Credited Gregory Peck with steering him in the right direction to effectively realize his ambition to be a successful paid actor; O'Neal asked Peck for career advice while working as a grip on one of Peck's movies.
Owned a restaurant called "The Ginger Man," named after the play in which he was appearing at the time. (The play opened off-Broadway at the Orpheum Theater on Thursday, November 21, 1963, the eve of President Kennedy's assassination.) Carroll O'Connor later co-owned the restaurant.
Owned the restaurant "O'Neals' Balloon," located across Columbus Avenue from Lincoln Center on the site now occupied by Merlot/Iridium. The restaurant, which he co-owned with his brother, was a favorite of the dancers from George Balanchine's company. It featured a Robert Crowl mural of dancers painted circa 1970 which now hangs at "O'Neal's"/"The Ginger Man", on 64th Street east of Broadway, which also was owned by Patrick O'Neal and his brother. "The Ginger Man" is still frequented by performers at Lincoln Center.