Ryan O'Neal: Oscar-nominated actor dead at 82

American actor Ryan O'Neal has died at the age of 82, his son said.

The Oscar-nominated star is best known for his role in the critically acclaimed 1970 romance Love Story.

His family did not share a cause of death, but O'Neal was diagnosed with chronic leukaemia in 2001 and prostate cancer in 2012.

His son, Patrick O'Neal, wrote on Instagram that his father was "a Hollywood legend. Full stop."

"My dad passed away peacefully today, with his loving team by his side supporting him," Patrick wrote on Friday.

He added that his father had always been his "hero".

His rugged good looks catapulted him from television soap to movie stardom in Love Story. He starred as an upper-crust Harvard undergraduate who falls in love with working class student, played by Ali MacGraw.

The film is considered by the American Film Institute to be among the top 10 most romantic of all time.

He went on to star with Barbra Streisand in 1972 screwball comedy What's Up, Doc?, as well as road comedy-drama Paper Moon (1973), alongside his daughter, Tatum O'Neal, and 1977 ensemble war epic A Bridge Too Far.