Jennifer O’Neill

Jennifer O'Neill is a Brazilian-born American author, model, and former actress. She first came to prominence as a teenage model and through her three-decade tenure as a spokesperson for CoverGirl cosmetics beginning in 1963. On screen, she is best known for her breakthrough role in the period drama Summer of '42 (1971), as well as her performances in films such as Rio Lobo (1970) and Scanners (1981).

Born on February 20, 1948, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, O'Neill is the daughter of Irene Freda Pope and Oscar Delgado O'Neill. She relocated with her family to the United States as an infant and was raised in New Rochelle, New York, and Wilton, Connecticut. O'Neill began horseback riding at age nine and became an accomplished equestrienne in her youth. After her family moved to New York City, she signed with Eileen Ford's modeling agency at age 15. She subsequently appeared on the covers of major magazines, including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Seventeen, while attending the Dalton School. In 1963, she signed a long-standing contract with CoverGirl, earning recognition in the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Advertising History for her work with the brand.

O'Neill made her feature film debut with a small role in the comedy For Love of Ivy (1968). She followed this with her first lead role alongside John Wayne in Howard Hawks's Western Rio Lobo (1970), and a supporting performance in Such Good Friends (1971). Her major career breakthrough arrived with Robert Mulligan's World War II drama Summer of '42 (1971), in which she portrayed Dorothy Walker, a young wife who becomes the romantic focus of a teenage boy. The film became a box-office success and gained a cult following.

Throughout the 1970s, O'Neill expanded her film career into international productions, particularly in Italy. She appeared in Luigi Zampa's The Flower in His Mouth (1975), Luchino Visconti's final feature The Innocent (1976), and Lucio Fulci's giallo horror film The Psychic (1977). Returning to North American projects, she starred in David Cronenberg's sci-fi horror film Scanners (1981) and Chuck Norris's martial arts film A Force of One (1979). She also transitioned to television, starring in the primetime soap opera Bare Essence (1982) and the series Cover Up (1984–1985).

In the late 1980s and 1990s, O'Neill continued to act in projects such as the Perry Mason television film Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star (1986), the thriller Committed (1991), and The Visual Bible: Acts (1994). Later in her career, she made appearances in independent features including Doonby (2013) and the drama I'm Not Ashamed (2016).

In 1988, O'Neill became a born-again Christian and subsequently became active in the anti-abortion movement, inspired by her personal experiences. She turned to writing, publishing her memoir Surviving Myself in 1999, which detailed her career, personal challenges, and faith, followed by From Fallen to Forgiven in 2004. In addition to her writing and speaking engagements, O'Neill established the Hope and Healing at Hillenglade Foundation in Nashville, Tennessee, an organization providing equine-assisted therapy to military veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.