Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the
MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
's
military science fiction
Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction and military fiction that depicts the use of science fiction technology, including spaceships and science fiction weapons, weapons, for military purposes and usually principal characters ...
franchise ''
Stargate
''Stargate'' is a military science fiction media franchise owned by Amazon MGM Studios. It is based on Stargate (film), the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin; production company StudioCanal owns the ...
'', primarily as one of the main characters of the television series ''
Stargate SG-1
''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction Adventure fiction, adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wrig ...
''.
Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson (born January 23, 1950) is an American actor. He began his television career in 1976, playing Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series ''General Hospital'', and then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the televis ...
played O'Neill in all the ''Stargate'' media since 1997, when he took over the role from actor
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor before transitioning to leading roles as an adult in various genres such as action adventures, science-fiction, westerns, romance films, co ...
, who portrayed the character in the
original ''Stargate'' film in 1994. O'Neill and
Daniel Jackson are the only two characters to appear in both the original film and all three live-action ''Stargate'' television series.
In his first appearance in the 1994 film as Colonel Jack O'Neill, the character leads the first team to go through the
Stargate
''Stargate'' is a military science fiction media franchise owned by Amazon MGM Studios. It is based on Stargate (film), the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin; production company StudioCanal owns the ...
on a reconnaissance mission. He subsequently becomes the main character of the television series ''Stargate SG-1'' created in 1997 as a sequel to the movie. In the first seven seasons of the show, Colonel Jack O'Neill, recalled from retirement after the first film, is the leader of the team SG-1, a part of the
Stargate Program, whose goal is to explore the galaxy and defend against alien threats.
He became less prominent in the
eighth season, in which he is promoted to Commanding Officer of
Stargate Command, at the rank of
brigadier general, therefore greatly reducing the character's time spent exploring via the Stargate. Anderson chose to spend more time with his family, eventually leaving the show at the start of its
ninth season and only appearing four times until the
end of the series in its
tenth and final season. The character's absence from the show was explained by yet another promotion, to the position of head of the Department of Homeworld Security, as a
major general.
Anderson reprised his role once again in the direct-to-DVD film ''
Stargate: Continuum'', a sequel to the TV series. O'Neill also appeared in the two other ''Stargate'' television series: he was an occasional character in the first three seasons of ''
Stargate Atlantis
''Stargate Atlantis'' (usually stylized in all caps and often abbreviated ''SGA'') is an Adventure film, adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show was created by Brad W ...
'', serving as an Earth contact with
Atlantis, this running parallel with Stargate SG-1 for a time, and in four episodes of ''
Stargate Universe
''Stargate Universe'' (often abbreviated as ''SGU'') is a military science fiction drama television series and part of MGM's ''Stargate'' franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the An ...
'', as a
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...
, having been promoted sometime after both ''SG-1'' and ''Atlantis'' had ended. His appearance in this show's
first season finale is his last appearance in the ''Stargate'' universe to date. Anderson also voiced the character in the video game ''
Stargate SG-1: Unleashed''.
Character arc
Jack O'Neill is a
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
colonel with experience in special operations before joining the Stargate Program.
He was married to Sara O'Neill, but their marriage suffered when Jack sank into a deep depression after their son accidentally shot himself with O'Neill's pistol. He then joins a dangerous mission through the
Stargate
''Stargate'' is a military science fiction media franchise owned by Amazon MGM Studios. It is based on Stargate (film), the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin; production company StudioCanal owns the ...
with a couple of airmen and Dr.
Daniel Jackson, who deciphers how to use the Stargate. They are transported to another planet. O'Neill's standing order is to detonate a
nuclear warhead near the Stargate at any sign of danger. But a young boy named
Skaara
Over its decade of existence, science fiction TV series ''Stargate SG-1'' developed an extensive and detailed backdrop of diverse characters. Many of the characters are members of alien species discovered while exploring the galaxy through the S ...
gives him a renewed sense of life. After the defeat of
Ra, O'Neill and his team return to Earth, while Jackson remains on the planet.
Though he and Sara were still together when Jack was initially recruited for his first mission through the Stargate, by the time he returned she had left him.
O'Neill returns to the Stargate Program when the
Goa'uld Apophis attacks the Earth installation via its stargate. He is given command of the SG-1 team, which consists of himself,
Samantha Carter
Dr. Samantha "Sam" Carter, USAF, is a fictional character in the Canadian–American military science fiction ''Stargate'' franchise. Played by Amanda Tapping, she appears in all three shows in the franchise: ''Stargate SG-1'', ''Stargate Atlant ...
,
Teal'c and Jackson.
Eventually O'Neill gets the Repository of the Ancients temporarily "downloaded" to his brain and becomes the first modern human to travel to another galaxy, the
Asgard
In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr''; "Garden of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in several Old Norse sagas and mythological texts, including the Eddas, however it has also been suggested to be refe ...
home galaxy.
A second download of the Ancients' knowledge into his brain during the season 7 finale, allows him to lead SG-1 to an Ancient outpost in Antarctica. O'Neill possesses the ATA gene, and thus is able to operate the Ancient weapons chair and save Earth from Anubis's fleet.
With the Ancient knowledge about to overwhelm his personality and kill him, he is placed into a stasis pod in the outpost until
Thor
Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
of the
Asgard
In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr''; "Garden of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in several Old Norse sagas and mythological texts, including the Eddas, however it has also been suggested to be refe ...
is able to remove the knowledge and save his life. After that event, O'Neill is promoted to
brigadier general and is given command of
Stargate Command.
O'Neill is promoted again off-screen and becomes the new head of the
Office of Homeworld Security/Homeworld Command after the retirement of General Hammond, with Major General
Hank Landry taking his position as the new commander of Stargate Command.
In the pilot of Stargate Atlantis, O'Neill convinces
John Sheppard to join the
Atlantis expedition to the
Pegasus Galaxy.
In 2006, he, along with
Richard Woolsey, visits Atlantis to create a treaty between the humans of
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
and the
Ancients.
The death of O'Neill is briefly shown in an
alternate timeline
Alternate history (also referred to as alternative history, allohistory, althist, or simply A.H.) is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which one or more historical events have occurred but are resolved differently than in actual history. As ...
where
Ba'al controls the
Goa'uld Empire.
O'Neill reappears as a
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...
in ''
Stargate Universe
''Stargate Universe'' (often abbreviated as ''SGU'') is a military science fiction drama television series and part of MGM's ''Stargate'' franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the An ...
'' with
Nicholas Rush, where he is recruiting
Eli Wallace into the
Icarus Project. After the attack on the Icarus Base, he contacts Carter from
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The building was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As ...
to talk about the ongoing situation. With help from the Ancient Communication Stones,
Everett Young body swaps with Colonel
David Telford to tell O'Neill about a dire situation in which they find themselves.
Conceptual history
Conception

John Symes approached Michael Greenburg and
Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson (born January 23, 1950) is an American actor. He began his television career in 1976, playing Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series ''General Hospital'', and then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the televis ...
of ''
MacGyver
Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the MacGyver (1985 TV series), 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in Mac ...
'' fame.
Although Anderson was never a real fan of the
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
genre, he believed the original
feature film
A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...
to be a good vehicle for a series.
Anderson agreed to become involved with the project if his character was allowed significantly more comedic leeway than
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor before transitioning to leading roles as an adult in various genres such as action adventures, science-fiction, westerns, romance films, co ...
's character in the feature film, shown especially Anderson's flippant and utter disregard for appropriate military protocol and decorum over the series, which contrasted Russell's "by the book" adherence to protocol. He also requested ''
Stargate SG-1
''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction Adventure fiction, adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wrig ...
'' to be more of an
ensemble show, so that he would not be carrying the plot alone as on ''
MacGyver
Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the MacGyver (1985 TV series), 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in Mac ...
''.
Anderson was part of the main cast from season 1 through 8 and played a recurring role in several episodes each season thereafter. He was influential in the development of O'Neill's character and personality from the beginning. While he praised the work done by Russell in the ''Stargate'' film, he said he couldn't be that serious all the time and worked with the writers and directors to give his O'Neill a more lighthearted tone while maintaining the sense of importance the role required. Additionally, he joked that he would never be able to get his hair to stay like Russell's.
This "double personality" was also joked in the second season, when Jack introduced himself as: "It's 'O'Neill,' with two 'L's. There's another Colonel O'Neil with only one L, and he has no sense of humor at all." Fans have speculated that the transition is due to Russell's O'Neill still being deeply traumatised by the recent death of his son, while Anderson's has overcome the worst of his issues even if he makes it clear he will never forget his loss.
Development
In
season 8, Anderson chose to have a reduced role in the series so that he could spend more time with his young daughter. When Anderson left the show as a
main character
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
in the
eighth season, the producers were talking about ending the series. Instead, the series introduced two new characters in the
ninth season,
Ben Browder
Robert Benedict Browder (born December 11, 1962) is an American actor, writer and film director, known for his roles as John Crichton in '' Farscape'' and Cameron Mitchell in '' Stargate SG-1''.
Early life
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Browder ...
as
Cameron Mitchell, the new SG-1 team leader, and
Beau Bridges as
Hank Landry, the new commanding officer of
Stargate Command. Anderson continued to appear in a recurring status on ''Stargate SG-1'', albeit with less frequent appearances. He returned for the second
straight-to-DVD film, ''
Stargate: Continuum'' in a brief cameo, and was expected to return for the third movie. Executive producer
Brad Wright
Brad Wright (born May 2, 1961) is a Canadian television producer and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of the television series ''Stargate SG-1'' (with Jonathan Glassner), ''Stargate Atlantis'' (with Robert C. Cooper) and '' Star ...
stressed the importance of O'Neill's presence in the Stargate universe even after the character went on hiatus during the last two seasons of SG-1 when Anderson took a leave from regular acting.
Anderson has also had various guest appearances on the two
spin off series' ''
Stargate Atlantis
''Stargate Atlantis'' (usually stylized in all caps and often abbreviated ''SGA'') is an Adventure film, adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show was created by Brad W ...
'' and ''
Stargate Universe
''Stargate Universe'' (often abbreviated as ''SGU'') is a military science fiction drama television series and part of MGM's ''Stargate'' franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the An ...
''. Anderson had several guest cameos scattered over the
first season of ''Stargate Universe''. He is mainly seen in the Pentagon but later visits the Destiny after the revelations about Telford emerge. In total, he appears in six episodes of ''Stargate Universe'', the most of any main actor from ''Stargate SG-1''.
Reception
For his portrayal of O'Neill,
Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson (born January 23, 1950) is an American actor. He began his television career in 1976, playing Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series ''General Hospital'', and then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the televis ...
won a
Saturn Award in the category "Best Genre TV Actor" in 1999, and was nominated in the same category in 1998 and 2000. From 2001 to 2005, Anderson was nominated for a Saturn Award in the category "Best Actor on Television" but never won. Anderson was nominated in the category for "Best Male Performance in a 2008 Science Fiction Film, TV Movie, or Mini-Series" at the Constellation Awards in 2009 for his work in ''
Stargate: Continuum'' (2008), where he reprised his role as O'Neill.
He was presented with an award at the
Air Force Association's 57th Annual Air Force Anniversary Dinner 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 ...
, on September 14, 2004, because of his role as star and executive producer of ''Stargate SG-1'', a series which has portrayed the Air Force in a positive light since it first premiered. It was presented by the then-
Air Force Chief-of-Staff,
General John P. Jumper.
Anderson was made an honorary brigadier general.
''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media
In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
'' ranked Jack O'Neill #10 on its "25 Greatest Sci-Fi Legends of All Time" list.
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
External links
Jack O'Neillat
SyfyJonathan J. O'Neill at
''Stargate'' wikia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oneill, Jack
Fictional brigadier generals
Fictional characters from Minnesota
Film characters introduced in 1994
Television characters introduced in 1997
Fictional colonels
Fictional Gulf War veterans
Fictional lieutenant generals
Fictional major generals
Fictional prisoners of war
Fictional special forces personnel
Fictional United States Air Force personnel
Fictional Vietnam War veterans
Stargate characters
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