Ryan O'Neal: ACTORS & Skin

I never considered myself much of a fan of actor Ryan O'Neal.  When he was alive, I mostly knew him as the boyfriend of Farrah Fawcett and for all the stories about what destructive father he was.  Stories, both real tabloid created were reported about his strained relationships with his four children, most notably, his daughter actress Tatum O'Neal.

When he died however, I did decide to include him in my tribute to those who passed in 2023. (Unforgettable)  I did so, because I was reading some quotes from Tatum who spoke about how O'Neal tried to reconnect in recent years, and how lucky she felt that they were on good terms prior to his death.

I also included him, as when I was researching, I was impressed by his career.  Starting on television in the early 60's,  O'Neal, despite his flaws, managed an over six decade career working with some of the industries biggest stars.  His initial claim to fame was that of a heartthrob on Peyton Place, a night time soap.  Few actors who reach fame on prime-time soaps went on to feature film superstardom, especially in the 60's and 70's. 

O'Neal by Baron Wolman

When looking for 'nude caps' for the piece after his death, I found four films in which O'Neal appeared nude.  So many sources reported he was nude in Love Story, (which garnered O'Neal an Oscar nomination) but although there were promotional shots from a shower scene, there was no nudity.  O'Neal did however, soap up and have a nude scene in the film's sequel, Oliver's Story.

I also read a bit his turn in the 1982 gay themed film Partners.  I'd seen the caps, but never watched the scene or the film.  I finally found a copy and watched last week.  The film inspired me to put O'Neal up next in my Actors & Skin series.  The film had all the gay stereotypes and lame jokes that you'd expect from a cop buddy comedy made in the early 80's.   It also had surprisingly fewer than I expected, and was really an enjoyable watch.  

Love Story (1970)

You can check Ryan's nude resume on the next page in Part 1 HERE: and Part 2 HERE:

Oliver's Story (1978)