Patrick O'Neal Says Father Ryan O'Neal Was a 'Hollywood Legend. Full Stop.'

Patrick O’Neal is remembering his father, actor Ryan O’Neal, as a “Hollywood legend” who was “as generous as they come.”

The Los Angeles Angels broadcaster, 56, announced his father’s death on Friday in an Instagram tribute spread across three posts with pictures of a sunset. Ryan, who earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in Love Story, was 82. 

“My father Ryan O’Neal has always been my hero. I looked up to him and he was always bigger than life,” Patrick wrote, later referring to Ryan as a “Hollywood legend. Full stop.”

After listing a few of his father’s most memorable credits, like Paper Moon, Barry Lyndon and What’s Up Doc?, Patrick highlighted his father’s dedication to acting.

“I hope he felt proud of his career but he was very humble. And boy did he love the crew on those shoots,” Patrick wrote. “He always treated everyone on the set so well. They loved him, I saw it first hand.”

“As a human being, my father was as generous as they come,” Patrick continued. “And the funniest person in any room. And the most handsome clearly, but also the most charming. Lethal combo. He loved to make people laugh. It’s pretty much his goal. Didn’t matter the situation, if there was a joke to be found, he nailed it. He really wanted us laughing. And we did all laugh. Every time. We had fun. Fun in the sun.”

Ryan was “second to none” as a father, Patrick wrote, noting how supportive Ryan was of his broadcasting career. “Proud of my boy,” Ryan wrote in his final Instagram post, which was published on July 24 and included an interview Patrick gave to LA Downtown News about how the actor feels about his son’s career choice.

“He was my biggest fan and I am really going to miss talking about my teams with him,” Patrick wrote. “Whether he was asking hopefully if Ohtani is coming back to the Angels or commenting on how good the Kings are looking on the ice, he followed my career every single day, with every game I broadcast.”

In his last post Friday, Patrick wrote that Ryan lived a “kick a--” life and how he has “bragging rights” in heaven.

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“Especially when it comes to Farrah,” Patrick wrote, referring to Ryan’s decades-long relationship with the late Farrah Fawcett. “Everyone had the poster, he had the real McCoy. And now they meet again. Farrah and Ryan. He has missed her terribly. What an embrace that must be. Together again.”

Patrick is Ryan’s only son from his marriage to his Peyton Place costar, Leigh Taylor-Young. Ryan is also survived by his two children from his marriage to Joanna Moore, Tatum O’Neal and Griffin O’Neal; and his son with Fawcett, Redmond James Fawcett O’Neal.