John Patrick Ryan (July 30, 1936 – March 20, 2007) was an American actor. A prolific

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

known for playing "slimy villains, tough cops, and military officers," he worked with notable directors like

Bob Rafelson Robert Jay Rafelson (February 21, 1933 – July 23, 2022) was an American film director, writer and producer. He is regarded as one of the key figures in the founding of the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s. Among his best-known films as a d ...

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...

Andrei Konchalovsky Andrei Sergeyevich Konchalovsky (; né Mikhalkov; born 20 August 1937) is a Russian film and theatre director, screenwriter, and producer. His filmmaking career spans over 60 years in Cinema of the Soviet Union, Soviet, Cinema of the United St ...

Arthur Penn Arthur Hiller Penn (September 27, 1922 – September 28, 2010) was an American filmmaker, theatre director, and producer. He was a three-time Academy Award nominee for Academy Award for Best Director, Best Director, and a Tony Awards, Tony Awa ...

Philip Kaufman Philip Kaufman (born October 23, 1936) is an American film director and screenwriter who has directed fifteen films over a career spanning nearly five decades. He has received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award along with nominations fo ...

, and

The Wachowskis Lana Wachowski (born Larry Wachowski, June 21, 1965) and Lilly Wachowski (born Andy Wachowski, December 29, 1967) are American film and television directors, writers and producers. The sisters are both trans women. Together known as the Wacho ...

, and often appeared in films starring his friend

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...

Early life and education

Ryan was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, the son of Irish immigrant parents, and graduated from Rice High School in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

. He studied English at the

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a Public university, public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York ...

and acting at the

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights located on West 44th Street in Hell's Kitchen in New York City. The studio is best known for its work refining and teaching method actin ...

Career

Among his stage roles, Ryan played

King Henry King Henry may refer to: * Rulers named Henry; see * King Henry (producer) (born 1989), American record producer and DJ See also * Henry King (disambiguation) {{disambiguation, tndis ...

in ''

The Lion in Winter ''The Lion in Winter'' is a 1966 play by James Goldman, depicting the personal and political conflicts of Henry II of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, their children and their guests during Christmas 1183. It premiered on Broadway at the ...

'' and Mr. DePinna in ''You Can't Take It with You'' at the 1966

Williamstown Theatre Festival The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a resident summer theater on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1954 by Williams College news director Ralph Renzi and drama program chairman David C. Bryant. ...

. He starred in the Broadway productions '' Daphne in Cottage D'' (1967) and ''Medea'' (1973). Ryan got into film acting at the encouragement of his friend

. He appeared opposite Nicholson in ''

Five Easy Pieces ''Five Easy Pieces'' is a 1970 American road drama film directed by Bob Rafelson, written by Rafelson and Carole Eastman (as Adrien Joyce), and starring Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Susan Anspach, Lois Smith, and Ralph Waite. The film tell ...

'' (1970), ''

The King of Marvin Gardens ''The King of Marvin Gardens'' is a 1972 American drama film. It stars Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Ellen Burstyn and Scatman Crothers. It is one of several collaborations between Nicholson and director Bob Rafelson. The majority of the film i ...

'' (1973), ''

The Missouri Breaks ''The Missouri Breaks'' is a 1976 American Western film starring Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson. The film was directed by Arthur Penn, with supporting performances by Randy Quaid, Harry Dean Stanton, Frederic Forrest, John McLiam, and Ka ...

'' (1976), '' The Postman Always Rings Twice'' (1981), and '' Hoffa'' (1992). He usually played supporting roles or character parts, though he played a rare leading role in the

Larry Cohen Lawrence George Cohen (July 15, 1936 – March 23, 2019) was an American filmmaker. He originally emerged as the writer of blaxploitation films such as ''Black Caesar (film), Black Caesar'' and ''Hell Up in Harlem'' (both 1973), before becomin ...

-directed horror film '' It's Alive'' and its sequel '' It Lives Again.'' He also appeared in such films as '' Dillinger'' (1973), ''

Futureworld ''Futureworld'' is a 1976 American science fiction thriller film directed by Richard T. Heffron and written by Mayo Simon and George Schenck. It is a sequel to the 1973 Michael Crichton film '' Westworld'', and is the second installment in ...

'' (1976), '' Breathless'' (1983), '' The Right Stuff'' (also 1983), '' The Cotton Club'' (1984), ''

Three O'Clock High ''Three O'Clock High'' is a 1987 American teen comedy film directed by Phil Joanou. The script, about a meek high schooler who is forced into a fight with an unstable new transfer student, is based on the high school experiences of screenwriters ...

'' (1987), and '' Best of the Best'' (1989). One of his best-known parts was as prison warden Ranken in ''

Runaway Train A runaway train is a type of railroad incident in which unattended rolling stock is accidentally allowed to roll onto the main line, a moving train loses enough braking power to be unable to stop in safety, or a train operates at unsafe speeds d ...

'' (1985). His last role was as mobster Mickey Malnato in

' directorial debut '' Bound'' (1996).

Helicopter crash

On May 16, 1989, while filming the

Chuck Norris Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. Born in Oklahoma, Norris first gained fame when he won the amateur Middleweight Karate champion title in 1968, which he held for six consecutive years. H ...

sequel '' Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection'' in the Philippines, John P. Ryan was involved in a helicopter crash. The helicopter took off to film a scene, then veered to the left and plunged into a forty-foot ravine. Four people onboard were killed and roughly ten people were hospitalized, including John P. Ryan.

Personal life

Ryan was married to actress Maya Kenin, becoming the stepfather of Alexa Kenin (1962–1985). He had two daughters. Ryan was a life member of the Actors Studio, and a member of the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...

Death

Ryan died from a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 70. His remains were buried at Genola Rural Cemetery in

East Northport, New York East Northport is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located within the Huntington, New York, Town of Huntington in Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, on Long Island, New York (state), New York, United States. Th ...

Stage appearances

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* *
John P. Ryan
at the Internet Off-Broadway Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, John P. 1936 births 2007 deaths American male film actors American male television actors American people of Irish descent Male actors from New York City 20th-century American male actors American male stage actors City College of New York alumni Actors Studio alumni