Early Life
O'Neal was born on April 20, 1941 in Los Angeles, California, the eldest son of actress Patricia (née O'Callaghan) and novelist/screenwriter Charles "Blackie" O'Neal. His brother, Kevin, is an actor and screenwriter. His maternal grandfather was Irish and his maternal grandmother was Russian Jew. O'Neal attended University High School, and trained there to become a Golden Gloves boxer. During the late 1950s, Blackie O'Neal had a job writing on a television series called "Citizen Soldier" and moved the family to Munich, Germany, where Ryan attended Munich American High School.
Read more about this topic: Ryan O'Neal
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