Richard Francis O'Neill (August 29, 1928 – November 17, 1998) was an American

stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

and

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

best known for playing Irish cops, fathers, judges and army generals. He began his acting career as an original company member of Arena Stage in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Biography

Early life and television roles

O'Neill was born in New York City on August 29, 1928, and studied at

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...

. He served in the

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

then returned to the theater. In the late 1950s, he began appearing on television. His television credits include ''

Car 54, Where Are You? ''Car 54, Where Are You?'' is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1961 to April 1963. Filmed in black and white, the series starred Joe E. Ross as Gunther Toody and Fred Gwynne as Francis Muldoon, two mismatched New York City Po ...

'', ''

The Honeymooners ''The Honeymooners'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starring Jackie Gleason, and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that had been part of Gleason's variety show. It f ...

'', ''

Barney Miller ''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th Street in Greenwich Village (Lower Manhattan). The series was broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Janu ...

'', '' Sanford and Son'', ''

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans (actor), Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was televis ...

'', '' Kaz'', '' M*A*S*H'', '' The Feather and Father Gang'',stefaniepowersonline.com The Feather and Father Gang
/ref> '' The Facts of Life'', '' Family Matters'', '' Mad About You'', ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'', ''

Father Dowling Mysteries ''Father Dowling Mysteries'', known as ''Father Dowling Investigates'' in the United Kingdom, is an American mystery television series first aired from January 20, 1989, to May 2, 1991. The series was preceded by the 1987 television movie ''Fat ...

'', ''

Three's Company ''Three's Company'' is an American television sitcom that aired for eight seasons on ABC from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984. Developed by Don Nicholl, Michael Ross and Bernie West, it is based on the British sitcom '' Man About the ...

'', ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...

'', '' One Day at a Time'', '' Magnum, P.I.'', ''A Man Called Intrepid'', ''

Growing Pains ''Growing Pains'' is an American television sitcom created by Neal Marlens that ran on ABC for seven seasons from September 24, 1985, to April 25, 1992. The series follows the misadventures of the Seaver family, including psychiatrist and fathe ...

'', ''

Dark Justice ''Dark Justice'' is an American crime drama television series about a judge who becomes a vigilante by night so that he can bring high-level offenders who use Legal technicality, technicalities to "escape" the legal system to what he calls "dar ...

'', ''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American television sitcom, created by Glen and Les Charles, Glen Charles & Les Charles and James Burrows, that aired on NBC for eleven seasons from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/C ...

'', '' Dharma & Greg'', ''

Cybill ''Cybill'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre, which aired for four seasons and 87 episodes on CBS from January 2, 1995, to July 13, 1998. Starring Cybill Shepherd, the show revolves around the life of Cybill Sheridan, a t ...

'', ''

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz that aired on NBC from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart ...

'' to ''

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

''. He was probably best known for his role as Charlie Cagney in the television series '' Cagney & Lacey''.

Stage

O'Neill acted five years with Arena Stage in Washington, D. C., and two years with the

Kenley Players The Kenley Players was an Actors' Equity Association, Equity summer stock theatre company which presented hundreds of productions featuring Broadway theatre, Broadway, film, and television stars in Midwestern cities between 1940 and 1995. ''Variet ...

in Columbus, Ohio. Before moving to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, he made his Broadway debut as Christmas Morgan in '' The Unsinkable Molly Brown''. His other Broadway credits include ''

Skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...

'', '' Promises, Promises'', and ''Tough to Get Help''.

Film roles

His film credits include '' The Mugger'' (1958), '' To the Shores of Hell'' (1966), '' Gammera the Invincible'' (1966), '' Pretty Poison'' (1968), '' Some of My Best Friends Are...'' (1971), '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three'' (1974), '' The Front Page'' (1974), '' Posse'' (1975), '' St. Ives'' (1976), ''American Raspberry'' (1977), '' MacArthur'' (1977), '' The Buddy Holly Story'' (1978), '' House Calls'' (1978), ''

The Jerk ''The Jerk'' is a 1979 American comedy film directed by Carl Reiner and written by Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb, and Michael Elias (from a story by Martin and Gottlieb). This was Martin's first starring role in a feature film. The film also f ...

'' (1979), '' Wolfen'' (1981), ''

Chiller A chiller is a machine that removes heat from a liquid coolant via a vapor-compression refrigeration, vapor-compression, adsorption refrigeration, or absorption refrigerator, absorption refrigeration cycles. This liquid can then be circulated th ...

'' (1985), '' Prizzi's Honor'' (1985), '' The Mosquito Coast'' (1986), ''

She's Out of Control ''She's Out of Control'' is a 1989 American independent coming of age comedy film directed by Stan Dragoti, starring Tony Danza, Ami Dolenz and Catherine Hicks. The original music score was composed by Alan Silvestri. The film was marketed with ...

'' (1989) and '' Loose Cannons'' (1990).

Personal life

He met his wife Jackie Shaw O'Neill when they appeared together in a production of ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...

''. He and Jackie had three daughters, Meghan, Gillian and Caitlin. On November 17, 1998, O'Neill died of heart failure at the age of 70 at St. John's Medical Center in Santa Monica.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Oneill, Dick 1928 births 1998 deaths Syracuse University alumni American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American singers