Patrick O'Neal (actor)
Patrick Wisdom O'Neal was an American actor and restaurateur.
Early life
O'Neal was born in Ocala, Florida, to Martha and Coke Wisdom O'Neal. He attended the Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Georgia, and Ocala High School. Upon graduation, he enrolled at the University of Florida in Gainesville where he majored in drama. During college, O'Neal joined the Florida Players, a theatre troupe. He was also a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and was the editor of the university yearbook. After earning a bachelor's degree, O'Neal enlisted in the United States Air Force and served during the Korean War. During the war, he directed short training films. After 15 months' service, he moved to New York and studied at the Actors Studio and Neighborhood Playhouse.
Career
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 in Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana, but the starring role for the 1964 film version went to Richard Burton. In 1969, he had a leading role in John Huston's The Kremlin Letter and a supporting role in the western El Condor. He appeared in the 1973 hit The Way We Were. In 1972, he portrayed a murderous architect in the Columbo 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's Q&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. ; "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". All were located on the West Side of Manhattan.
Personal life
O'Neal married actress Cynthia Baxter in 1956. They had two sons, Maximilian and Fitzjohn, and remained married until O'Neal's death.
Death
O'Neal died aged 66 on September 9, 1994, of respiratory failure at Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center in Manhattan. At the time of his death, he was also suffering from lung cancer and tuberculosis.
Broadway credits
A Far Country
Selected filmography
Films
The Mad Magician - Lt. Alan BruceThe Black Shield of Falworth - Walter BluntFrom the Terrace - Dr. Jim RoperA Matter of Morals - Alan KennebeckThe Cardinal - Cecil TurnerIn Harm's Way - Commander Neal OwynnKing Rat - MaxA Fine Madness - Dr. Oliver WestAlvarez Kelly - Major Albert StedmanChamber of Horrors - Jason Cravatte Matchless - Perry 'Matchless' ListonAssignment to Kill - Richard CuttingWhere Were You When the Lights Went Out? - Peter GarrisonThe Secret Life of an American Wife - Tom LaytonCastle Keep - Capt. Lionel BeckmanStiletto - George BakerThe Kremlin Letter - Charles RoneEl Condor - ChavezCorky - RandySilent Night, Bloody Night - John CarterThe Way We Were - George BissingerTo Kill the King - David HowardThe Stepford Wives - Dale CobaThe Stuff - FletcherLike Father Like Son - Dr. Larry ArmbrusterNew York Stories - Phillip Fowler Q & A - Kevin QuinnAlice - Alice's FatherFor the Boys - ShephardUnder Siege - Captain Adams
Television
The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse Appointment with Adventure Dick and the Duchess - Dick StarrettOne Step Beyond - Mitchell CampionDiagnosis: Unknown - Dr. Daniel CoffeeThe Millionaire - David Stevens Naked City - Roy PressfieldThe Twilight Zone - Harmon GordonAlfred Hitchcock Hour - George MaxwellRoute 66 - Eric Outer Limits - Jonathan MeridithNight Gallery - Justus Walters McCloud - Alex Demarest / Arthur Yerby Columbo - Frank Flanagan / Elliot MarkhamCannon - Arlo HemmingMarcus Welby M.D. - Dr. Valentine PetersonThe Doris Day Show - Jonathan RuskBarnaby Jones - Coleman Reeves / Frank Cabot / Charles Manly WheelingThriller - Michael LaneThe Moneychangers - Harold AustinKaz - Samuel BennettEmerald Point N.A.S. - Harlan AdamsTales of the Unexpected - SuttonMurder, She Wrote - Si ParrishPerry Mason Returns - Arthur GordonMaigret - Kevin PortmanPerry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal - Arthur Westbrook