Dark, coldly handsome Patrick O'Neal was known for walking that fine line between tough heroics and elegant villainy. Born in 1927 in Ocala, Florida, he studied at the University of Florida. He served with the Air Force during WWII and directed training shorts during that stint. He subsequently moved to New York and continued his studies at the Actor's Studio and Neighborhood Playhouse. O'Neal made an initial impact on the early 1960s Broadway stage with his debut in "The Far Country" and, more importantly, his powerful portrayal of Reverend Shannon in Tennessee Williams' "The Night of the Iguana" later that year. Unfortunately for him, Richard Burton collared the role in its 1963 transition to film, The Night of the Iguana. The attention earned O'Neal both lead and support roles on camera, but most of those performances would be routine and overlooked. A capable player used regularly in 1960s films and 1970s television, he was usually cast as either a rugged trooper in the action adventures King Rat and Assignment to Kill; a careerist sycophant in the naval spectacle In Harm's Way; or as a flashy murderer in such gruesome yarns as Chamber of Horrors, probably his best known film. In later years, it was almost strictly television movies and guest spots. His wife and brother owned several restaurants with him. He died in 1994 from respiratory failure while battling tuberculosis.


Owned a restaurant called "The Ginger Man," named after the play in which he had first made his mark on Broadway. Carroll O'Connor later co-owned the restaurant. Credited Gregory Peck with steering him in the right direction to effectively realize his ambition to be a successful paid actor; O'Neal asked Peck for career advice while working as a grip on one of Peck's movies.