Tatum O'Neal
Tatum Beatrice O'Neal (born November 5, 1963) is an American actress. At age ten, she became the youngest person ever to win a competitive Academy Award, for her performance as Addie Loggins in Paper Moon co-starring her father, Ryan O'Neal. She later starred in the films The Bad News Bears, Nickelodeon, and Little Darlings, and appeared in guest roles in the television series Sex and the City, 8 Simple Rules, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Also recorded as Tatum O’Neal · Tatum Beatrice O’Neal
Tatum O'Neal

John Mathew Smith from Laurel Maryland, USA · Tatum O Neil · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Birth Name
- Tatum Beatrice O'Neal
- Born
- 5 November 1963
- Birthplace
- Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Occupation
- Actress
- Awards
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Paper Moon (1973)
- Full name
- Tatum Beatrice O'Neal.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Fields
- acting.
- Education
- Hollywood Professional School.
- Honours
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress.
- Languages
- English.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Tatum Beatrice O'Neal (born November 5, 1963) is an American actress. At age ten, she became the youngest person ever to win a competitive Academy Award, for her performance as Addie Loggins in Paper Moon co-starring her father, Ryan O'Neal. She later starred in the films The Bad News Bears, Nickelodeon, and Little Darlings, and appeared in guest roles in the television series Sex and the City, 8 Simple Rules, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Tatum O'Neal. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q230138 · wikipedia · Tatum O'Neal
In this article
Biography
Biography
Tatum O'Neal studied at Hollywood Professional School. The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is acting. Distinctions recorded are Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress.

Tatum O'Neal at the USC's Changing Lives and Creating Cures Gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on November 20, 2014
Mingle Media TV

Tatum O'Neal at the USC's Changing Lives and Creating Cures Gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on November 20, 2014
Mingle Media TV
Key facts
Key facts
• Birth Name — Tatum Beatrice O'Neal • Born — 5 November 1963 • Birthplace — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1973–present • Children — 3 • Parents — Ryan O'Neal Joanna Moore • Relatives — Griffin O'Neal (brother) Patrick O'Neal (half-brother) Redmond O'Neal (half-brother) • Awards — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Paper Moon (1973)
Family background
Family background
O'Neal was born in the Westwood area of Los Angeles, California, to actors Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. Her brother, Griffin, was born in 1964. In 1967, her parents divorced and her father quickly married actress Leigh Taylor-Young, together having Tatum's half-brother, Patrick. The two divorced in 1973. Tatum has another half-brother, Redmond, from Ryan O'Neal's relationship with actress Farrah Fawcett. O'Neal's mother died of lung cancer at age 63, after a career in which she appeared in such movies as Walk on the Wild Side and Follow That Dream. Her paternal ancestry is Irish, English, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
Young career
Young career
• Illustration — O'Neal in 1974, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Paper Moon On April 2, 1974, at age ten, Tatum O'Neal won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress for her performance in Paper Moon, released in May 1973. The youngest ever to win a competitive Academy Award, she turned nine years old during filming in autumn 1972. O'Neal played the role of Addie Loggins, a child con artist being tutored by a Depression-era grifter played by her father. In her 2010 appearance on RuPaul's Drag Race, O'Neal stated that her father had not attended the Academy Awards ceremony with her due to his busy schedule. O'Neal starred in films such as The Bad News Bears (1976) with Walter Matthau, International Velvet (1978) with Christopher Plummer and Anthony Hopkins, and Little Darlings (1980) with Kristy McNichol, and co-starred in Nickelodeon (1976) with her father and in Circle of Two (1980) with Richard Burton. She was cast in Split Image but had to be let go during filming because she was too young (seventeen) for night scenes and was replaced by Karen Allen. She appeared as the title character in the Faerie Tale Theatre episode "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" (1984).
Later career
Later career
O'Neal appeared in only five films during the next 15 years, one of them being Basquiat (1993) as Cynthia Kruger. In the early 2000s, O'Neal returned to acting with guest appearances in Sex and the City, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In 2005, O'Neal began a recurring role as Maggie Gavin in the firehouse drama series Rescue Me, portraying the unbalanced and lively sister of Tommy Gavin, played by Denis Leary. In January 2006, she participated in the second season of ABC's reality series Dancing with the Stars with professional partner Nick Kosovich. They were eliminated in the second round. She went on to do commentary for the series on Entertainment Tonight. From 2006 to 2007, she portrayed the vindictive and psychotic Blythe Hunter in the MyNetworkTV drama Wicked Wicked Games. She appears opposite Nashawn Kearse and Vanessa Williams in the film My Brother (2007). In 2008, she appeared in the Lifetime original film Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal. The film is based on a true story which took place at McKinney North High School in Texas. She portrayed the mother of the main character, Brooke Tippit, and became close friends with Ashley Benson, the actress who played her character's daughter, whom she mentored in acting. In 2021, O'Neal appeared in the film Not to Forget, which aimed to raise awareness and funds for the fight against Alzheimer's disease. The movie, directed by Valerio Zanoli, stars Karen Grassle and five Academy Award winners: O'Neal, Cloris Leachman, Louis Gossett Jr., George Chakiris, and Olympia Dukakis.
Relationships and family
Relationships and family
In her 2004 autobiography, Tatum O'Neal recalled an "awkward" kiss with 17-year-old singer Michael Jackson when she was 12, adding that he often spoke about sex. Reports beginning in 1977 speculated that the two were dating, which Jackson appeared to confirm in 1978. In his 1988 memoir Moonwalk, Jackson described O'Neal as his "first love." In the 2003 documentary Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson claimed that O'Neal had tried to seduce him, but that he was frightened by the idea of sex. O'Neal strongly denied those claims, explaining that Jackson had a "very vivid imagination." O'Neal's relationship with tennis player John McEnroe began in 1984 and she moved into his Central Park West apartment in New York City. They married in 1986. The couple have three children. They separated in November 1992 and were divorced in 1994. Following the divorce, O'Neal's drug problems reemerged and she developed an addiction to heroin. As a result, McEnroe obtained custody of the children in 1998. In 2011, Tatum and her father began to restore their relationship after 25 years. Their reunion and reconciliation process was captured in the short-lived Oprah Winfrey Network series Ryan and Tatum: The O'Neals. In 2015, she said she had begun dating women, while choosing not to identify herself as homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual, saying, "I'm not one or the other."
Drug arrest
Drug arrest
On June 1, 2008, O'Neal was arrested for buying crack cocaine near her Manhattan apartment building. When police searched her, they allegedly found two bags of drugs—one of crack cocaine, one of powder cocaine—and an unused crack pipe. She was charged with a misdemeanor criminal possession of a controlled substance. Authorities released her without bail. On July 2, 2008, O'Neal pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in connection with the arrest and agreed to spend two half-day sessions in a drug treatment program.
Stroke
Stroke
In May 2020, O'Neal suffered a massive stroke caused by a prescription drug overdose. She was discovered unconscious by a friend, and the stroke left her in a coma for a month and a half. When she reawakened, she could not speak. She has since struggled to relearn everything.
Autobiographies
Autobiographies
In her 2004 autobiography, A Paper Life, O'Neal alleged that she was molested by her father's drug dealer when she was 12. She also alleges physical and emotional abuse by her father, much of which she attributed to drug use. She also detailed her heroin addiction and its effects on her relationship with her children. Her father denied the allegations. In a prepared statement, Ryan O'Neal said: "It is a sad day when malicious lies are told in order to become a 'bestseller. In 2011, O'Neal wrote a new collection of memoirs, Found: A Daughter's Journey Home, which dealt with her tempestuous relationship with her father, volatile marriage to McEnroe, and recent drug arrest.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1984 — Faerie Tale Theatre — Goldilocks — Episode: "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" • 1989 — CBS Schoolbreak Special — Kim — Episode: "15 and Getting Straight" • 1993 — Woman on the Run: The Lawrencia Bembenek Story — Laurie Bembenek — TV movie • 2003 — Sex and the City — Kyra — Episode: "A Woman's Right to Shoes" • 2004 — 8 Simple Rules — Ms. McKenna — Episode: "Opposites Attract: Part 3: Night of the Locust" • Law & Order: Criminal Intent — Kelly Garnett — Episode: "Semi-Detached" • 2005 — Ultimate Film Fanatic — Judge • 2005–2011 — Rescue Me — Maggie — Recurring role (Seasons 2–3, 5–7), Main role (Season 4); 39 episodes • 2006 — Dancing with the Stars — Herself — 5 episodes • Wicked Wicked Games — Blythe Hunter — 51 episodes • 2008 — Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal — Lorene Tippit — TV movie • 2010 — RuPaul's Drag Race — Herself — Episode: "The Diva Awards" • 2011 — Ryan and Tatum: The O'Neals — Herself • 2015 — Hell's Kitchen — Herself — Episode: "6 Chefs Compete" • 2017 — Criminal Minds — Miranda White — Episode: "Assistance Is Futile" • 2018 — Runaway Romance — Veronica Adson — TV movie
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
Tatum O'Neal was recorded at birth as Tatum Beatrice O'Neal. The authorities additionally record the headings Tatum O’Neal and Tatum Beatrice O’Neal. Her recorded language was English. She was the child of Ryan O'Neal and Joanna Moore. She married John McEnroe. 3 children are recorded: Kevin John McEnroe, Sean McEnroe and Emily McEnroe.
Identity
Identity
Tatum O'Neal is recorded as having received Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress. Recognition and collections. O'Neal received Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1963
Tatum O'Neal born at Los Angeles.
Published works
• Tatum O'Neal (2005). A Paper Life. William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN 0-06-054097-4. • Tatum O'Neal; Hilary Liftin (2011). Found: A Daughter's Journey Home – An Inspiring Hollywood Memoir of Recovery and Hard-Won Insights. William Morrow Paperbacks. ISBN 978-0062066565.
Film
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1973 — Paper Moon — Addie Loggins — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Actress (tied with Barbra Streisand for The Way We Were) Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year – Actress Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy • 1976 — The Bad News Bears — Amanda Whurlitzer • Nickelodeon — Alice Forsyte • 1978 — International Velvet — Sarah Brown • 1980 — Circle of Two — Sarah Norton • Little Darlings — Ferris Whitney • 1982 — Prisoners — Christie — Unreleased • 1985 — Certain Fury — Scarlet • 1992 — Little Noises — Stella • 1996 — Basquiat — Cynthia Kruger • 2002 — The Scoundrel's Wife — Camille Picou — US video title: The Home Front San Diego Film Festival Award for Best Actress • 2003 — The Technical Writer — Slim • 2006 — My Brother — Erica • 2008 — Saving Grace B. Jones — Grace B. Jones • 2010 — The Runaways — Marie Harmon • Last Will — Hayden Emery • 2012 — This Is 40 — Realtor — Cameo • 2013 — Mr. Sophistication — Kim Waters • 2015 — Sweet Lorraine — Lorraine Bebee • She's Funny That Way — Waitress — Cameo • 2017 — Rock Paper Dead — Dr. Evelyn Bauer • 2018 — God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness — Barbara Solomon • 2019 — The Assent — Dr. Hawkins • 2020 — Troubled Waters — Kim Waters • 2021 — Not to Forget — Doctor
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Film memorabilia
37,408 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Tatsuya IshiharaPerson
- Tatsuya NakadaiPerson
- Tatsuya UedaPerson
- Tatsuyuki NagaiPerson
- Tatyana AliPerson
- Tatyana ArntgoltsPerson
- Tatyana DogilevaPerson
- Tatyana DrubichPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Tatum O'Neal?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.