Patrick O'Neal was a renowned actor known for his versatility in portraying both elegant heroes and equally captivating villains throughout his five-decade-long career. Born in 1927 in Ocala, Florida, to an Irish family, O'Neal served in the United States Army Air Force during World War II, where he was assigned to direct training shorts for the Signal Corps at a young age.
After graduating from the University of Florida at Gainesville, O'Neal moved to New York City to continue his dramatic studies at the Actors Studio and Neighborhood Playhouse. He made his initial impact in the early 1950s, replacing Tony Randall in the hit comedy "Oh, Men! Oh, Women!" and later gave a standout performance in the Broadway play "The Far Country" in 1961.
O'Neal also appeared in numerous anthology TV series during the 1950s, including "Robert Montgomery Presents," "Kraft Theatre," "Chevron Theatre," "Schlitz Playhouse," "Studio One in Hollywood," "Pepsi-Cola Playhouse," and "Goodyear Playhouse." He made his film debut in the horror film "The Mad Magician" (1954) alongside Vincent Price and appeared in only one other film that decade, the costumed drama "The Black Shield of Falworth" (1954).
In the 1960s, O'Neal earned more recognition for his roles in films such as "King Rat" (1965),"Assignment to Kill" (1968),"In Harm's Way" (1965),and "Chamber of Horrors" (1966),which remains his most well-known film. He continued to appear in a wide range of films throughout his career, including "Deathouse" (1972),"The Way We Were" (1973),"The Stepford Wives" (1975),"The Stuff" (1985),"Like Father Like Son" (1987),"Q&A" (1990),"Alice" (1990),"For the Boys" (1991),and "Under Siege" (1992).
In addition to his film work, O'Neal was a steady presence on television, guest-starring on popular shows such as "The Naked City," "Dr. Kildare," "The Twilight Zone," "Route 66," "The Outer Limits," "Coronet Blue," "Alias Smith & Jones," "Cannon," "McCloud," "The F.B.I.," "The Doris Day Show," "The Streets of San Francisco," "Columbo," and "Murder, She Wrote." He also had recurring roles on the crime drama series "Kaz" (1978) and "Emerald Point N.A.S." (1983).
O'Neal was married to actress Cynthia O'Neal (née Baxter) and owned several restaurants with his wife and brother. He passed away in 1994 due to respiratory failure caused by tuberculosis complications.
