Biography
Who is Tatum O'Neal?
Early life and family background
Tatum Beatrice O'Neal was born on November 5, 1963, in the Westwood area of Los Angeles, California. Her parents were actors Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. Her parents divorced in 1967. Her father later married actress Leigh Taylor-Young, and they had a son named Patrick. Tatum also has a brother named Griffin and a half-brother named Redmond, who was born from her father's relationship with actress Farrah Fawcett. Her mother passed away from lung cancer at the age of 63.
During her childhood, Tatum attended the Hollywood Professional School. Her paternal ancestry includes Irish, English, and Ashkenazi Jewish roots. She faced difficult family dynamics during her upbringing, which she later wrote about in her autobiographies.
Academy Award success
Tatum O'Neal rose to international prominence when she was cast as Addie Loggins in the film Paper Moon. The movie, which was released in May 1973, starred her father as a Depression-era grifter mentoring her character. Tatum was nine years old during the filming of the movie in 1972.
On April 2, 1974, she achieved a historic milestone. At age ten, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. This made her the youngest person ever to win a competitive Oscar. Also, she received the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year for the same role. In a 2010 television appearance, she noted that her father did not attend the ceremony with her due to his work schedule.
Acting career highlights
Following her early success, Tatum starred in several well-known films throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Her film credits include The Bad News Bears in 1976 alongside Walter Matthau, International Velvet in 1978, and Little Darlings in 1980. She also co-starred with her father in the 1976 film Nickelodeon and appeared with Richard Burton in Circle of Two in 1980. In 1984, she played the title role in a Faerie Tale Theatre episode titled Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Her film career slowed significantly in later years, though she appeared in the 1993 film Basquiat. In the early 2000s, she returned to acting with guest roles in television series such as Sex and the City, 8 Simple Rules, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In 2005, she took on a recurring role as Maggie Gavin in the drama series Rescue Me. She also participated in the second season of Dancing with the Stars in 2006 and appeared in the 2021 film Not to Forget.
Personal life and relationships
Tatum O'Neal married tennis player John McEnroe in 1986 after moving into his New York City apartment two years prior. The couple had three children together named Kevin, Sean, and Emily. They separated in 1992 and officially divorced in 1994. Following the divorce, McEnroe was granted custody of their children in 1998 amid her struggles with drug addiction.
In May 2020, Tatum suffered a big stroke caused by a prescription drug overdose. She was discovered by a friend and spent a month and a half in a coma. The event left her unable to speak, and she has since worked to relearn basic functions. In 2011, she reconciled with her father after 25 years of estrangement, a process documented on the television series Ryan and Tatum: The O'Neals.
Birthday and age
Tatum O'Neal was born on November 5, 1963, which makes Tatum 62 years old today. That birthday falls under the Scorpio sign. Tatum shares the date with 33 other famous people.
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