MovieChat Forums > Ryan O'Neal Discussion > comparison with him and Jack Cassidy

comparison with him and Jack Cassidy


Many feel they are similar due to the fact they were jealous of their offspring's success. In some ways I agree. But I do hope Griffin, Redmond, and Tatum make peace with their dad before they lose him. Jack's kids never got the chance. It is funny how history repeated in those families. Tatum was estranged from her kids due to her substance issues, and David and Katie were on strained terms for awhile. In addition, both Ryan and David were divorced 3X.

reply

We are not born knowing how to be spouses or parents. If you live in a family that can’t teach you those skills, you either get therapy or you’re fucked.

reply

Hopefully someone helps that person before therapy is needed.


reply

Some highlights of Ryan O'Neal being a lousy father:
https://www.quora.com/What-Hollywood-actor-was-a-lousy-father/answer/Amy-Christa-Ernano

*When his 10-year-old daughter Tatum was announced as an Oscar nominee for her role alongside him in Paper Moon, Ryan reportedly hit her in the face out of jealousy. She also attended the Oscars alone; neither parent was there. (She won, and is still the youngest ever winner of a competitive acting Oscar.) Tatum says he was frequently physically and emotionally abusive throughout her childhood and adolescence.

*He had an affair with 18-year-old Melanie Griffith, one of Tatum's best friends and whom he had known since she was a child, when he was 34.

*Brought an adolescent Tatum to numerous parties where drugs were being done in the open, which first kicked off her lifelong struggle with addiction. She also claims she was sexually abused by one of his druggie friends as a teenager.

*Forced his son Griffin to snort cocaine with him when Griffin was 11.

*Knocked out two of Griffin's teeth when he was 16. Griffin has since called his father an “abusive, narcissistic sociopath".

*Was arrested for firing a gun at Griffin in 2007 (the charges were later dropped).

*Openly hit on his own estranged daughter Tatum at her stepmother Farrah Fawcett's funeral (he apparently did not recognize her as his daughter).

*Got his youngest son, Redmond, hooked on drugs. Ryan and Redmond were arrested together for drug possession in 2008; Ryan was 67, Redmond was 22. Redmond has since struggled with addiction and mental illness, and has been arrested for multiple offenses, some violent. He is currently in a psychiatric facility, having been deemed incompetent to stand trial for an armed robbery he committed in 2018, and has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and antisocial personality disorder. He blames his father for his addiction and subsequent troubles.

reply

Wow I did not know Redmond had that many mental disorders. Patrick is the only one who had a normal upbringing. I read Tatum's first memior, a little bit of it years ago.

reply

If even one of those things is true he's a real piece of crap.

reply

Seems odd for him to jealous. He was a far bigger star than any of them, including Tatum.

reply

Seems odd for him to jealous. He was a far bigger star than any of them, including Tatum.

---

But in 1973, O'Neal found his daughter as his co-star in Paper Moon and SHE got the Oscar nomination and then SHE won the Oscar...historic, youngest ever. (7? 8? 9?)

Oscars mean a lot to movie stars...I think Burt Reynolds' romance with Sally Field ultimately ended over her winning even ONE Oscar... and she won two.

I find it particularly telling -- and sad - -that neither her father Ryan O'Neal nor her mother, actress Joanna Moore, attended the Oscars with Tatum O'Neal that night. You can see footage on YouTube. There is an old man sitting with her -- a grandfather maybe? And she went up on that stage without a father in the audience to applaud for her.

Ryan O'Neal was, as they say "a piece of work." In a profession of tempermental narcissists, he was one of the worst at keeping it secret. Temper problems. Drug problems(just like Tatum's mother, Joanna Moore -- a very charming and pretty blond actress , big on TV, who COULD have been a star.) Fighting problems. And the handsome devil may a habit of stealing wives and girlfriends away from male friends.

But he died this week in December 2023 and one son signed off on a memorial statement that noted(rightly): "My father was my idol (and) he crushed it in the 70's." The son reeled off the highlights: Love Story(the biggest hit of 1970) What's Up Doc and Paper Moon(for director Peter Bogdanovich when HE was hot -- with Streisand in What's Up Doc and Tatum winning her Oscar for Paper Moon)...and one for Stanley Kubrick in Barry Lyndon(a movie which, said Ryan O'Neal , seemed to kill off his career shortly thereafter and he didn't know why.)

In addition to the son who issued a glowing tribute, Tatum O"Neal gave an "exclusive" to People magazine with praise for her father and some reconciliation attached. I guess the other son is still institutionalized.

CONT

reply

In any event, at the end, the turbulent Ryan O'Neal was honored by the children whose lives he evidently once made hell.
(I don't think Robert Redford will leave such a horrible family legacy. His worst sin seemed to be showing up late for work.)

And Ryan O'Neal IS in some famous and/or great movies. Its hard to be a real movie star, but in the 70's Ryan O'Neal was one.

RIP

reply

I read reports Joanna turned to drugs when Ryan asked for a divorce, losing custody of her kids did not help matters. One of Tatum's sons wrote a book about his grandma,or was planning to a few years ago. Joanna also had a nice voice. I saw the clip of her singing on Andy Griffith.

That was his middle son Patrick who announced his demise. Leigh T Young is his mom. That is sweet he made peace with Tatum. On GMA, it was announced he died in the same hospital room Farrah died in.

reply

I read reports Joanna turned to drugs when Ryan asked for a divorce, losing custody of her kids did not help matters.

I wrote this down below and I'll repeat it here:
A classic problem in Hollywood for the biggest stars is they have more than enough money to buy two very expensive things: drugs(which hooks women and men) and hookers(mainly for men, but female hookers for gay women or boytoys for straight women.)

Once you can have "all you want" of drugs and sex...it can be a downhill spiral if you don't control your intake..

---

Joanna Moore may not have been superrich as a mainly TV actress in the 60s, but she likely had access to drugs and with emotional issues connected to the loss of two children..its hard for anybody to cope.

She is a great presence in those 60s shows like Andy Griffith, etc.

---

One of Tatum's sons wrote a book about his grandma,or was planning to a few years ago.

--

I wonder if "grandma" (the beautiful Joanna Moore) managed to turn things around in her life. I wonder if the love of her grandchildren helped. I hope so.

--

Joanna also had a nice voice. I saw the clip of her singing on Andy Griffith.

--

Off to YouTube. That voice was best when she indulged her Southern drawl.

---

---



That was his middle son Patrick who announced his demise. Leigh T Young is his mom.

---

Aha. One loses track with these mulitple marriages. I guess it was a little the same with Jack Cassidy -- David was from a first marriage, the other boys came from Shirley Jones (a gorgeous wife, must have driven Cassidy nuts to lose her.)

---

CONT

reply

That is sweet he made peace with Tatum. On GMA, it was announced he died in the same hospital room Farrah died in.

---

Well, again, these may have been "dysfunctional people in public,' but in private they loved each other and made family units as best they could, I suppose.

And I did enjoy Ryan O'Neal as a movie star in his key films (What's Up Doc, Paper Moon, Barry Lyndon, A Bridge Too Far, The Driver) less ..the big one, Love Story, which I found too wooden in the acting and writing departments.) As his career faded in the 80s, O'Neal was also in a funny movie called "So Fine" from the writer-director of "The Inlaws" and "The Freshman."

reply

I read Redmond had many issues with his mental health. The drug use probably made it worse. Very sad. I hope he does not go off the deep end after losing his dad.

reply

I read Redmond had many issues with his mental health. The drug use probably made it worse. Very sad. I hope he does not go off the deep end after losing his dad.

---

Well, we never REALLY know the home lifestyles of famous celebrities and their offspring, but I have read that Ryan O'Neal was pretty wealthy even after his highest-paying star days were over. He invested his Love Story take in land, for instance.

So the surviving adult children may at least have money available for Redmond's treatment and to continue their lives with their own (grown?) children.

A classic problem in Hollywood for the biggest stars is they have more than enough money to buy two very expensive things: drugs(which hooks women and men) and hookers(mainly for men, but female hookers for gay women or boytoys for straight women.)

Once you can have "all you want" of drugs and sex...it can be a downhill spiral if you don't control your intake..

PS. If Redmond's mental issues are bi-polar in nature , that could account for some of dad Ryan's emotional anger as described in the press.

reply

They both tended to play similar roles, as well. A lot of charming grifter types.

reply

Yeah I believe Jack Cassidy was insanely jealous of his son. I don't know about Ryan O'Neal though. It wasn't like one of his sons upstaged him. In Cassidy's case, for a few years there, his son David was on top of the world. I betcha it drove him crazy. One suspects Ryan, on the other hand, was very happy for his daughter.

I could be wrong though.

reply