John P. Ryan
Acting • Born 1936-07-30 – Died 2007-03-20
Biography
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.
Filmography
70 credits
Breathless
Movie • 1983
Lt. Parmental
Futureworld
Movie • 1976
Dr. Mort Schneider
Shamus
Movie • 1973
Col. Craig C. Hardcore
A Killing Affair
Movie • 1977
Flagler
Class of 1999
Movie • 1990
Mr. Hardin
Runaway Train
Movie • 1985
Ranken
A Lovely Way to Die
Movie • 1968
Harry Samson (uncredited)
Death Wish 4: The Crackdown
Movie • 1987
Nathan White
Bound
Movie • 1996
Mickey Malnato
Five Easy Pieces
Movie • 1970
Spicer
Dillinger
Movie • 1973
Charles Mackley
It's Alive
Movie • 1974
Frank Davis
It Lives Again
Movie • 1978
Frank Davis
Fatal Beauty
Movie • 1987
Lt. Kellerman
The Last Flight of Noah's Ark
Movie • 1980
Coslough
The Missouri Breaks
Movie • 1976
Si
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Movie • 1993
Buzz Bronski (voice)
Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection
Movie • 1990
Gen. Taylor
Avenging Force
Movie • 1986
Prof. Elliott Glastenbury
The King of Marvin Gardens
Movie • 1972
Surtees
Paramedics
Movie • 1988
Captain Prescott
City of Shadows
Movie • 1987
Sergeant Fireman
The Pixar Story
Movie • 2007
Dr. Schneider (archive footage)
Kill Me If You Can
Movie • 1977
Johnson
Target Risk
Movie • 1975
Ralph Sloan
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Movie • 1981
Kennedy
Rent-a-Cop
Movie • 1987
Wieser
Shooting Stars
Movie • 1983
McGee
The Legend of Nigger Charley
Movie • 1972
Houston
Houston: The Legend of Texas
Movie • 1986
David Burnett
Hoffa
Movie • 1992
Red Bennett
Bad Blood
Movie • 1994
John Blackstone
Best of the Best
Movie • 1989
Jennings
The Right Stuff
Movie • 1983
Head of Program
The Cotton Club
Movie • 1984
Joe Flynn
Star Time
Movie • 1992
Sam Bones
Eternity
Movie • 1990
Thomas Vandervere / Prosecutor
Blood River
Movie • 1991
Henry Logan
Young Goodman Brown
Movie • 1993
The Devil
Three O'Clock High
Movie • 1987
Mr. O'Rourke
A Hatful of Rain
Movie • 1968
Chuck
Cops and Robbers
Movie • 1973
Patsy O'Neill
The Escape Artist
Movie • 1982
Vernon
The Patriots
Movie • 1994
Arthur
Death Scream
Movie • 1975
Detective Dave Lambert
White Sands
Movie • 1992
Arms Dealer (Uncredited)
Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle
Movie • 1987
Hendrick Hudson / Narrator (voice)
Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me
Movie • 1971
Oeuf
M*A*S*H
TV • 1972
Major Van Zandt
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
TV • 1993
Sheriff Bob Cavendish
Starsky & Hutch
TV • 1975
The F.B.I.
TV • 1965
Ernie Flood
Miami Vice
TV • 1984
Jake Manning
Simon & Simon
TV • 1981
Hawaii Five-O
TV • 1968
Guido Marioni
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
TV • 1979
Kurt Belzack
Kaz
TV • 1978
Kojak
TV • 1973
Peter Ibbotson
Hart to Hart
TV • 1979
Cagney & Lacey
TV • 1982
Police Woman
TV • 1974
Hollywood Beat
TV • 1985
Matt Houston
TV • 1982
Paris
TV • 1979
Archer
TV • 1975
Lieutenant Barney Brighton
Matt Helm
TV • 1975
Carl Ainsley
The F.B.I.
TV • 1965
William Quine
Faerie Tale Theatre
TV • 1982
Hendrick Hudson / Narrator (voice)
American Playhouse
TV • 1982
Peter Doyle
The Rockford Files
TV • 1974
Dearborn