John P. Ryan
John Patrick Ryan (July 30, 1936 – March 20, 2007) was an American character actor renowned for his intense portrayals of menacing villains, authoritative law enforcement figures, and stern military officers across stage, film, and television productions spanning four decades.[1][2] Born in New York City to Irish immigrant parents, Ryan grew up in a working-class environment and graduated from Rice High School in Harlem.[1] He pursued studies in English at the City College of New York, where he first nurtured an interest in acting, before enlisting for six years of service in the United States Army.[1][2] Following his military tenure, Ryan trained at the Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg, eventually becoming a lifetime member of the institution and forging connections in the industry, including an early introduction to filmmaking through Jack Nicholson.[1][2] Ryan's professional career commenced in the late 1960s, encompassing more than 60 credits in film and television, where he specialized in brooding, barrel-chested roles that leveraged his craggy features and commanding presence.[3][2] Key film appearances include his collaborations with director Bob Rafelson and Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces (1970) and The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), as well as roles in Arthur Penn's The Missouri Breaks (1976), Francis Ford Coppola's The Cotton Club (1984), and Andrei Konchalovsky's Runaway Train (1985), where he played the ruthless warden Ranken.[2] He also starred as the sympathetic father in Larry Cohen's It's Alive horror trilogy (1974–1990) and appeared in high-profile projects like The Right Stuff (1983), Hoffa (1992), and Bound (1996).[2] On television, Ryan made frequent guest spots in series such as Kojak, The Rockford Files, Hart to Hart, and Cagney & Lacey, often embodying tough, no-nonsense characters.[2] A voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), he continued working into the mid-1990s before retiring.[4][2] Ryan died from a stroke in Los Angeles on March 20, 2007, at age 70.[2] He was survived by his two daughters, Cordelia and Maria, their mother Maya Ryan, two sisters, and a brother.[3]Biography
Early life and education
John P. Ryan was born on July 30, 1936, in New York City to Irish immigrant parents.[1][2] He grew up in the city and attended Rice High School in Harlem, from which he graduated.[1] Ryan pursued undergraduate studies at the City College of New York, where he majored in English and first developed an interest in acting.[1] After graduating from college, Ryan enlisted in the United States Army, serving for six years.[2][5] During this time or shortly after, he was introduced to the film industry by Jack Nicholson.[2] Following his military service, he trained as an actor and became a lifetime member of the Actors Studio, engaging with Method acting techniques pioneered by figures such as Lee Strasberg.[2]Family and personal life
John P. Ryan was married to actress Maya Kenin.[6] Through this marriage, Ryan became the stepfather to Kenin's daughter from a previous marriage, Alexa Kenin, who was born on February 16, 1962, and died on September 10, 1985, at the age of 23.[7] Alexa Kenin pursued a career as a child actress, appearing in films such as Honkytonk Man (1982), which provided a familial link to the entertainment industry.[7] Ryan was the father of two biological daughters, Cordelia Ryan and Maria Ryan.[3] At the time of his death in 2007, he was survived by these two daughters.[2] Ryan was also survived by two sisters, Jane Murphy and Violet Brennan, and a brother, Michael Ryan.[3]Death
John P. Ryan died of a stroke on March 20, 2007, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 70.[2][1] He is survived by two daughters.[2][1] Following his final acting role in the 1996 film Bound, Ryan had retired from the industry and resided in Los Angeles during his later years.[8] Ryan's remains were interred at Genola Rural Cemetery in East Northport, New York.[9]Professional career
Overview and notable roles
John P. Ryan was an American character actor whose career spanned from his film debut in 1967 to his final on-screen role in 1996, after which he semi-retired to teach acting lessons.[1] Transitioning from an extensive stage background to screen work, Ryan specialized in supporting roles, often embodying intense, authoritative figures rather than leads, with a focus on film and television throughout the late 20th century.[2] He was renowned for portraying slimy villains, tough cops, and military officers, bringing a manic-eyed intensity to these archetypes that became his signature.[2] Ryan's breakthrough came with his early film appearance as the memorable male nurse Spicer in Bob Rafelson's Five Easy Pieces (1970), which marked his entry into notable cinema and earned him initial recognition alongside rising star Jack Nicholson.[1] A pivotal moment later in his career was his intense performance as the brutal prison guard Ranken in Andrei Konchalovsky's Runaway Train (1985), showcasing his ability to convey unyielding menace in high-stakes action dramas.[10] These roles highlighted his versatility within character acting, emphasizing psychological depth over star billing. Throughout his career, Ryan collaborated frequently with acclaimed directors, including Bob Rafelson on films like Five Easy Pieces, The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), and The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981); Francis Ford Coppola on The Cotton Club (1984); and Arthur Penn on The Missouri Breaks (1976), in which he co-starred with Jack Nicholson, among five joint projects.[2][10] A lifetime member of the Actors Studio and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), Ryan's professional trajectory was interrupted briefly in 1989 by injuries from a helicopter crash on the set of Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection.[2][11] Following his 1996 retirement from acting, he devoted time to mentoring aspiring performers.[4]Stage appearances
John P. Ryan began his acting career in theater during the early 1960s, making his professional debut on Broadway in a minor role before accumulating a series of supporting parts in both Broadway and off-Broadway productions. His stage work, which spanned over a decade, emphasized dramatic and classical roles, reflecting his training at the Actors Studio and his roots in New York theater. Although Ryan is best remembered for his screen performances, his early theater engagements provided foundational experience in live performance, contributing to his reputation for intense, character-driven portrayals.[12][13] Ryan's Broadway debut came in 1963 with a small role as a Buyer in The Lady of the Camellias, a short-lived adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas novel directed by Robert Helpmann, which ran for only 11 performances at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.[13] He followed this in 1966 with an appearance as a Villager and understudy for Victor in Yerma, Federico García Lorca's tragedy produced by the Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, where it played for 48 performances.[13] The next year, in 1967, Ryan served as standby for the lead role of Joseph in the comedy Daphne in Cottage D at the Longacre Theatre, a production that lasted 35 performances under the direction of Jules Irving.[13] In the early 1970s, Ryan returned to Broadway with more prominent roles. He portrayed Major Cassidy in the 1972 premiere of The Love Suicide at Schofield Barracks, a dark comedy by Michael McClure that opened at the ANTA Theatre and closed after just four performances.[13] His final Broadway credit came in 1973 as Jason in a revival of Euripides' Medea, starring Irene Papas and directed by Minos Volanakis at the Circle in the Square Theatre (later moved to the Joseph E. Levine Theatre), where the production ran for 69 performances and earned critical acclaim for its classical intensity.[13] Beyond Broadway, Ryan's off-Broadway appearances included notable roles such as John in the 1966 premiere of Duet for Three at the Cherry Lane Theatre and the Constable in John Arden's Serjeant Musgrave's Dance at the Theatre de Lys that same year, both early showcases of his dramatic range in intimate New York venues.[12] By the mid-1970s, as his film and television opportunities expanded, Ryan's stage work diminished, with only sporadic regional engagements like an unspecified role in The Country Girl at Stagewest in West Springfield, Massachusetts, during the 1975-76 season.[12] Overall, his theater career, documented in at least a dozen productions, was concentrated in the 1960s and early 1970s, marking a pivotal early phase before his transition to screen acting.[12]Helicopter crash
On May 16, 1989, while filming the action film Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection in the Philippines, a helicopter crash occurred during production, marking a significant hazard in John P. Ryan's career as he portrayed a Delta Force commander alongside co-star Chuck Norris.[11][14][15] The accident took place near Tagaytay, south of Manila, when the helicopter, used for an aerial scene, lost control shortly after takeoff, crashed into a ravine, and exploded, initially mistaken by some crew members as part of the scripted action.[16][15][17] The crash resulted in five fatalities: American crew members gaffer Donald Marshall, key grip Mike Graham, second-unit director of photography Gadi Danzig, Filipino pilot Jojo Imperial, and stuntman Geof Brewer (who died on May 18, 1989). Ryan sustained a dislocated shoulder among the approximately ten injuries reported, and he was airlifted with three others to the U.S.-run Clark Air Base hospital for treatment.[14][17][15] Production of the film was temporarily halted following the incident but resumed after a brief shutdown, with Ryan recovering sufficiently to return to work and complete his role without long-term career interruption. In 1990, Ryan filed a lawsuit related to his injuries from the crash, alongside claims by the family of one of the deceased crew members.[18]Filmography
Film
John P. Ryan's feature film career spanned over three decades, primarily in supporting roles that showcased his intense, often authoritative screen presence in genres ranging from drama and thriller to action and horror. His debut came in the late 1960s, and he continued appearing in films until the mid-1990s, with credits in more than 30 productions.[19] The following is a chronological list of his credited feature film roles:- 1967: The Tiger Makes Out as Whiting[19]
- 1970: Five Easy Pieces as Spicer
- 1972: The King of Marvin Gardens as Surtees
- 1973: Shamus as Col. Hardcore
- 1973: Cops and Robbers as Patsy O'Neil
- 1974: It's Alive as Frank Davis[20]
- 1974: The Parallax View as Sal
- 1975: The Missouri Breaks as Si
- 1976: Futureworld as Schneider
- 1978: It Lives Again as Frank Davis
- 1980: The Escape Artist as Harriston
- 1980: The Long Riders as Doc Meagher
- 1983: Breathless as Lt. Parmenter
- 1983: The Right Stuff as Slattery
- 1984: The Cotton Club as Joe Flynn
- 1985: Runaway Train as Warden Ranken
- 1986: Avenging Force as Admiral David Patton
- 1987: Death Wish 4: The Crackdown as Nathan White / Ferrari
- 1987: Fatal Beauty as Lt. Kellerman
- 1987: Rent-a-Cop as Wieser
- 1987: Three O'Clock High as Craig's Father
- 1989: The Dead Pool as Blackmailer
- 1990: Class of 1999 as Mr. Hardin
- 1990: Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection as Gen. Olmedo
- 1992: Hoffa as Robert Ciaro
- 1992: Star Time as Sam Bones
- 1993: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm as Buzz Bronski (voice)
- 1993: Young Goodman Brown as The Devil
- 1994: The Puppet Masters as General McKendree
- 1995: Tall Tale as Grub
- 1996: Bound as Eddie
Television
John P. Ryan appeared frequently on American television from the late 1960s through the 1990s, primarily in guest-starring roles that showcased his ability to portray authoritative figures, criminals, and lawmen in crime dramas, police procedurals, and adventure series. His small-screen credits complemented his film persona, emphasizing intense, no-nonsense characters in episodic formats. Below is a chronological list of his documented television appearances, focusing on acting roles.| Year | Series | Episode | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | The F.B.I. | "Breakthrough" | Ernie Flood [21] |
| 1969 | The F.B.I. | "The Swindler" | William Quine [22] |
| 1973 | Kojak | "Cop in a Cage" | Peter Ibbotson [23] |
| 1975 | Archer | Recurring (6 episodes) | Lt. Barney Brighton [24] |
| 1975 | Police Woman | "Sidewinder" | Collier [25] |
| 1975 | Matt Helm | "Murder on the Run" | Carl Ainsley [26] |
| 1977 | The Rockford Files | "Dirty Money, Black Light" | Dearborn [27] |
| 1977 | Starsky & Hutch | "I Love You, Rosey Malone" | Frank Malone [28] |
| 1979 | Starsky & Hutch | "Birds of a Feather" | Detective Luke Huntley [29] |
| 1979 | Hawaii Five-O | "Good Help Is Hard to Find" | Guido Marioni [30] |
| 1980 | Buck Rogers in the 25th Century | "Twiki Is Missing" | Kurt Belzack [31] |
| 1980 | Hart to Hart | "Murder, Murder on the Wall" | Milo Vitt [32] |
| 1982 | MAS*H | "That Darn Kid" | Major Van Zandt [33] |
| 1985 | Cagney & Lacey | "Organized Crime" | Philip Corrigan [34] |
| 1989 | Miami Vice | "The Cell Within" | Jake Manning [35] |
| 1993 | Johnny Bago | "Johnny's Manly Act" | Sheriff [36] |
| 1993 | The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. | "Showdown" | Sheriff Bob Cavendish [37] |