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After his Oscar-winning role in “Love Story,” Ryan O’Neal starred in a number of high-profile movies throughout the 1970s, including Stanley Kubrick’s “Barry Lyndon,” Water Hill’s “The Driver,” and three comedies with director Peter Bogdanovich — “What’s Up, Doc?,” “Paper Moon,” and “Nickelodeon.” In “Paper Moon,” he starred alongside his real-life daughter Tatum O’Neal, in a performance that made her the youngest person ever to win an Academy Award at the age of 10.
That project and its aftermath was something of a catalyst for a troubled relationship over the decades that followed, with father and daughter frequently going years without speaking. As detailed in a 2023 Hollywood Reporter profile, Tatum later made numerous accusations of abuse (which her father denied), though they both made several efforts to reconcile in recent years.
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O’Neal’s most high-profile romantic relationship was with actress Farrah Fawcett. The pair were an item from 1979 to 1997, and reunited in 2001. They remained together until her death from cancer in 2009. O’Neal made the comparison to his famous “Love Story” role, a man who loses his wife to cancer. “It’s a love story. I just don’t know how to play this one,” he told People Magazine. “I won’t know this world without her.”
In 2012, O’Neal announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. In a statement at the time (via Today), the actor wrote, “I am deeply grateful for the support of my friends and family during this time, and I urge everyone to get regular check-ups, as early detection is the best defense against this horrible disease that has afflicted so many.”
