Early life

O'Neill was born in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...

, Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, the daughter of a famous Spanish

Spanish people

The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....

-Irish

Irish people

The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 dental supply import/export businessman, Oscar D' O'Neill and his English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 wife. As a teenager, O'Neill worked as a fashion model and appeared in television commercial

Television advertisement

A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...

s and on magazine

Magazine

Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...

 covers before moving to films.

Career

In 1968 she landed a small role in For Love of Ivy

For Love of Ivy

For Love of Ivy is a 1968 romantic comedy film directed by Daniel Mann. The film stars Sidney Poitier, Abbey Lincoln, Beau Bridges, Nan Martin, Lauri Peters and Carroll O'Connor. The story was written by Sidney Poitier with screenwriter Robert Alan Arthur. The musical score was composed by Quincy...

. In 1970 she played one of the lead female roles in Rio Lobo

Rio Lobo

Rio Lobo is a 1970 Western movie starring John Wayne. The film was the last film directed by Howard Hawks, from a script by Leigh Brackett. The film was shot in Technicolor with a running time of 114 minutes...

starring John Wayne

John Wayne

Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...

.

After her success in Summer of '42

Summer of '42

Summer of '42 is a 1971 American coming-of-age drama film based on the memoirs of screenwriter Herman Raucher. It tells the story of how Raucher, in his early teens on his 1942 summer vacation on Nantucket Island, off the coast of New England, embarked on a one-sided romance with a woman, Dorothy,...

in 1971, in which she plays the young widow of a soldier killed in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, O'Neill became a well-known Hollywood actress and continued acting for the next two decades, including singing in the Chrysler

Chrysler

Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....

 Corporation commercial "Change in Charger" that represented the end of the Dodge Charger

Dodge Charger

The Dodge Charger is an American automobile manufactured by the Dodge division of Chrysler. There have been several different Dodge vehicles, built on three different platforms and sizes, all bearing the Charger nameplate...

 in 1975. She played the part of the mistress, Teresa Raffo, in Luchino Visconti

Luchino Visconti

Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo was an Italian theatre, opera and cinema director, as well as a screenwriter. He is best known for his films The Leopard and Death in Venice .-Life:...

's final film, L'Innocente (1976). She had more success in TV movies, including Love's Savage Fury.

In 1982, O'Neill starred in the short-lived NBC

NBC

The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

 prime time soap opera

Soap opera

A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...

 Bare Essence

Bare Essence

Bare Essence is an American television soap opera which aired on the NBC network during the 1982-1983 season.Bare Essence starred popular daytime soap actress Genie Francis and dealt with the intrigues of the perfume industry...

. In 1984, she played the lead female role on the CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 television series Cover Up; the lead male actor, Jon-Erik Hexum

Jon-Erik Hexum

Jon-Erik Hexum was an American model and actor. He died as a result of a firearms accident on the set of the CBS television series Cover Up in which he played the male lead.-Early life and career:...

, was killed in the studio playing with a blank

Blank (cartridge)

A blank is a type of cartridge for a firearm that contains gunpowder but no bullet or shot. When fired, the blank makes a flash and an explosive sound . Blanks are often used for simulation , training, and for signaling...

-loaded gun, and the series ended after just one season (with Antony Hamilton

Antony Hamilton

Antony Hamilton was an Australian actor, model, and dancer.-Early life:Hamilton was born in Liverpool, England, was adopted by an Australian RAF-hero and his wife soon after birth, and grew up on a sheep farm in Australia. He attended the Scotch College in Adelaide, where dance and ballet was a...

 as the new male lead).

Personal life

A self-described "romantic," O'Neill has been married and divorced nine times; at one point, she was married to four different men in four years. She has a daughter by her first husband and two sons from later marriages. A lifelong competitive horseback rider, she has suffered serious back injuries due to falls. On October 23, 1982, O'Neill accidentally shot herself in the abdomen with a gun

Gun

A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...

 belonging to her then-husband, John Lederer, at their Bedford

Bedford (town), New York

Bedford is a town in Westchester County, New York, USA. The population was 17,335 at the 2010 census.The Town of Bedford is located in the northeastern part of Westchester County, and contains the three hamlets of Bedford Hills, Bedford Village, and Katonah...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, mansion; she stated she was checking to see if the weapon was loaded, and police ruled it an accident. She describes many of them in her autobiography, Surviving Myself. The book recounts her life from childhood to her move to Nashville in the late 1990s.

In 2004, O'Neill wrote and published From Fallen To Forgiven, a book of biographical notes and philosophical

Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...

 thoughts about life and existence. The actress, who had an abortion

Abortion

Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...

 at the age of nineteen, became a pro-life

Pro-life

Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...

 activist and born-again Christian, counseling abstinence

Sexual abstinence

Sexual abstinence is the practice of refraining from some or all aspects of sexual activity for medical, psychological, legal, social, philosophical or religious reasons.Common reasons for practicing sexual abstinence include:*poor health - medical celibacy...

 to teens. Concerning her abortion:

I was told a lie from the pit of hell: that my baby was just a blob of tissue. The aftermath of abortion can be equally deadly for both mother and unborn child. A woman who has an abortion is sentenced to bear that for the rest of her life.

Jennifer O'Neill is also a constant worker for charitable causes, having served as chairperson for the American Cancer Society

American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...

 as well as being a staunch supporter of the Retinitis Pigmetosa Foundation and the Arthritis Foundation. Most recently, she hosts a one hour special for World Vision shot in Africa concerning the HIV epidemic. In addition, she remains actively involved with her childhood love of animals, sponsoring the Jennifer O'Neill Tennis Tournament to benefit the ASPCA, and fund-raiser for Guiding Eyes for the blind.

Filmography

Film
Year	Film	Role	Other notes
1968	For Love of Ivy For Love of Ivy For Love of Ivy is a 1968 romantic comedy film directed by Daniel Mann. The film stars Sidney Poitier, Abbey Lincoln, Beau Bridges, Nan Martin, Lauri Peters and Carroll O'Connor. The story was written by Sidney Poitier with screenwriter Robert Alan Arthur. The musical score was composed by Quincy...	Sandy
1969	Futz!
1970	Rio Lobo Rio Lobo Rio Lobo is a 1970 Western movie starring John Wayne. The film was the last film directed by Howard Hawks, from a script by Leigh Brackett. The film was shot in Technicolor with a running time of 114 minutes...	Shasta Delaney
1971	Summer of '42 Summer of '42 Summer of '42 is a 1971 American coming-of-age drama film based on the memoirs of screenwriter Herman Raucher. It tells the story of how Raucher, in his early teens on his 1942 summer vacation on Nantucket Island, off the coast of New England, embarked on a one-sided romance with a woman, Dorothy,...	Dorothy
	Such Good Friends Such Good Friends Such Good Friends is a 1971 American comedy-drama film directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by Esther Dale is based on the novel of the same title by Lois Gould.-Plot:...	Miranda Graham
1972	Glass Houses	Bad Character
	The Carey Treatment The Carey Treatment The Carey Treatment is a 1972 film by Blake Edwards based on the novel A Case of Need credited to Jeffery Hudson, a pseudonym for Michael Crichton.-Plot:...	Georgia Hightower
1973	Lady Ice Lady Ice Lady Ice is a 1973 crime film about an insurance investigator who becomes involved with a wealthy young woman he suspects of fencing stolen jewelry. The film was directed by Tom Gries, and stars Donald Sutherland, Jennifer O'Neill, and Robert Duvall....	Paula Booth
1975	The Flower in His Mouth The Flower in His Mouth The Flower in His Mouth is a 1975 drama film directed by Luigi Zampa and starring Jennifer O'Neill.-Cast:* Jennifer O'Neill - Elena Bardi* Franco Nero - Professore* James Mason - Bellocampo* Orazio Orlando - Ispettore* Aldo Giuffrè - Maresciallo...	Elena Bardi
	The Reincarnation of Peter Proud The Reincarnation of Peter Proud The Reincarnation of Peter Proud is an American motion picture released by Bing Crosby Productions, and Cinerama Productions Corporation. In the supernatural suspense genre, the film was directed by J...	Ann Curtis
	Whiffs	Lt. Scottie Hallam
1976	L'innocente	Teresa Raffo
	Call Girl: La vida privada de una señorita bien
1977	Sette note in nero	Virginia Ducci
1978	Caravans Caravans (1978 film) Caravans is a 1978 Iranian-American film directed by James Fargo based on the novel by James A. Michener. Nancy Voyles Crawford wrote the screenplay. The movie was shot in Iran.-Plot:...	Ellen Jasper
1979	A Force of One A Force of One A Force of One is a 1979 martial arts film starring Chuck Norris, Jennifer O'Neill, Ron O'Neal, Clu Gulager, and Bill Wallace. The film was directed by Paul Aaron and written by Pat E...	Mandy Rust
	Steel	Cass Cassidy
1980	Cloud Dancer Cloud Dancer Cloud Dancer is a 1980 adventure drama film directed by Barry Brown. It stars David Carradine, Jennifer O'Neill and Joseph Bottoms. The film follows a competition aerobatic pilot. It had its premiere in Milwaukee on 29 May, 1980.-Plot:...	Helen St. Clair
1981	Scanners Scanners Scanners is a 1981 science-fiction horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Michael Ironside, and Patrick McGoohan...	Kim Obrist
1987	I Love N.Y.	Irene
1990	Committed	Susan Manning
1992	Invasion of Privacy	Hillary Wayne	Direct-to-Video Release
	Love Is Like That	Ms. Alman
1993	Discretion Assured	Paige
1994	The Visual Bible: Acts The Visual Bible: Acts The Visual Bible: Acts is a 1994 Christian film that depicts the events of the Acts of the Apostles from the Bible's New Testament. All of the dialogue is word-for-word scripture, taken directly from the New International Version of the Bible.-Cast:...	Lydia Lydia of Thyatira Lydia of Thyatira is a character in the New Testament. She is regarded as the first recorded convert to Christianity in Europe.-Name:The name, "Lydia", meaning "the Lydian woman", by which she was known indicates that she was from Lydia in Asia Minor. Though she is commonly known as “St...	Direct-to-Video Release
1997	The Corporate Ladder	Irene Grace
	Raney	Dr. Bridges
	The Ride	Ellen Stillwell
1999	The Prince and the Surfer The Prince and the Surfer The Prince and the Surfer is a 1999 comedy direct-to-video film about a prince who switches places with a Southern California surfer and skateboarder...	Queen Albertina
2002	Time Changer Time Changer Time Changer is an independent Comedy-drama science fiction Christian film directed by Rich Christiano and released by Five & Two Pictures in 2002. In the movie, Dr. Norris Anderson uses his late father's time machine to send his colleague, Bible professor Russell Carlisle , from 1890 into the...	Michelle Bain
2008	Billy: The Early Years Billy: The Early Years Billy: The Early Years is a 2008 American biographical film, directed by Robby Benson. The film recounts the story of the world renown evangelist, Billy Graham, played by Armie Hammer, creating a portrayal of Billy’s life from the mid 1930s to the late 1940s when Billy Graham finds himself speaking...	Reporter
2009	Last Ounce of Courage	Dottie	post-production
Television
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1979	Love's Savage Fury	Laurel Taggart	ABC American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...  TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
1981	The Other Victim	Nancy Langford	CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...  TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
1983	Bare Essence Bare Essence Bare Essence is an American television soap opera which aired on the NBC network during the 1982-1983 season.Bare Essence starred popular daytime soap actress Genie Francis and dealt with the intrigues of the perfume industry...	Lady Bobbi Rowan
1984–1985	Cover Up	Danielle Reynolds
1985	A.D. (miniseries)	Valeria Messalina	Miniseries Miniseries A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
	Chase	Sandy Albright	CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...  TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
1986	Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star	Alison Carr	NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...  TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
1988	The Red Spider	Stephanie Hartford	CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...  TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
	Glory Days	Scotty Moran	CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...  TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
1989	Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal	Debralee Taft	NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...  TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
1990	Personals	Heather Moore	TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
1992	Perfect Family	Maggie	TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
1993	The Cover Girl Murders	Kate	TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
1994	Jonathan Stone: Threat of Innocence	Nan Stone	NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...  TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
1995	Silver Strand	Louellen Peterson	Showtime TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
1996	Poltergeist: The Legacy Poltergeist: The Legacy Poltergeist: The Legacy is a Canadian horror television series which ran from 1996 to 1999. The series tells the story of the members of a secret society known as the Legacy, and their efforts to protect humankind from occult dangers...	Lorraine Compton	Episode: Revelations
1997	Nash Bridges Nash Bridges Nash Bridges is an American television police drama created by Carlton Cuse. The show starred Don Johnson and Cheech Marin as two Inspectors with the San Francisco Police Department's Special Investigations Unit. The show ran for six seasons on CBS from March 29, 1996 to May 4, 2001 with a total of...	Jenny	Episode: Shake, Rattle & Roll
2000	On Music Row	Linda Rodgers	TV-Movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...

Books written

• Jennifer O'Neill, Surviving Myself, New York: William Morrow and Company, 1999.

• Jennifer O'Neill, From Fallen to Forgiven, Thomas Nelson, 2002.

• Jennifer O'Neill, You're Not Alone: Healing Through God's Grace After Abortion. Faith Communications, 2005.

• Jennifer O'Neill, A Fall Together, B&H Publishing Group, 2006.

• Jennifer O'Neill, A Winter of Wonders, B&H Publishing Group, 2007.

• Jennifer O'Neill, A Late Spring Frost, B&H Publishing Group, 2007

External links

• Interview with Jennifer O'Neill
• Jennifer O'Neill Directory
• O'Neill Shares Pro-Life Message