Dick O'Neill

Richard Francis O'Neill (August 29, 1928 – November 17, 1998) was an American stage, film and television character actor best known for playing Irish cops, fathers, judges and army generals. He began his acting career as an original company member of Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.

Biography Early life and television roles O'Neill was born in New York City on August 29, 1928, The Facts of Life, Family Matters, Mad About You, Murder, She Wrote, Father Dowling Mysteries, Three's Company, Wonder Woman, One Day at a Time, Magnum, P.I., A Man Called Intrepid, Growing Pains, Dark Justice, Cheers, Dharma & Greg, Cybill, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to Home Improvement. He was probably best known for his role as Charlie Cagney in the television series Cagney & Lacey.

Stage O'Neill acted five years with Arena Stage in Washington, D. C., and two years with the Kenley Players in Columbus, Ohio. Before moving to California, he made his Broadway debut as Christmas Morgan in The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Film roles His film credits include The Mugger (1958), To the Shores of Hell (1966), Gammera the Invincible (1966), Pretty Poison (1968), Some of My Best Friends Are... (1971), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), The Front Page (1974), Posse (1975), St. Ives (1976), Prime Time a.k.a. American Raspberry (1977), MacArthur (1977), The Buddy Holly Story (1978), House Calls (1978), The Jerk (1979), Wolfen (1981), Chiller (1985), Prizzi's Honor (1985), The Mosquito Coast (1986), She's Out of Control (1989) and Loose Cannons (1990).

Personal life and death He met his wife Jackie Shaw O'Neill when they appeared together in a production of The Sound of Music. He and Jackie had three daughters, Meghan, Gillian and Caitlin. On November 17, 1998, O'Neill died of heart failure at the age of 70 at St. John's Medical Center in Santa Monica.

Filmography Film Year Film Role Notes 1958 The Mugger Sergeant Cassidy 1961 Capture That Capsule Al 1962 Fallguy 1966 To the Shores of Hell Major Fred Howard Gamera, the Giant Monster General O'Neill 1967 Soldier in Love Footman TV film 1968 Pretty Poison Bud Munsch 1971 Some of My Best Friends Are... Tim Holland 1972 Hail! Attorney General 1974 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three Frank Correll The Front Page McHugh 1975 Hustling Keogh TV film Posse Wiley The UFO Incident General James Davison TV film The Entertainer Charlie TV film 1976 Woman of the Year Phil Whitaker TV film St. Ives Hesh 1977 MacArthur General Courtney Whitney It Happened One Christmas Mr. Gower TV film American Raspberry General Andrews 1978 Perfect Gentlemen Mr. Appleton TV film House Calls Irwin Owett The Buddy Holly Story Sol Gittler 1979 The Jerk 'Frosty' 1980 The Comeback Kid Phil TV film The Ghosts of Buxley Hall General Eulace C. Buxley TV film 1981 Wolfen Captain Warren 1982 Family in Blue Chester Malone TV film 1984 Flashpoint Hinshaw Uncredited A Touch of Scandal Lieutenant Halquist TV film 1985 Lots of Luck Wilson TV film Turk 182 Powerhouse Chief Wes Craven's Chiller Clarence Beeson TV film Prizzi's Honor Bluestone 1986 Passion Flower Martin Churit TV film There Must Be a Pony Chief Investigator Roy Clymer TV film The Mosquito Coast Mr. Polski 1988 The Secret Life of Kathy McCormick Ray TV film The Diamond Trap Lieutenant Barnett TV film 1989 She's Out of Control Chuck Pearson 1990 Loose Cannons Captain 1992 Highway Heartbreaker Alex's Father TV film 1993 The American Clock Ryan TV film 1994 My Summer Story Pulaski 1995 The Unspoken Truth Thomas Cleary TV film 1997 Ellen Foster Judge TV film

Television Year Title Role Notes 1955 Producers' Showcase Episode: "The Skin of Our Teeth", uncredited 1956 Telephone Time Episode: "Vicksburg, 5:35 PM" 1959 The DuPont Show of the Month Policeman Episode: "Oliver Twist" 1959-1964 Brenner Detective Steve Mason TV series 1961 'Way Out Episode: "Button, Button" The Defenders Police Sergeant Episode: "The Accident" Car 54, Where Are You? Bank Security Guard Episode: "Get Well, Officer Schnauser" 1962 The Doctors and the Nurses Fred Lawson Episode: "Night Shift" 1963 Mel Bennet Episode: "You Could Die Laughing" 1966 The Jackie Gleason Show Danny, Counterfeiter Episode: "The Honeymooners: The Curse of the Kramdens" Hawk Mr. Conway Episode: "Blind Man's Bluff" 1972 Sanford and Son Mr. Sanderson Episode: "Whiplash" 1974 Get Christie Love! Alex Dawson Episode: "Pawn Ticket for Murder" Good Times Lynn Bridges Episode: "Florida's Big Gig" 1975 Kojak Augustine Pataki Episode: "Two-Four-Six for Two Hundred" Joe and Sons Ryan Episode: "Joe and Sons" Barney Miller Inspector Kelly 2 episodes Doc Benson Hedges Episode: "Benson Hedges" Insight Garro Episode: "Hunger Knows My Name" 1976 Sanford and Son Commissioner Episode: "The Oddfather" Rhoda Mr. Guthrie Episode: "Rhoda's Sellout" Bronk Warden Connally Episode: "Jailbreak" Phyllis Julius 'Sonny' Dexter Episode: "Sonny Boy" Baretta Bentley Episode: "Death on the Run" Insight Norman Grady Episode: "Rehearsal" 1976-1982 One Day at a Time Orville 3 episodes 1977 Maude Ed Walsh Episode: "Maude's Reunion" The Feather and Father Gang Murphy Episode: "The Mayan Connection" Hollywood High Blaine 2 episodes Rafferty Byron Murray Episode: "The Narrow Thread" Rosetti and Ryan Judge Proctor Hardcastle Recurring role M*A*S*H Admiral Cox Episode: "38 Across" 1978 Operation Petticoat General Houghton Episode: "Matt on a Hot Pink Sub" Wonder Woman Pat O'Hanlon Episode: "Pot of Gold" 1978-1979 Kaz Malloy Recurring role 1979 Three's Company Walter Nessle Episode: "Jack on the Lam" CHiPs McNabb Episode: "Drive, Lady, Drive" Young Maverick Hobbs Episode: "Clancy" A Man Called Intrepid Bill Donovan Miniseries M*A*S*H Brigadier General Marion Prescott Episode: "B. J. Papa San" 1980 The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo Walter Cruickshank Episode: "Hail! Hail! The Gang's All Here" Diff'rent Strokes Captain Burns Episode: "The Bank Job" Disneyland General Eulace C. Buxley Episode: "The Ghosts of Buxley Hall" The Facts of Life Henry Douglas Episode: "Shoplifting" 1981 I'm a Big Girl Now Burnham Episode: "Hangers, No Starch" The Incredible Hulk Cyrus T. McCormack Episode: "The Phenom" Shannon Episode: "Gotham Swansong" Jessica Novak Jim Donnelly Episode: "Silent Night" 1982 M*A*S*H Colonel Pitts Episode: "Sons and Bowlers" The Fall Guy Captain Max Finley Episode: "A Piece of Cake" Hart to Hart Lieutenant Warren 2 episodes Trapper John, M.D. Ed Renquist Episode: "John's Other Life" 1982-1987 Cagney & Lacey Charlie Fitzgerald Cagney Recurring role 1983 Magnum, P.I. Harry MacKenzie Episode: "I Do?" St. Elsewhere Mr O'Connor 2 episodes 1984 Empire Arthur Broderick Recurring role The Master Leo Fairchild Episode: "The Java Tiger" Partners in Crime Bennie Rivers Episode: "Fantasyland" 1985 The Facts of Life Ted Metcalf Episode: "Two Guys from Appleton" Charles in Charge Grandpa Harry Episode: "Meet Grandpa" Trapper John, M.D. Wade Ralston Episode: "All of Me" Cheers Mr. Clavin Episode: "The Bar Stoolie" 1986 Crazy Like a Fox 'Tip' Maloney Episode: "Hyde-And-Seek" Better Days Harry Clooney Recurring role 1987 Falcon Crest Fred Wilkinson Recurring role Simon & Simon Jake Boyle Episode: "New Cop in Town" The Law & Harry McGraw Victor Udovic Episode: "Old Heroes Never Lie" 1988 The Garry Shandling Show Mr. Sparks Episode: "Mr. Sparks" Night Court Detective Costas Episode: "Chrizzi's Honor" Murder, She Wrote Benny Tibbles Episode: "Benedict Arnold Slipped Here" Hotel Van Lambert Episode: "Contest of Wills" Mama's Boy Father Pat Episode: "Mickey's Song" Knots Landing Tom Daugherty Episode: "The Perfect Crime" Growing Pains Chris Episode: "Birth of a Seaver" 1989 Top of the Hill Pat Bell Recurring role 1990 Island Son Episode: "Separations" L.A. Law Father Walter McNamara Episode: "Forgive Me Father, for I Have Sued" Singer & Sons Floyd Patterson Episode: "The Boxer Rebellion" 1990-1991 Father Dowling Mysteries Lieutenant Foster Recurring role 1991-1993 Dark Justice Arnold 'Moon' Willis Recurring role; part of main cast 1992 Reasonable Doubts Mayor DeVan Episode: "The Discomfort Zone" Sibs Lou Berman Episode: "I'll Take Manhattan" 1994 Mad About You Manny Barton Episode: "Love Letters" Good Advice Jackie Harold Episode: "Roll Out the Barrel" The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Santa Claus Episode: "Reality Bites" 1994-1996 Home Improvement Art Leonard Recurring role 1995 Something Wilder Hank Episode: "The Ex Files" The Commish Charlie Wolfe Episode: "Cry Wolfe" Pig Sty Mory Episode: "Erin Go Barf" Diagnosis: Murder Wade Phelps Episode: "Murder in the Courthouse" 1996-1998 Cybill Roy Recurring role Family Matters Commissioner Geiss Recurring role 1996 The Sentinel Warren Brackley Episode: "Deep Water" Boy Meets World Mr. Kimball Episode: "I Ain't Gonna Spray Lettuce No More" The Jeff Foxworthy Show Sheriff Episode: "Merry Christmas, Y'All" 1997 Timecop Bert Episode: "Public Enemy" 1998 Dharma & Greg Mr. Waring Episode: "Do You Want Fries with That?" City Guys Walter Episode: "Big Brothers"