John P. Ryan
Known for Acting · 69 credits
- Born
- 1936-07-30
- Died
- 2007-03-20
- Place of birth
- New York City, New York, USA
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.
Known For
TV Shows (21)
Miami Vice
1984
as Jake Manning
Hawaii Five-O
1968
as Guido Marioni
M*A*S*H
1972
as Major Van Zandt
The Rockford Files
1974
as Dearborn
Hart to Hart
1979
Simon & Simon
1981
American Playhouse
1982
as Peter Doyle
The F.B.I.
1965
as Ernie Flood / William Quine
Cagney & Lacey
1982
as Philip Corrigan
Starsky & Hutch
1975
Police Woman
1974
Kojak
1973
as Peter Ibbotson
Matt Houston
1982
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979
as Kurt Belzack
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982
as Hendrick Hudson / Narrator (voice)
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
1993
as Sheriff Bob Cavendish
Matt Helm
1975
as Carl Ainsley
Kaz
1978
Paris
1979
Hollywood Beat
1985
Archer
1975
as Lieutenant Barney Brighton
Movies (48)
Bound
1996
as Mickey Malnato
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
1993
as Buzz Bronski (voice)
The Right Stuff
1983
as Head of Program
Runaway Train
1985
as Ranken
Best of the Best
1989
as Jennings
The Cotton Club
1984
as Joe Flynn
Futureworld
1976
as Dr. Mort Schneider
The Pixar Story
2007
as Dr. Schneider (archive footage)
Hoffa
1992
as Red Bennett
Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection
1990
as Gen. Taylor
Death Wish 4: The Crackdown
1987
as Nathan White
Five Easy Pieces
1970
as Spicer
Breathless
1983
as Lt. Parmental
The Postman Always Rings Twice
1981
as Kennedy
The Missouri Breaks
1976
as Si
Three O'Clock High
1987
as Mr. O'Rourke
White Sands
1992
as Arms Dealer (Uncredited)
Class of 1999
1990
as Mr. Hardin
Cops and Robbers
1973
as Patsy O'Neill
Shamus
1973
as Col. Craig C. Hardcore
The Patriots
1994
as Arthur
Fatal Beauty
1987
as Lt. Kellerman
Avenging Force
1986
as Prof. Elliott Glastenbury
It's Alive
1974
as Frank Davis
The King of Marvin Gardens
1972
as Surtees
Rent-a-Cop
1987
as Wieser
The Escape Artist
1982
as Vernon
Houston: The Legend of Texas
1986
as David Burnett
Dillinger
1973
as Charles Mackley
Eternity
1990
as Thomas Vandervere / Prosecutor
A Lovely Way to Die
1968
as Harry Samson (uncredited)
The Legend of Nigger Charley
1972
as Houston
Kill Me If You Can
1977
as Johnson
A Killing Affair
1977
as Flagler
Death Scream
1975
as Detective Dave Lambert
Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me
1971
as Oeuf
A Hatful of Rain
1968
as Chuck
It Lives Again
1978
as Frank Davis
The Last Flight of Noah's Ark
1980
as Coslough
Paramedics
1988
as Captain Prescott
Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle
1987
as Hendrick Hudson / Narrator (voice)
Young Goodman Brown
1993
as The Devil
Bad Blood
1994
as John Blackstone
Star Time
1992
as Sam Bones
Blood River
1991
as Henry Logan
Shooting Stars
1983
as McGee
City of Shadows
1987
as Sergeant Fireman
Target Risk
1975
as Ralph Sloan
About 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, p… With 69 credits spanning from 1965 to 2007, John P. Ryan has appeared in 48 films and 21 TV shows.
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Most Popular John P. Ryan Movies
- Bound (1996) — as Mickey Malnato
- Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) — as Buzz Bronski (voice)
- The Right Stuff (1983) — as Head of Program
- Runaway Train (1985) — as Ranken
- Best of the Best (1989) — as Jennings
Where to Watch John P. Ryan Films
Most John P. Ryan movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring John P. Ryan, check our movies catalogue and browse page.