[2] O'Neal moved to New York in 1936 and worked as a laboratory assistant while studying acting at night.

[1] He also earned acclaim for his stage portrayal of Lem Scott in Take a Giant Step in 1953, and reprised the role on film.

[3] The show presented African-Americans as struggling musicians, not the usual slapstick comedy or the stereotypical mammy roles of the time.

The cast included actresses Ruth Attaway and Jane White, and Frances Davis who was the first black ballerina to perform for the Paris Opera.

[5] On television, O'Neal was frequently on Kraft Suspense and Hallmark Hall of Fame productions.

He narrated, along with Hilda Simms, the educational record "Great Negro Americans" which was written and produced by Alan Sands (no relation to Diana).

[1] He helped organize Harlem's American Negro Theatre in 1940, which started the careers of Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee, Sidney Poitier, Earle Hyman, and Alice Childress among others.

[2][1] O'Neal was elected president of the Associated Actors and Artistes of America in 1970 and retired from the position in 1988.