All Movies List
Bound

as Mickey Malnato

1996
Class of 1999

as Mr. Hardin

1990
Best of the Best

as Jennings

1989
Three O'Clock High

as Mr. O'Rourke

1987
Death Wish 4: The Crackdown

as Nathan White

1987
Fatal Beauty

as Lt. Kellerman

1987
Rent-a-Cop

as Wieser

1988
Avenging Force

as Prof. Elliott Glastenbury

1986
Houston: The Legend of Texas

as David Burnett

1986
Runaway Train

as Ranken

1985
Breathless

as Lt. Parmental

1983
The Escape Artist

as Vernon

1982
It Lives Again

as Frank Davis

1978
A Killing Affair

as Flagler

1977
Kill Me If You Can

as Johnson

1977
Futureworld

as Dr. Mort Schneider

1976
Archer

as Lieutenant Barney Brighton

1975
Death Scream

as Detective Dave Lambert

1975
It's Alive

as Frank Davis

1974
Shamus

as Col. Craig C. Hardcore

1973
Dillinger

as Charles Mackley

1973
Cops and Robbers

as Patsy O'Neill

1973
John P. Ryan John P. Ryan

Birthday

1936-07-30

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.
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