Ron O'Neal (September 1, 1937 – January 14, 2004) was an American
actor
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
,
director and
screenwriter
A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...
, who rose to fame in his role as Youngblood Priest, a New York City cocaine dealer, in the
blaxploitation
In American cinema, Blaxploitation is the film subgenre of action movie derived from the exploitation film genre in the early 1970s, consequent to the combined cultural momentum of the black civil rights movement, the black power movement, ...
film ''
Super Fly'' (1972) and its sequel ''
Super Fly T.N.T.'' (1973). O'Neal was also a director and writer for the sequel, and for the film ''Up Against the Wall''.
Early life
Ron O'Neal grew up in a working-class neighborhood of
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...
, to parents Eunice and Ernest O'Neal, a former jazz musician who earned his living as a factory worker. Ernest died when Ron was 16 years old. Six months later his brother, who worked as a truck driver, was killed in an accident. Following these tragedies his mother found a job in a hospital to sustain the family. Ron graduated from
Glenville High School and attended
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
, where he became interested in acting after seeing the play ''
Finian's Rainbow''. He joined the
Karamu House
Karamu House in the Fairfax neighborhood on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio, United States, is the oldest producing Black Theatre in the United States opening in 1915. Many of Langston Hughes's plays were developed and premiered at the theate ...
company in Cleveland, Ohio, working with the oldest African-American theatre company in the United States from 1957 until 1964, during which period he appeared in plays such as ''
Kiss Me, Kate
''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by Bella and Samuel Spewack. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off- ...
'', ''
A Streetcar Named Desire
''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of pe ...
'' and ''
A Raisin in the Sun
''A Raisin in the Sun'' is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The title comes from the poem "Harlem" (also known as "A Dream Deferred") by Langston Hughes. The story tells of a black family's experiences in south Ch ...
'', while working as a housepainter to earn his living. In 1964, he went to New York, teaching acting classes at the Harlem Youth Arts Program and appearing in
Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
plays.
Career
In 1969, he appeared in the Broadway play ''
Ceremonies in Dark Old Men''.
That same year, he acted in
Charles Gordone's
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...
-winning play ''
No Place to Be Somebody'',
he garnered even more attention, winning an
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...
and several other prizes.
From there, he moved on to cinema with two minor roles in ''
Move
Move or The Move may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Move (company), an American online real estate company
* Move (electronics store), a defunct Australian electronics retailer
* Daihatsu Move, a Japanese car
* PlayStation Move, a motion ...
'' (1970) and ''
The Organization'' (1971), after which he was contacted by a friend from Cleveland, screenwriter Phillip Fenty, who suggested he star in an all-black film about a drug dealer. Although shot on a meager budget, the film, ''
Super Fly'' (1972), went on to become a major hit at the box office.
The success of that film led to a sequel, ''
Super Fly T.N.T.'' (1973), which O'Neal himself directed, and in which he reprised his role as Youngblood Priest. Nevertheless, the movie was a box office failure. Afterward, he was frequently typecast as pimp or drug dealer.
In 1975, he acted in on Broadway, replacing another actor, in ''All Over Town'' under the direction of
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for Dustin Hoffman filmography, his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable charac ...
. He also appeared in
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
plays during the 1970s, including ''
Othello
''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...
'', ''
Macbeth
''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...
'' and ''
The Taming of the Shrew
''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...
''.
During those years, film roles that went beyond stock characters were few and far between, notable exceptions being his roles in ''Brothers'' (1977), the television movie ''
Brave New World
''Brave New World'' is a dystopian novel by English author Aldous Huxley, written in 1931, and published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State, whose citizens are environmentally engineered into an intelligence-based social hier ...
'' (1980), and the miniseries ''
The Sophisticated Gents'' (1981). He had a number of television guest appearances, frequently playing detective roles. He played a recurring role as police detective, Isadore Smalls, in the TV series ''
The Equalizer'', which ran for three seasons in the mid-1980s and starred British actor, Edward Woodward. He played the primary antagonist, the Cuban Colonel Ernesto Bella, in 1984's ''
Red Dawn''. In 1988, O'Neal had a recurring role as Mercer Gilbert on the popular NBC television sitcom ''
A Different World
''A Different World'' is an American sitcom television series and a spin-off of '' The Cosby Show''. It aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987, to July 9, 1993. The series originally centered on Denise Huxtable ( Lisa Bonet) an ...
'', playing the wealthy father of the spoiled southern belle Whitley Gilbert (
Jasmine Guy
Jasmine Chanel Guy (born March 10, 1962) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and director. She portrayed Dina in the 1988 film ''School Daze'' and Whitley Gilbert-Wayne on the NBC ''The Cosby Show'' spin-off '' A Different World'', which or ...
). His appearances lasted through 1992. In 1996, he appeared in the
blaxploitation
In American cinema, Blaxploitation is the film subgenre of action movie derived from the exploitation film genre in the early 1970s, consequent to the combined cultural momentum of the black civil rights movement, the black power movement, ...
reunion film ''
Original Gangstas''.
Personal life
O'Neal was first married to actress Carol Tillery Banks, from November 1973 until 1980 (divorced), and then to Audrey Pool, from 1993 until his death in 2004.
Death
O'Neal died in Los Angeles on January 14, 2004, after a four-year battle with
pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...
, on the same day ''Super Fly'' was released on DVD in the United States.
The
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop collective formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its members include RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and, until his death in 2004, O ...
's 2014 album ''A Better Tomorrow'' includes a song titled "Ron O'Neal".
Filmography
Actor
* 1970 ''
Move
Move or The Move may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Move (company), an American online real estate company
* Move (electronics store), a defunct Australian electronics retailer
* Daihatsu Move, a Japanese car
* PlayStation Move, a motion ...
'' as Peter
* 1971 ''
The Organization'' as Joe Peralez
* 1972 ''
Super Fly'' "Youngblood" Priest
* 1973 ''
Super Fly T.N.T.'' as "Youngblood" Priest
* 1975 ''
The Master Gunfighter'' as Paulo
* 1977 ''Brothers'' as Walter Nance
* 1979 ''
The Hitter'' as Otis
* 1979 ''
A Force of One'' as Rollins
* 1979 ''
When a Stranger Calls'' as Lieutenant Charlie Garber
* 1979 ''
Freedom Road'' (TV) as Francis Cardoza
* 1980 ''
Brave New World
''Brave New World'' is a dystopian novel by English author Aldous Huxley, written in 1931, and published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State, whose citizens are environmentally engineered into an intelligence-based social hier ...
'' (TV) as Mustapha Mond
* 1980 ''
Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones'' (TV) as Colonel Robles
* 1980 ''
The Final Countdown'' as Commander Dan Thurman
* 1981 ''
The Sophisticated Gents'' (TV Series) as Clarence "Claire" Henderson
* 1981 ''
St. Helens'' as Otis Kaylor
* 1982, 1983 ''
Bring 'Em Back Alive (TV series)
''Bring 'Em Back Alive'' is an adventure television series starring Bruce Boxleitner, Cindy Morgan, and Ron O'Neal.
Premise
Frank Buck is a big game trapper and collector of wild animals who works out of the Raffles Hotel bar in Singapore ...
'' (TV Series) as H.H., His Royal Highness, The
Sultan of Johore
* 1984 ''
Red Dawn'' as Colonel Ernesto Bella
* 1985 ''
Knight Rider'' (TV Series, season 4, episode 4) as Charles Zurich
* 1986 ''
The Equalizer'' (TV Series,
season 1 and
season 2) as
Lt. Isadore Smalls
* 1986 ''
As Summers Die'' (TV) as Daniel Backus
* 1988 ''Mercenary Fighters'' as Cliff Taylor
* 1988 ''
Hero and the Terror
''Hero and the Terror'' is a 1988 American action film starring martial arts star Chuck Norris, directed by William Tannen. Produced by Menahem Golan, written by Michael Blodgett, and was distributed by Cannon Films. The film stars Norris as Dann ...
'' as The Mayor
* 1988 ''Zombie Death House'' as Tom Boyle
* 1989 ''Hyper Space'' as Samuel "Tubbs" Tubarian
* 1989 ''Trained to Kill'' as George "Cotton" Shorter
* 1990-1992 ''
A Different World
''A Different World'' is an American sitcom television series and a spin-off of '' The Cosby Show''. It aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987, to July 9, 1993. The series originally centered on Denise Huxtable ( Lisa Bonet) an ...
'' (TV Series) as Mercer Gilbert
* 1991 ''Up Against the Wall'' as George Wilkes
* 1994 ''
Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter'' as Detective
* 1996 ''
Original Gangstas'' as Bubba
* 2001 ''The Rage Within'' as Captain Lang
* 2002 ''On the Edge'' as Frank Harris (final film role)
Director/writer
* 1973 ''
Super Fly T.N.T.''
* 1992 ''Up Against the Wall''
References
External links
*
Interview with Ron O'Neal about ''Superfly''from the
WGBH series ''
Say Brother''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oneal, Ron
1937 births
2004 deaths
Glenville High School alumni
American male screenwriters
American male television actors
Deaths from pancreatic cancer in California
Ohio State University alumni
Obie Award recipients
Writers from Utica, New York
Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Male actors from Cleveland
Film directors from New York (state)
Screenwriters from New York (state)
Screenwriters from Ohio
20th-century African-American male actors
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American screenwriters
20th-century African-American writers
21st-century African-American male actors
21st-century American male actors
African-American male writers