Barbara O'Neil (1910-1980) was an American actress, primarily known for her character roles in classic Hollywood cinema.

Her most celebrated performance was that of Ellen O'Hara, the sophisticated yet suffering mother of Scarlett O'Hara, in the epic film *Gone with the Wind* (1939). This role solidified her image as a dignified woman, often grappling with personal or family dramas.

O'Neil excelled at embodying maternal, austere, or deeply emotional figures, endowed with a quiet strength and an innate elegance. Her ability to convey vulnerability and resolve earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the film *All This, and Heaven Too* (1940), where she portrayed the Duchess de Praslin. Among her other notable films are *The Secret Beyond the Door...* (1948) and *Flame of Araby* (1951).