O’Neills talk business of Hollywood at chamber luncheon

Mountain Brook residents Michael and Mary O’Neill took attendees at the June 4 Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce luncheon inside the business of Hollywood. 

Michael O’Neill, an actor, and Mary, a lawyer, delivered a presentation at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens that highlighted Michael’s professional acting career. 

He has tallied more than 100 credits in TV shows and movies, including “The West Wing,” “Jack Ryan,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Dallas Buyers Club” and “Transformers.” 

The O’Neills began their presentation by showing a clip of Michael from the 2010 season finale of “Grey’s Anatomy.” His character shot one of the main doctors on the show, and that episode drew millions of views. 

Michael O’Neill said the clip changed his career.

Afterward, he said he fielded a phone call from acclaimed producer Shonda Rhimes, who offered him a role in one of her productions. He said he also became more recognizable in public and accumulated fans.

Mary O’Neill spoke about the sorority girls who asked her husband to take pictures with them when they spotted him on the street. Michael O’Neill, meanwhile, recounted a couple of cases of mistaken identity. One time a stranger thought he was Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger — the pilot who landed an airplane on the Hudson River in New York — and commended him for his actions. 

The O’Neills then talked about how Michael handles the business side of his profession. He established a corporation, Triple O Ranch, through which he loans his services to clients. Overall, he said the TV and film industry operates much differently than it used to. 

“The industry that I started in 35 years ago is almost unrecognizable now,” he said. “Cost has become the ruling consideration.” 

Michael O’Neill also said Hollywood is no longer confined to California. Rather, he said it is everywhere. He has filmed in many locations, including Savannah, Nashville, New York City, Vancouver and Toronto. 

Michael O’Neill, an Auburn grad, said he and his family decided to settle in Mountain Brook because of the great schools, strong community and lifelong friends in the area. 

He said his publicist helps him secure jobs from his location, as do his connections within the industry. He has worked with John Krasinski, Matt Damon, Alfre Woodard and Ray McKinnon, among others.

The O’Neills said they even attended Damon’s wedding in St. Lucia. While Damon is a movie star, Michael O’Neill said he considers himself more of a “working actor.” 

“I like to think of myself as a turn actor,” he said. “When I come on stage, the story’s going to take a turn, good or bad, but it’s going to take a turn. It has an impact on the story. It took me a long time to get to that slot. That’s all I ever wanted.”

Michael O’Neill is a board member of the Hollywood branch of the Screen Actors Guild and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

He closed by encouraging those in attendance to welcome the film industry to Birmingham. When crews come in town to make a show or movie, he said they help stimulate the local economy.

To keep up with Michael O’Neill’s work, follow him on Instagram or Twitter at @thismichaeloneill or on Facebook at @actormichaeloneill.