Acclaimed Actress Jennifer O’Neill Hopes To Bring Healing to Veterans Through Her Equine Therapy Ranch
The actress of classics like “Rio Lobo” and “Summer of ‘42” on embracing faith and family to overcome her tumultuous past—and how she’s helping veterans heal.
Jennifer O’Neill is an internationally acclaimed model, actress, and author with a career that spans over 50 years, including over 35 feature films and numerous television movies and series. She was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to an English mother and a Spanish-Irish father. But as you get to know Ms. O’Neill, you quickly realize her beauty begins from within as a woman who has endured trials, losses, and triumphs in her life. She has found fulfillment and joy in her faith, family, and passion to help others. Jennifer spoke to American Essence and shared what she is doing today.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
American Essence: Let’s start with your lifelong love for animals and your unique love and devotion to horses.
Jennifer O’Neill: I think I came out of my mother’s womb loving horses! Until I was 14 years old, my family lived in Connecticut, and I would borrow other people’s horses and care for them so I could have the pleasure of riding them. But then my parents decided to move into Manhattan, which was devastating to me because, obviously, there weren’t horses there. That’s when I started working as a model in New York City at 15 years old to buy my own horse.
AE: Why do you think, at such a young age, you connected with animals? And especially horses, since most people may not understand what that special connection was?
Ms. O’Neill: For me, it was their power—their nobility. The notion of partnering with such a glorious creature while galloping at high speeds and flying through the air over fences, hopefully with the greatest of ease, was a challenge and a thrill to me. But I think more than anything, it was a sense of unconditional love that I was looking for and that I would ultimately find through my faith in Christ when I was in my 30s. By the way, did you know that horses have 17 expressions just on their faces alone? So, believe me, they let you know exactly how they feel without words. They helped me better communicate, trust, love, and heal.
Jennifer O’Neill has a lifelong love for horses, which eventually inspired her to set up a ranch for equine therapy. (Courtesy of Jennifer OʼNeill)
AE: Share with us about your nonprofit, Hope & Healing at Hillenglade (HHH) at Hillenglade Farms in Nashville, Tennessee. Since 2010, you’ve invited military vets, their families, and anyone suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) to your farm, where you offer programs, retreats, and events, including equine-assisted therapy.
Ms. O’Neill: Yes, we’ve hosted over 4,000 guests so far! A horse is a prey animal and a flight animal, so when they first meet you, they evaluate you: Are you friend or foe? They mirror how you present yourself. This is why they’re so healing, especially with the military warriors I work with who are suffering from PTSD. Not only our heroes, but most everyone these days seems to be dealing with some form of PTSD; simply the “shock and awe” of life can adversely affect one. A horse can help reveal what one is struggling with, whether it is hypervigilance, depression, anger, or fear. The horse picks up on these emotions and mirrors them back, and that is just one of the ways they assist in revealing and healing adverse emotions.
AE: You have said with honesty and vulnerability in your interviews and your books, including the bestselling memoir “Surviving Myself,” that you personally experienced trauma throughout your life. You started modeling as a teenager, traveling the world, and then you were cast in the film “Rio Lobo” with John Wayne. What do you most remember about making that movie?
Ms. O’Neill: Well, I got married at 17, had my daughter when I was just 19, and made a movie with John Wayne when I was 20. I remember my agent calling me and saying, “The director of a new film, Howard Hawks, wants you for the lead role opposite John Wayne.” After some consideration, I took the role and was honored to do so. John had won an Academy Award that year for “True Grit.” He was a great American and a fantastic person. He was always on time and helped the younger actors. He was everything great you would think about him and more!
It was a beautiful film. Robert Mulligan did an amazing job directing that film. He also directed “To Kill a Mockingbird,” among other classics, and it was an honor to work with him in my second acting role. It was when I traveled the world to promote it that I saw firsthand how the movie pulled on the heartstrings of the audiences. There was a beauty to the film: It was not salacious. It was about a young man falling in love for the first time. Every time you saw me in the movie, they played the theme song that connected to the audience. I gave Michel Legrand his Academy Award for Best Musical Score that year. But with all that success, I was struggling in my personal life.
I titled my memoir “Surviving Myself” because my life was a crazy whirlwind—almost dying four times, an accidental shooting, failed marriages, miscarriages—all leading up to the happier times in my life, which started when I found my faith, then my 29-year marriage, and my ministry, which is all about helping others.
Here is a fun anecdote: I sent my book to [actress] Elizabeth Taylor because I felt compelled to share with her my story and faith. To my surprise, she called me back, and in our conversation she made me laugh because she had a great sense of humor. She said to me: “Jen, we have so much in common. We didn’t believe in dating but instead we believed in marriage and we married everyone. Oh, and also we are both hard to kill.”
(Courtesy of Jennifer OʼNeill)
AE: What prompted you to start your nonprofit and move to Nashville?
Ms. O’Neill: It was in the late 1990s when I moved to Nashville after being blackballed from Hollywood because I was outspoken about my faith (it was considered taboo back then). I had bred and showed my horses for years, so when I moved to my current farm, I decided to offer equine-assisted therapy. I always had a deep love and respect for military vets because of my father, who was shot down over Germany in World War II and was in a prison camp for two and a half years. I wanted to honor our military, so I started working with soldiers from Fort Campbell—and now we are open to the public.
On the farm, we have a clubhouse; suites; a wedding chapel; my husband’s famous Douglas Comer Country Place, where people can host parties and receptions, record music—and we plan to film my movie here as well. We also have an HHH certification program where we train others about equine-assisted therapy. Our barn doors are open to everyone, and we are thrilled to be able to help our military heroes, first responders, their families, and anyone in need of hope and healing!
AE: Speaking of films, you have a role in the upcoming “Reagan” biopic starring Dennis Quaid. Why do you believe we need more positive, uplifting, and encouraging films?
Ms. O’Neill: I believe we need quality, inspiring films—especially now, because of the stressful times we are all living in. There is enough negativity, confusion, and upset in our world, so our entertainment should at least be uplifting and positive. There is an old saying, “There is light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s God, not a train.” There surely is enough pain going around. Who wants to watch more in our downtime?
This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
