Skip to content
What's After the Movie?
Ryan O'Neal, actor
Actor

Ryan O'Neal: Movies, Awards & Box Office

films
32
on screen
1970–2018
box office
$315M
nominations
3
average score
80
Born
April 20, 1941
Birthplace
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Full name
Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal
Citizenship
American
Occupations
Actor, Boxer
Years active
1960-2017
Spouses
Joanna Moore, Leigh Taylor-Young
Children
4
Career at a glance

Ryan O'Neal's Career in Numbers

Ryan O'Neal's films in numbers — as an actor, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres Ryan O'Neal works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from Love Story (1970) to Unity (2015), and the 1970s were the busiest decade.

Ryan O'Neal Movies by Decade

  1. 1970s 13
  2. 1980s 8
  3. 1990s 5
  4. 2000s 3
  5. 2010s 1

The 1970s were Ryan O'Neal's busiest decade, with 13 films.

Ryan O'Neal Movies by Genre

  • Drama 10
  • Comedy 7
  • Romance 3
  • Adventure 2
  • Action 2
  • Documentary 1
  • Sci-Fi 1
  • Mystery 1
  • Family 1
  • Fantasy 1

Drama is the genre Ryan O'Neal has worked in most, with 10 films, ahead of comedy (7).

Ryan O'Neal Career Milestones

First film
Love Story 1970
Biggest box office hit
Love Story $107M worldwide
Newest film
Unity 2015
32 credits

Ryan O'Neal Filmography: Every Movie

Every film Ryan O'Neal is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. Rated films average a score of 80. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.

Ryan O'Neal Movies as an Actor

30
  1. 2015 Unity (2015) movie poster Unity as Narrator (voice) · Documentary
  2. 2003 People I Know (2003) movie poster People I Know Drama
  3. 2003 Malibu's Most Wanted (2003) movie poster Malibu's Most Wanted Comedy
  4. 2001 Epoch (2001) movie poster Epoch as Allen Lysander · Sci-Fi
  5. 1998 Zero Effect (1998) movie poster Zero Effect as Gregory Stark · Mystery
  6. 1997 An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn (1997) movie poster An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn as James Edmunds · Comedy
  7. 1996 Faithful (1996) movie poster Faithful as Jack Connor · Drama
  8. 1995 Man of the House (1995) movie poster Man of the House as Man with Kite (uncredited) · Family
  9. 1992 The Man Upstairs (1992) movie poster The Man Upstairs as Mooney Polaski · Comedy
  10. 1989 Chances Are (1989) movie poster Chances Are Fantasy
  11. 1989 Small Sacrifices (1989) movie poster Small Sacrifices as Lew Lewiston · Drama
  12. 1987 Tough Guys Don’t Dance (1987) movie poster Tough Guys Don’t Dance as Tim Madden · Comedy
  13. 1985 Fever Pitch (1985) movie poster Fever Pitch Drama
  14. 1984 Irreconcilable Differences (1984) movie poster Irreconcilable Differences Drama
  15. 1981 So Fine (1981) movie poster So Fine Comedy
  16. 1981 Green Ice (1981) movie poster Green Ice as Joseph Wiley · Adventure
  17. 1981 Circle of Two (1981) movie poster Circle of Two as Theatre Patron (uncredited) · Drama
  18. 1979 The Main Event (1979) movie poster The Main Event as Eddie "Kid Natural" Scanlon · Romance
  19. 1978 Oliver’s Story (1978) movie poster Oliver’s Story as Oliver Barrett IV · Romance
  20. 1978 The Driver (1978) movie poster The Driver Action
  21. 1977 A Bridge Too Far (1977) movie poster A Bridge Too Far Drama
  22. 1976 Nickelodeon (1976) movie poster Nickelodeon Comedy
  23. 1975 Barry Lyndon (1975) movie poster Barry Lyndon Adventure
  24. 1973 Paper Moon (1973) movie poster Paper Moon Drama
  25. 1973 The Thief Who Came to Dinner (1973) movie poster The Thief Who Came to Dinner as Webster McGee · Comedy
  26. 1972 What’s Up, Doc? (1972) movie poster What’s Up, Doc? as Howard Bannister · Romance
  27. 1971 Wild Rovers (1971) movie poster Wild Rovers as Frank Post · Action
  28. 1971 Love Hate Love (1971) movie poster Love Hate Love as Russ Emery · Tv movie
  29. 1970 Love Story (1970) movie poster Love Story Drama
  30. 1970 The Games (1970) movie poster The Games as Scott Reynolds · Drama
3 nominations

Ryan O'Neal: Awards & Nominations

3 nominations across 2 award bodies, from 1971 to 1974. Every ceremony is listed newest first, with the category and the film.

All movie awards
  • Golden Globes logo Golden Globes 2 nominations
  • Oscars logo Oscars 1 nomination
Biography

Who Is Ryan O'Neal?

Ryan O'Neal was born in Los Angeles, California, U.S. in 1941. Credited on films since 1970, as an actor. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.

Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal (April 20, 1941 – December 8, 2023) was an American actor who started his career in acting in 1960. He trained as an amateur boxer before diving into acting. Born in Los Angeles, O'Neal's career spiked when he landed the role of Rodney Harrington on the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place in 1964. This major hit significantly boosted O'Neal's career catapulting him to stardom. He found tremendous success in films, most notably Love Story (1970), which earned him nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. His other notable films include What's Up, Doc? (1972), Paper Moon (1973), a role that earned him a Golden Globe nomination, Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon (1975), Richard Attenborough's A Bridge Too Far (1977), and Walter Hill's The Driver (1978). From 2005 to 2017, O'Neal also played 'Max', a recurring character on the Fox television series Bones.

As a Hollywood celebrity, his personal life was just as newsworthy. His volatile relationships, most notably with actress Farrah Fawcett, and his tumultuous relationship with his children, were often in the headlines. Despite his multiple marriages and affairs, he was remembered for his contribution to the film industry. His personal struggles never overshadowed his professional achievements, and the actor continued to perform until the late stages of his life. His final acting role was in the Fox television series Bones and worked in the industry until the very end.

Works with

Who Ryan O'Neal Makes Movies With

The actors and directors Ryan O'Neal shares the most films with. Tatum O'Neal comes first, with 3 films together, followed by Matthew Modine (3).

FAQ

Ryan O'Neal: Questions & Answers

How many movies Ryan O'Neal has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.

How many movies has Ryan O'Neal been in?

Ryan O'Neal is credited on 32 films, from 1970 to 2018. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.

What is Ryan O'Neal's highest-grossing movie?

Love Story (1970) is Ryan O'Neal's biggest box office hit, with $107M worldwide, ahead of A Bridge Too Far (1977) ($50.8M). Across every film with box office figures, Ryan O'Neal's movies have made $315M.

Ryan O'Neal's biggest hits

What is the best Ryan O'Neal movie?

By the Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, Ryan O'Neal's best-rated film is Filmworker (2018) with a score of 80.

Best Ryan O'Neal movies, ranked

Has Ryan O'Neal won an Oscar?

Ryan O'Neal has been nominated for an Oscar but has not won one yet. Across every ceremony in the awards database, Ryan O'Neal has 0 wins from 3 nominations.

What is Ryan O'Neal's newest movie?

The most recent film on Ryan O'Neal's filmography is Filmworker (2018), in the role of Self.

Who does Ryan O'Neal work with most often?

Ryan O'Neal shares the most films with Tatum O'Neal (3 films), Matthew Modine (3 films) and John Hillerman (3 films).

The Best Ryan O'Neal Movies, Ranked

Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 32 credits.

See the ranking

Coming soon to your phone

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app