John P. Ryan
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Jul 30, 1936
- Died
- Mar 20, 2007 (aged 70)
- Place of birth
- New York City, New York, USA
- Credits
- 69
Character actor John P. Ryan was born on July 30, 1936 in New York City. The son of Irish immigrant parents, Ryan graduated from Rice High School and studied English at the City College of New York, where he first developed an interest in acting. He served six years in the US Army and worked as a welfare investigator prior to pursuing an acting career. John made his film debut in the 1967 comedy "The Tiger Makes Out." He appeared in five pictures for Jack Nicholson; he's especially memorable as male nurse Spicer in "Five Easy Pieces." Manic, pale-eyed and craggy-faced, with an often intense and explosive screen presence, Ryan was frequently cast as nasty villains, hard-boiled police officers, and strict military men. John gave a strong and touching performance in a rare change-of-pace sympathetic role as Frank Davis, the bitter and regretful father of a murderous monster mutant baby in Larry Cohen's excellent "It's Alive." He also portrayed Davis in the okay sequel "It Lives Again." Other notable movie parts include the fanatical Colonel Hardcore in "Shamus," shrewd mob capo Patsy O'Neill in the witty "Cops and Robbers," evil scientist Schneider in "Futureworld," the dogged Lt. Parmental in "Breathless," vicious Irish mobster Joe Flynn in "The Cotten Club;" at his ferocious best as sadistic prison Warden Ranken in the powerful "Runaway Train," hateful fascist lunatic Glastenbury in the exciting "Avenging Force," ruthless drug kingpin Nathan White in the cruddy "Death Wish IV: The Crackdown," ramrod high school principal Mr. O'Rourke in the amusing "Three O'Clock High," and lethal robot history teacher Mr. Hardin in "Class of 1999." Among the TV shows Ryan did guest spots on are "M.A.S.H.," "The Rockford Files," "Hawaii Five-O," "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," "Starsky & Hutch," "Kojak," "Hart to Hart," "The F.B.I.," and "Miami Vice." John had a recurring role on the TV series "Archer." In addition to his film and TV credits, Ryan also appeared in over 90 stage plays. Following his final film appearance in "Bound," John spent his later years giving acting lessons and was an advocate of spiritual healing. John P. Ryan died from a stroke at age 70 on March 20, 2007 in Los Angeles, California; he's survived by two daughters.
Known for
Filmography
The Pixar Story
2007Movie
Dr. Schneider (archive footage)
Bound
1996Movie
Mickey Malnato
Bad Blood
1994Movie
John Blackstone
The Patriots
1994Movie
Arthur
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
1993Movie
Buzz Bronski (voice)
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
1993TV
Sheriff Bob Cavendish
Young Goodman Brown
1993Movie
The Devil
Hoffa
1992Movie
Red Bennett
White Sands
1992Movie
Arms Dealer (Uncredited)
Star Time
1992Movie
Sam Bones
Blood River
1991Movie
Henry Logan
Eternity
1990Movie
Thomas Vandervere / Prosecutor
Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection
1990Movie
Gen. Taylor
Class of 1999
1990Movie
Mr. Hardin
Best of the Best
1989Movie
Jennings
Paramedics
1988Movie
Captain Prescott
City of Shadows
1987Movie
Sergeant Fireman
Rent-a-Cop
1987Movie
Wieser
Fatal Beauty
1987Movie
Lt. Kellerman
Three O'Clock High
1987Movie
Mr. O'Rourke
Death Wish 4: The Crackdown
1987Movie
Nathan White
Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle
1987Movie
Hendrick Hudson / Narrator (voice)
Houston: The Legend of Texas
1986Movie
David Burnett
Avenging Force
1986Movie
Prof. Elliott Glastenbury
Runaway Train
1985Movie
Ranken
Hollywood Beat
1985TV
The Cotton Club
1984Movie
Joe Flynn
Miami Vice
1984TV
Jake Manning
The Right Stuff
1983Movie
Head of Program
Shooting Stars
1983Movie
McGee
Breathless
1983Movie
Lt. Parmental
Matt Houston
1982TV
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982TV
Hendrick Hudson / Narrator (voice)
The Escape Artist
1982Movie
Vernon
Cagney & Lacey
1982TV
Philip Corrigan
American Playhouse
1982TV
Peter Doyle
Simon & Simon
1981TV
The Postman Always Rings Twice
1981Movie
Kennedy
The Last Flight of Noah's Ark
1980Movie
Coslough
Paris
1979TV
Hart to Hart
1979TV
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979TV
Kurt Belzack
Kaz
1978TV
It Lives Again
1978Movie
Frank Davis
Kill Me If You Can
1977Movie
Johnson
A Killing Affair
1977Movie
Flagler
Futureworld
1976Movie
Dr. Mort Schneider
The Missouri Breaks
1976Movie
Si
Death Scream
1975Movie
Detective Dave Lambert
Matt Helm
1975TV
Carl Ainsley
Starsky & Hutch
1975TV
Archer
1975TV
Lieutenant Barney Brighton
Target Risk
1975Movie
Ralph Sloan
Police Woman
1974TV
The Rockford Files
1974TV
Dearborn
It's Alive
1974Movie
Frank Davis
Kojak
1973TV
Peter Ibbotson
Cops and Robbers
1973Movie
Patsy O'Neill
Dillinger
1973Movie
Charles Mackley
Shamus
1973Movie
Col. Craig C. Hardcore
The King of Marvin Gardens
1972Movie
Surtees
M*A*S*H
1972TV
Major Van Zandt
The Legend of Nigger Charley
1972Movie
Houston
Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me
1971Movie
Oeuf
Five Easy Pieces
1970Movie
Spicer
Hawaii Five-O
1969TV
Guido Marioni
A Lovely Way to Die
1968Movie
Harry Samson (uncredited)
A Hatful of Rain
1968Movie
Chuck
The F.B.I.
1965TV
Ernie Flood, William Quine