John P. Ryan
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.
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Movies (49)
La historia de Pixar: un documental de Leslie Iwerks
2007 · Dr. Schneider (archive footage)
Bound
1996 · Mickey Malnato
Bad Blood
1994 · John Blackstone
The Patriots
1994 · Arthur
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
1993 · Buzz Bronski (voice)
Young Goodman Brown
1993 · The Devil
Hoffa
1992 · Red Bennett
White Sands
1992 · Arms Dealer (Uncredited)
Star Time
1992 · Sam Bones
Blood River
1991 · Henry Logan
Eternity
1990 · Thomas Vandervere / Prosecutor
Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection
1990 · Gen. Taylor
Class of 1999
1990 · Mr. Hardin
Best of the Best
1989 · Jennings
Paramedics
1988 · Captain Prescott
City of Shadows
1987 · Sergeant Fireman
Rent-a-Cop
1987 · Wieser
Fatal Beauty
1987 · Lt. Kellerman
Three O'Clock High
1987 · Mr. O'Rourke
Death Wish 4: The Crackdown
1987 · Nathan White
Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle
1987 · Hendrick Hudson / Narrator (voice)
Houston: The Legend of Texas
1986 · David Burnett
Avenging Force
1986 · Prof. Elliott Glastenbury
Runaway Train
1985 · Ranken
The Cotton Club
1984 · Joe Flynn
The Right Stuff
1983 · Head of Program
Shooting Stars
1983 · McGee
Breathless
1983 · Lt. Parmental
The Escape Artist
1982 · Vernon
The Postman Always Rings Twice
1981 · Kennedy
The Last Flight of Noah's Ark
1980 · Coslough
It Lives Again
1978 · Frank Davis
Kill Me If You Can
1977 · Johnson
A Killing Affair
1977 · Flagler
Futureworld
1976 · Dr. Mort Schneider
The Missouri Breaks
1976 · Si
Death Scream
1975 · Detective Dave Lambert
Target Risk
1975 · Ralph Sloan
It's Alive
1974 · Frank Davis
Cops and Robbers
1973 · Patsy O'Neill
Dillinger
1973 · Charles Mackley
Shamus
1973 · Col. Craig C. Hardcore
The King of Marvin Gardens
1972 · Surtees
The Legend of Nigger Charley
1972 · Houston
Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me
1971 · Oeuf
Five Easy Pieces
1970 · Spicer
A Lovely Way to Die
1968 · Harry Samson (uncredited)
A Hatful of Rain
1968 · Chuck
The Tiger Makes Out
1967 · Man Engaged to Female Impersonator (uncredited)
TV shows (21)
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
1993 · Sheriff Bob Cavendish
Hollywood Beat
1985
Miami Vice
1984 · Jake Manning
Matt Houston
1982
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982 · Hendrick Hudson / Narrator (voice)
Cagney & Lacey
1982 · Philip Corrigan
American Playhouse
1982 · Peter Doyle
Simon & Simon
1981
Paris
1979
Hart to Hart
1979
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979 · Kurt Belzack
Kaz
1978
Matt Helm
1975 · Carl Ainsley
Starsky & Hutch
1975
Archer
1975 · Lieutenant Barney Brighton
Police Woman
1974
The Rockford Files
1974 · Dearborn
Kojak
1973 · Peter Ibbotson
M*A*S*H
1972 · Major Van Zandt
Hawaii Five-O
1969 · Guido Marioni
The F.B.I.
1965 · Ernie Flood, William Quine