The Unlikely Inspiration For Ryan O'Neal's Character In Love Story
On December 8, news broke that big and small screen mainstay Ryan O'Neal had died at the age of 82. The actor leaves behind an impressive entertainment legacy with numerous recognizable titles in his filmography. Among these is 1970's "Love Story" from director Arthur Hiller. The film stars O'Neal as wealthy Harvard law student Oliver Barrett IV, who falls in love with a middle-class girl named Jennifer Cavilleri (Ali MacGraw). While their roller-coaster romance may be a work of fiction, it turns out that the character of Oliver has some surprising real-life inspiration.
A 1997 piece in The New York Times shed some light on how writer Erich Segal came up with the Oliver character. The author revealed that two notable names contributed to his depiction: Al Gore and Tommy Lee Jones. Segal spent time with the two while at Harvard University in 1968 and claimed that Oliver's good-hearted yet tough nature came from Jones. As for Gore, he helped inspire Oliver's background, specifically his relationship with his stern and uncompromising father who imparts a sense of ironclad responsibility to live up to the family name.
Ultimately, those behind "Love Story" felt that O'Neal could bring what was needed to the character. However, there were also other big Hollywood names in contention for the role.
O'Neal wasn't the first choice to bring the Al Gore and Tommy Lee Jones-influenced Oliver Barrett to life
In hindsight, Ryan O'Neal was the perfect choice to play Oliver Barrett in "Love Story." He clearly works hard to bring what Erich Segal intended for the character to the silver screen and gels perfectly with co-star Ali MacGraw. Together, they're a compelling on-screen couple, which makes the tragedy of their characters' romance all the more harrowing to watch. As it turns out, though, O'Neal wasn't the first choice to play Oliver. Numerous other actors were offered the part before it landed at O'Neal's feet.
Some serious Hollywood heavy-hitters turned down the part of Oliver in "Love Story," including Jeff and Beau Bridges, Michael Douglas, Jon Voight, and Michael York. Ultimately, O'Neal landed the role thanks in part to a recommendation from Segal himself. It was clearly the right move, as "Love Story" secured Oscar nominations for both O'Neal and MacGraw, and has gone on to be considered one of the greatest romance films of all time.
The fact that "Love Story" was released over 50 years ago and Ryan O'Neal's work as Oliver Bennett remains as widely praised as ever is a testament to his craft. He will be sorely missed.