John P. Ryan

About

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...

Known for

M*A*S*HSeries • 1972Miami ViceSeries • 1984Hawaii Five-OSeries • 1969The Rockford FilesSeries • 1974American PlayhouseSeries • 1982Simon & SimonSeries • 1981Police WomanSeries • 1974The F.B.I.Series • 1965Starsky & HutchSeries • 1975Hart to HartSeries • 1979Cagney & LaceySeries • 1982KojakSeries • 1973Matt HoustonSeries • 1982Buck Rogers in the 25th CenturySeries • 1979Faerie Tale TheatreSeries • 1982The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.Series • 1993BoundMovie • 1996Batman: Mask of the PhantasmMovie • 1993Best of the BestMovie • 1989The Right StuffMovie • 1983The Cotton ClubMovie • 1984The Pixar StoryMovie • 2007HoffaMovie • 1992Death Wish 4: The CrackdownMovie • 1987