Actor Ryan O’Neal, known for his Oscar-nominated role in "Love Story," died from "congestive heart failure," according to reports.
The underlying cause was cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle. No other cause was listed.
The Blast first reported the news Friday, citing the death certificate issued by Los Angeles County.
O'Neal was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2012, a decade after he was diagnosed with chronic leukemia. He died Dec. 8 at age 82.
O’Neal’s son, Patrick O’Neal, announced his death at the time on Instagram.
"My father Ryan O’Neal has always been my hero. I looked up to him and he was always bigger than life," he wrote.
Born in Los Angeles in 1941, O'Neal was among the top movie stars in the 1970s. He worked with many of the era's most celebrated directors, including Peter Bogdanovich on "Paper Moon"' and Stanley Kubrick on "Barry Lyndon."
He rose to prominence in 1964, when he was cast as Rodney Harrington in the hit prime time drama "Peyton Place," according to the Independent.
O'Neal went on to star in a string of films, earning a best-actor Oscar nomination for the 1970 drama "Love Story," co-starring Ali MacGraw, about a young couple who fall in love, marry, and discover she is dying of cancer.
O’Neal maintained a steady television acting career into his 70s in the 2010s, appearing for stints on "Bones" and "Desperate Housewives."
"As a human being, my father was as generous as they come," his son said. "And the funniest person in any room. And the most handsome clearly, but also the most charming. Lethal combo.
"He loved to make people laugh," he continued. "It’s pretty much his goal. Didn’t matter the situation, if there was a joke to be found, he nailed it. He really wanted us laughing. And we did all laugh. Every time. We had fun. Fun in the sun."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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