Belton O'Neal Compton Jr. (February 5, 1951 – February 18, 2019) was an American actor and director.

Early life

He was born in

Sumter, South Carolina Sumter ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Sumter County, South Carolina, United States. Known as the Sumter Metropolitan Statistical Area, the namesake county adjoins Clarendon and Lee to form the core of Sumter-Lee-Clarendon Tri-county (o ...

, the son of

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

s Belton O. Compton Sr. and Dorothy Brunson Compton. O'Neal Compton was best known as a character actor in films and television, such as ''

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...

'', ''

Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

'', ''

Nell Nell is a traditional nickname for Eleanor. Nell is the name of: People Given name * Nell (artist) (born 1975), Australian artist * Nell Blaine (1922–1996), American painter * Nell Bryden (born 1977), American singer * Nell Carter (1948–2003), ...

'', ''

Primary Colors A set of primary colors or primary colours (see spelling differences) consists of colorants or colored lights that can be mixed in varying amounts to produce a gamut of colors. This is the essential method used to create the perception of a bro ...

'', '' Deep Impact'', ''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld ( ...

'' and ''

Big Eden ''Big Eden'' is a 2000 romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Thomas Bezucha. Arye Gross stars as Henry Hart, a successful gay artist from New York City who returns to his rural hometown in Montana to care for his ailing grandfather. ...

''. He was also an award-winning writer, producer, photographer and commercial director. O'Neal's photography was featured in exhibitions at the Michael Hoppen Gallery (London), Castle Haggenberg (Vienna) and in private galleries in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, New Orleans and South Carolina. His photographs hang in the collections of many celebrities including Morgan Freeman, Johnny Depp, Billy Bob Thornton, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sharon Stone, Elizabeth Taylor, John Travolta, Emma Thompson and Oliver Stone. O'Neal was commissioned by

Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is best known for playing a Jerry Seinfeld (character), semi-fictionalized version of himself in the sitcom ''Seinfeld'', which he ...

to create a series of his "slow speed" natural light portraits of the cast and crew in the last year of his show. O'Neal attended Clemson University, for a year. Then, after a four-year stint in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, he enrolled at Wofford College and "fell in love with campus life again". He coached football under the watchful eye of Coach Buddy Sasser and Coach Ladson Cubbage. O'Neal's major field of study was biology, which he read every week, even forty years later, but his passion was the theatre. In 1977, O'Neal discovered the Wofford Theatre Workshop, under the direction of Dr. James Gross. O'Neal made his living as a film and television actor, screenwriter and photographer, and also as a commercial producer and director. His work took him to many places in the Americas and Europe. He lived in New York, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and

Florianópolis Florianópolis () is the capital and second largest city of the state of Santa Catarina, in the South region of Brazil. The city encompasses Santa Catarina Island and surrounding small islands, as well as part of the mainland. It has a populat ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, and spent months working and living in some of the world’s great cities: London, Dublin, Paris, Vienna, Zurich and Mondello, Sicily. O’Neal moved into a new home in western

Sumter County, Florida Sumter County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population is 129,752. It has the oldest median age (68.3 years) of any US county and the highest percentage of residents aged 65 a ...

, a cypress house on , with a saltwater pool and a private pond. He wrote screenplays and worked with his publisher and editor to complete a book about his life and travels.

Death

On February 18, 2019, he died at the Dorn Veterans Affairs Medical Center in

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...

. He was 68 years old. The cause of death was yet to be determined.

Filmography

*''

Kill Me Later ''Kill Me Later'' is a 2001 film directed by Dana Lustig and starring Selma Blair and Max Beesley; it also features Brendan Fehr and Keegan Connor Tracy. Synopsis Blair plays Shawn, a loan officer at a bank who is having an affair with the bank ...

'' (2001) - Agent McGinley *'' Picking Up the Pieces'' (2000) - Texas John *''

'' (2000) - Jim Soams *''

'' (1999/I) - Superintendent Abernathy *''

Party of Five ''Party of Five'' is an American television teen and family drama created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox for six seasons from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000. The series featured an ensemble cast led by Sc ...

'' (1998) (TV series) - Les (''1 episode'') *'' Deep Impact'' (1998) - Morten Entrekin *''

LateLine ''Lateline'' was an Australian television news program which ran from 1990 until 2017. The program initially aired weeknights on ABC TV. In later years it was also broadcast internationally throughout Asia and the Pacific on the Australia Plu ...

'' (1998) (TV series) - Harlan (''1 episode'') *''

'' (1998) - Sailorman Shoreson *'' Orleans'' (1997) (TV series) - Lawyer Curtis Manzant (''5 episodes'') *''

'' (1995–1997) (TV series) - Earl Haffler (''2 episodes'') *'' Diabolique'' (1996) - Irv Danziger *'' Shaughnessy'' (1996) (TV) - *''

'' (1995) - Texas Man *''

The Single Guy ''The Single Guy'' is an American sitcom television series that ran for two seasons on NBC, from September 21, 1995, to April 14, 1997. It starred Jonathan Silverman as struggling New York City writer Jonathan Eliot and followed several of his c ...

'' (1995) (TV series) - TY (''1 episode'') *''

Coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

'' (1995) (TV series) - Hal (''1 episode'') *'' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' (1995) (TV series) - Gene Newtrich (''1 episode'') *''

'' (1994) - Don Fontana, Lovell's Attorney *'' Roadracers'' (1994) (TV) - J.T. *''

Rebel Highway ''Rebel Highway'' was a short-lived revival of American International Pictures created and produced by Lou Arkoff, the son of Samuel Z. Arkoff, and Debra Hill for the Showtime network in 1994. The concept was a 10-week series of 1950s "drive-in c ...

'' (1994) (TV series) - J.T. (''1 episode'') *''

Little Big League ''Little Big League'' is a 1994 American family sports film about a 12-year-old who suddenly becomes the owner and then manager of the Minnesota Twins baseball team. It stars Luke Edwards, Timothy Busfield, and Dennis Farina. The film is direct ...

'' (1994) - Major League Umpire *''

Murder Between Friends ''Murder Between Friends'' is an American murder mystery television film of 1994, directed by Waris Hussein. It is based on the true story of the murder of Janet Myers, a Louisiana woman killed in 1984 by her husband, or his best friend, or both ...

'' (1994) (TV) - Det. Easby *''

Grace Under Fire ''Grace Under Fire'' is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 29, 1993, to February 17, 1998. The show starred Brett Butler as a single mother learning how to cope with raising her three children alone after finally divorcing her ...

'' (1993) (TV series) - Doctor (''1 episode'') *'' Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman'' (1993) (TV) - Sheriff Denby *''

Harts of the West Harts of the West is a humorous contemporary western about a Chicago family moving to a run-down Nevada ranch. The series consisted of 15 hour-long episodes that aired on CBS Saturdays, 9:00 to 10:00 p.m., from September 1993 until June 1994. ...

'' (1993) (TV series) - (episode "The Right Stuff") *''

The Thing Called Love ''The Thing Called Love'' is a 1993 American comedy-drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starring Samantha Mathis as Miranda Presley, a young musician who tries to make it big in Nashville. River Phoenix, Dermot Mulroney and Sandra Bullo ...

'' (1993) - Singing Cop *''

What's Love Got to Do with It What's Love Got to Do with It may refer to: *Tina Turner: ** "What's Love Got to Do with It" (song), a 1984 song by Tina Turner ** ''What's Love Got to Do with It'' (1993 film), a biographical film about Tina Turner ** ''What's Love Got to Do with ...

'' (1993) - George (the Ramada Inn Manager) *'' Made in America'' (1993) - Rocky *'' When Love Kills: The Seduction of John Hearn'' (1993) (TV) - Minister *''

The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom ''The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom'' is a 1993 Biographical film, biographical black comedy television film produced by and for Home Box Office, HBO. It was directed by Michael Ritchie (film director), ...

'' (1993) (TV) - Principal James Barker *''

The Wonder Years ''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age story, coming-of-age situation comedy, comedy/Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol L. Black, Carol Black. It ran on American Broadcasting Company ...

'' (1993) (TV series) - Zeke (''1 episode'') *''

Home Improvement The concept of home improvement, home renovation, or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home. Home improvement can consist of projects that upgrade an existing home interior (such as electrical and plumbing), ...

'' (1993) (TV series) - Phil (''1 episode'') *''

Delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta") * Delta Air Lines, US * Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 Delta may also ...

'' (1992) (TV series) - Mr. Boone (''1 episode'') *'' A Message from Holly'' (1992) (TV) - Burly Man *''

Parker Lewis Can't Lose ''Parker Lewis Can't Lose'' is an American teen sitcom that originally aired on Fox from September 1990 to June 1993. It was produced by Clyde Phillips Productions in association with Columbia Pictures Television. During the last season, the se ...

'' (1992) (TV series) - Fez Man (''1 episode'') *''

Quantum Leap ''Quantum Leap'' is an American science fiction television series, created by Donald P. Bellisario, that premiered on NBC and aired for five seasons, from March 26, 1989, to May 5, 1993. The series stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a physi ...

'' (1992) (TV series) - Russ (''1 episode'') *''

Brother Future ''Brother Future'' is a historical period/ coming of age movie made in 1991. It starred Phill Lewis, Moses Gunn, Frank Converse, Carl Lumbly and Vonetta McGee. A street kid (Phill Lewis) from Detroit, Michigan, is hit by a car; when he awakes ...

'' (1991) (TV) - Turner *'' Don't Tell Her It's Me'' (1990) - Gas Station Attendant *''

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...

'' (1993) (TV series) - Trooper Williams (''1 episode'')

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Compton, Oneal 1951 births 2019 deaths American male film actors American male television actors People from Sumter, South Carolina Male actors from South Carolina Military personnel from South Carolina Clemson University alumni University of South Carolina alumni Wofford College alumni Writers from South Carolina