble piece, and he was only a part of an overall massive story.
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3 Paper Moon (1973)
Ryan O’Neal Played Moses Pray
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Paper Moon PGComedyCrimeDrama
Paper Moon, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, centers on a traveling bible salesman and a young girl who form an unconventional partnership, executing cons across Depression-era Kansas. The film explores their dynamic as they traverse a landscape marked by hardship, blending elements of comedy and drama.
Director Peter Bogdanovich Release Date May 9, 1973 Cast Tatum O’Neal , Ryan O’Neal , Madeline Kahn , John Hillerman , Jessie Lee Fulton , Noble Willingham , Randy Quaid , P.J. Johnson , James N. Harrell , Burton Gilliam , Hugh Gillin , Desmond Dhooge , Art Ellison , Lila Waters , Bob Young , Jack Saunders , Jody Wilbur , Liz Ross , Yvonne Harrison , Ed Reed , Dorothy Price , Eleanor Bogart , Dorothy Forster , Lana Daniel , Herschel Morris , Dejah Moore , Ralph Coder , Harriet Ketchum , Kenneth Hughes Runtime 102 Minutes Expand
The best teaming of Ryan O’Neal and Peter Bogdanovich came in 1973 with the road comedy-drama film Paper Moon. Shot by Bogdanovich in black and white, Paper Moon tells the story of a conman named Moses Pray (O’Neal) who meets a nine-year-old girl named Addie at her mother’s graveside service. While people think he is Addie’s (Tatum O’Neal) real dad, he says he isn’t and offers to take her to her aunt’s home in Missouri. Soon, Addie shows she can work the con as well as Moses, and they become a team.
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Jealousy, deceit, and bad luck follow them, and the two eventually realize that they are better together than apart. The film was a huge success, making $30 million on a $2.5 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). It also went down in history when Tatum O’Neal (Ryan O’Neal’s real-life daughter) earned the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, making her the youngest person to ever win a competitive award in the history of the Oscars.
2 Barry Lyndon (1975)
Ryan O’Neal Played Barry Lyndon
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Barry Lyndon PGDramaRomanceWar
Barry Lyndon is a period drama film directed by Stanley Kubrick, based on William Makepeace Thackeray’s 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon. The film follows the rise and fall of Redmond Barry, an 18th-century Irish rogue, as he navigates the intricacies of European high society, using his wit, charm, and cunning to climb the social ladder.
Director Stanley Kubrick Release Date December 18, 1975 Distributor(s) Warner Bros Cast Ryan O’Neal , Marisa Berenson , Patrick Magee , Hardy Krüger , Diana Körner Runtime 185 Minutes
Barry Lyndon was Ryan O’Neal’s chance to get to work with Stanley Kubrick. However, it was also the movie that mostly tanked O’Neal’s career. It took a year for them to make the film, and O’Neal said that Kubrick kept changing the script and the movie the entire time he was shooting and editing it. As a result, O’Neal was never really happy with the final product, and critics blasted the movie when it was released. However, in the years since its release, it has become a cult classic.
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It won four of the Oscars and Akira Kurosawa has listed it as one of his favorite films.
The story takes place during the Seven Years’ War and follows a rogue and golddigger named Barry Lyndon, who marries a wealthy widow to take her husband’s aristocratic position. However, as expected, things do not go well for the man. Despite the critical dismissal, the movie was a slight box office success, and it earned seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. It won four of the Oscars and Akira Kurosawa has listed it as one of his favorite films.
1 Love Story (1970)
Ryan O’Neal Played Oliver Barrett IV
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Love Story PGRomanceDrama
Love Story, directed by Arthur Hiller, follows Harvard Law student Oliver Barrett IV and music student Jennifer Cavilleri as they navigate their intense romance despite contrasting backgrounds. Their marriage challenges family dynamics, particularly with Oliver’s wealthy father, leading to conflicts that test their devotion.
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*Availability in US Director Arthur Hiller Release Date December 16, 1970 Cast Ali MacGraw , Ryan O’Neal , John Marley , Ray Milland , Russell Nype , Tommy Lee Jones , Sydney Walker , Robert Modica , Katherine Balfour , Sudie Bond , Walker Daniels , John Merensky , Andrew Duncan , Charlotte Ford , Julie Garfield , Kevin O’Neal , Milo Boulton Runtime 99 Minutes Expand
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The movie that made Ryan O’Neal a star was the 1970 romantic drama Love Story. In it, O’Neal plays Oliver, a man who falls in love with Ali MacGraw’s Jennifer. The movie shows them involved in a rough relationship that feels very real as the two come from different backgrounds and have to fight perceptions and their own families to stay together. However, it is also an emotionally devastating movie, thanks to the tragic ending and the inability of Oliver to save Jenny at the end.
O’Neal received high critical praise for his performance and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor—Motion Picture Drama. The film received mostly average reviews, with the critics who didn’t like it calling it emotionally manipulative, but the people who loved it praised its romance and performances. On top of Ryan O’Neal’s Oscar nomination, the film also received nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress
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