Serving as a beacon of hope in what has been a very dark year for the O'Neal family, Tatum O'Neal and her estranged father Ryan O'Neal have reconciled their relationship after a lifetime of controversy and 10 years of silence.
The last year has been a difficult time for both father and daughter, as Tatum battled drug addiction and Ryan dealt with the death of his partner, Farrah Fawcett, and the incarceration of their son Redmond O'Neal.
However, all of that tragedy appears to have served as a catalyst to bring the two together again.
In a Today Show preview of their first interview together in years, the father and daughter sat down with Access Hollywood's Maria Menounos at last night's premiere of The Runaways to discuss what led to their newfound relationship.
Citing Fawcett's funeral as the possible turning point, Tatum admitted that she had been the one to contact her father first.
When asked by Menounos, "Who made the first move?" Tatum raised her hand and smiled, "Yep!"
The father and daughter acting team starred side-by-side in 1973's Paper Moon, for which, at the tender age of 10, Tatum became the youngest person ever to receive an Academy Award.
However, things quickly went downhill from there and culminated in 2004 when Tatum authored her autobiography, Paper Life, in which she accused her father Ryan of neglect, abuse and even sleeping with her friend Melanie Griffith when she was just a teenager.
However, all of that seems to be behind them now.
"We don't have any cross words," said Ryan. "We don't go back. And, uh, that's the only way to do it I think."
A giddy Tatum chimed in, "And I'm just grateful. Grateful to have the time. Grateful to be a part of his life."
"People reconnect, especially if it's your father and you're the daughter," Tatum explained of the sudden reconciliation. "It's, uh, pretty big, big stuff," the actress said tearing up.
To watch the entire interview, including what Tatum and Ryan have to say about Farrah's absence from the Oscar's In Memoriam montage last weekend, tune in to Access Hollywood tonight on NBC.
