Patrick O'Neal | |
|---|---|
 O'Neal in 1968 | |
| Born | Patrick Wisdom O'Neal (1927-09-26)September 26, 1927 Ocala, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | September 9, 1994(1994-09-09) (aged 66) Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Education | Riverside Military Academy Ocala High School University of Florida |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1952–1994 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1952–53[1] |
Patrick Wisdom O'Neal (September 26, 1927 – September 9, 1994) was an American actor and restaurateur.
O'Neal was born inOcala, Florida, to Martha and Coke Wisdom O'Neal. He attended theRiverside Military Academy inGainesville, Georgia, andOcala High School. Upon graduation, he enrolled at theUniversity of Florida in Gainesville where he majored in drama.[2] During college, O'Neal joined the Florida Players, a theatre troupe. He was also a member of theSigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and was the editor of the university yearbook.[3] After earning a bachelor's degree, O'Neal enlisted in theUnited States Air Force and served during theKorean War. During the war, he directed short training films. After 15 months' service, he moved to New York and studied at theActors Studio andNeighborhood Playhouse.[4]
O'Neal was seen mostly as a guest star on television throughout four decades, beginning in the 1950s. In the early 1960s, he received critical praise for his leading role on Broadway inTennessee Williams'The Night of the Iguana, but the starring role for the 1964film version went toRichard Burton. In 1969, he had a leading role inJohn Huston'sThe Kremlin Letter and a supporting role in the westernEl Condor. He appeared in the 1973 hitThe Way We Were. In 1972, he portrayed a murderous architect in theColumbo episode "Blueprint for Murder" and in 1978, on the same show, he played a television network executive in the episode "Make Me a Perfect Murder". In 1990, he played the corrupt Police Commissioner Kevin Quinn in Sidney Lumet'sQ&A.
With his wife and his brother Michael, O'Neal co-owned a number of successful restaurants beginning in 1963, including "The Ginger Man" on West 64th St. (later renamed O'Neal's); "O'Neal's" on West 57th St., briefly the flagship of an O'Neal's chain; "The Landmark Tavern" on 11th Avenue; and “O’Neal’s Saloon” at West 63rd St. and Columbus Ave., soon retitled "O'Neal's Baloon" (because the word “Saloon” had been outlawed during Prohibition but the neon sign for Saloon had already been created). All were located on the West Side of Manhattan.[4]
O'Neal married actress Cynthia Baxter in 1956. They had two sons, Maximilian and Fitzjohn, and remained married until O'Neal's death.[4]
O'Neal died aged 66 on September 9, 1994, ofrespiratory failure atSaint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center in Manhattan. At the time of his death, he was also suffering fromlung cancer andtuberculosis.[5]
