Mitchell Ryan
Mitchell Ryan (January 11, 1934 – March 4, 2022) was an American film, television, and stage actor, who in his six decades of television is known for playing Burke Devlin in the 1960s gothic soap opera Dark Shadows, and later for his co-starring role as Thomas Gibson's father Edward Montgomery on Dharma & Greg. He also played the villainous General Peter McAllister in the 1987 buddy cop action film Lethal Weapon.
Mitchell Ryan | |
|---|---|
Mitchell Ryan in 1973 | |
| Born | January 11, 1934 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | March 4, 2022 (aged 88) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1958–2022 |
| Spouse | Barbara Ryan |
| Children | 3 |
Early life
Ryan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and raised in Louisville, Kentucky.[1] His father was a salesman and his mother was a writer.[2] He served in the United States Navy during the Korean War.[1]
Career
A life member of the Actors Studio,[3] Ryan's Broadway theatre credits include Wait Until Dark, Medea, and The Price.[4] His off-Broadway credits include Antony and Cleopatra (1963) and The Price (1979).[5]
Ryan was an original cast member on the cult TV soap opera Dark Shadows, playing Burke Devlin until he was fired from the show in June 1967 due to his alcoholism,[6][7][8] and replaced by Anthony George.
In 1970, Ryan was in one episode of The High Chaparral as a character named Jelks, who was on the run from the law.
He appeared in an episode of Cannon, "Fool's Gold" in 1971, and in ABC's The Streets of San Francisco episode "The Unicorn". He portrayed the title character, Chase Reddick, on the crime drama Chase (1973–74).[9]
In 1975, Ryan played in Barnaby Jones, in the episode titled "Counterfall". He portrayed the leading character, Dan Walling, on Executive Suite (1976–77)[9]: 316 and played Blake Simmons in the drama Julie Farr, M.D. (1978–79).[9]: 549
Ryan portrayed Cooper Hawkins on the Western series The Chisholms (1980),[9]: 185–186 Sam Garrett on King's Crossing (1982)[9]: 567 Brennan Flannery on High Performance (1983),[9]: 459 Edward Wyler on Hot Pursuit (1984),[9]: 478 and Porter Tremont on 2000 Malibu Road (1992).[9]: 1122–1123
His other acting credits include the films Liar Liar; Magnum Force playing as Dirty Harry's ill-fated despondent best friend and fellow police officer, a motorcycle patrolman named Charlie McCoy; Lethal Weapon playing the key villain General Peter McAllister; Grosse Pointe Blank; Electra Glide in Blue; and Hot Shots! Part Deux, playing senator Grey Edwards. In 1985, he portrayed Tillet Main, the patriarch of the Main family in the first North and South miniseries. In 1991, he played Ellis Blake in the sixth season Matlock episode "The Foursome".
Ryan appeared in NBC's The A-Team; he played Ike Hagan, as Grant Everett in a two-part Silk Stalkings episode; and as Kyle Riker, the father of Commander William Riker, in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Icarus Factor"; Ryan had been considered for the part of series lead Captain Jean-Luc Picard.[10] He also portrayed the roles of the abusive boyfriend of Blanche Devereaux, Rex Huntington, in The Golden Girls episode "The Bloom is off the Rose", and a police officer in a 1993 episode of NYPD Blue. The same year, Ryan was Dallas Shields in Renegade. He appeared in the 1983 episode of Hart to Hart 'Highland Fling'. In 1994, he appeared again in Hart to Hart in one of the made-for-TV movies, "Home Is Where the Hart Is". In 1995, he appeared in the films Judge Dredd and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers as Dr. Terence Wynn (played by Robert Phalen in the original Halloween film).
He played the role of Greg's father, Edward Montgomery, on the comedy Dharma & Greg (1997–2002).[9]: 256 The following year, Ryan voiced Highfather on Justice League.
He was the president of Screen Actors Guild Foundation.[11]
Personal life
Ryan married Lynda Morse in 1972.[12] They later divorced. The couple had one child.[citation needed] In 1998 Ryan married Barbara Albertine, after 11 years of being together. They have two children and five grandchildren. Ryan died of heart failure at his home in Los Angeles, California on March 4, 2022, at the age of 88.[13]
Filmography
- 1958 Thunder Road as Jed Moultrie (uncredited)
- 1966–1967 Dark Shadows (TV Series) as Burke Devlin
- 1970 Monte Walsh as "Shorty" Austin
- 1971 My Old Man's Place as Sergeant Martin Flood
- 1971 The Hunting Party as "Doc" Harrison
- 1971 Chandler as Chuck Kincaid
- 1972 The Honkers as Lowell
- 1972 A Reflection of Fear as Inspector McKenna
- 1973 High Plains Drifter as Dave Drake
- 1973 The Friends of Eddie Coyle as Waters
- 1973 Electra Glide in Blue as Detective Harvey Poole
- 1973 Magnum Force as Officer Charlie McCoy
- 1976 Midway as Rear Admiral Aubrey W. Fitch (uncredited)
- 1976 Two-Minute Warning as The Priest
- 1977 Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A. as Matthew Sullivan
- 1981 Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story as Hugh Hefner
- 1983 Hart to Hart ("Highland Fling") as Ramsey T. MacLaish
- 1985 The A-Team as Ike Hagen
- 1985 North and South (TV miniseries) as Tillet Main
- 1986 Penalty Phase as Judge Donald Faulkner
- 1987 Lethal Weapon as General Peter McCallister
- 1989 Mission Impossible (1988 TV Series S1:E18 - Submarine) as Admiral Edgar Sheppard
- 1989 Star Trek: The Next Generation (S2:E14 - The Icarus Factor) as Kyle Riker, father of Commander Will Riker
- 1989 Winter People as Drury Campbell
- 1989 Santa Barbara as Anthony Tonnell
- 1990 L.A. Law (S5:E5 – Smoke Gets In Your Thighs) as Duncan Young
- 1991 The Golden Girls (S6:E13 – The Bloom Is Off the Rose) as Rex
- 1991 Murder, She Wrote (The List of Uri Lermintov) as Rep. Arthur Prouty
- 1991 In a Child's Name as Peter Chappell
- 1992 Aces: Iron Eagle III as General Simms
- 1993 The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them as Kenneth Davenport
- 1993 Hot Shots! Part Deux as Gray Edwards
- 1994 Walker, Texas Ranger (S2:E17 - The Committee) as Judge Riley
- 1994 Blue Sky as Ray Stevens
- 1994 Speechless as Lloyd Wannamaker
- 1995 Judge Dredd as Vartis Hammond
- 1995 Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers as Dr. Terrence Wynn
- 1996 Ed as Abe Woods
- 1997 The Devil's Own as Chief Jim Kelly
- 1997 Liar Liar as Mr. Allan
- 1997 Grosse Pointe Blank as Mr. Bart Newberry
- 1999 Making Contact as Hunter
- 2005 Love for Rent as Doctor (uncredited)
- 2009 Stakeout as Man In Car (TV Short)
- 2021 Smartphone Theatre as Harry (TV Series) 1 episode
- TBA Valley of Shadows as Kenton MacBride (pre-production)
References
- ^ a b "'Chase' – Jack Webb's Newest Dramatic Series". Sunday News. Pennsylvania, Lancaster. September 30, 1973. p. 62. Retrieved May 31, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Medina, Eduardo (March 5, 2022). "Mitchell Ryan, Who Played the Villain in 'Lethal Weapon,' Dies at 88". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
- ^ Garfield, David (1980). "Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980". A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 279. ISBN 0-02-542650-8.
- ^ . Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ . Internet Off-Broadway Database. Lucille Lortel Foundation. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ . www.mitchellryan.net. Archived from the original on March 5, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
- ^ "The Stars of Dark Shadows: Where Are They Now? Mitchell Ryan". www.darkshadowsonline.com. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
- ^ Barnabas & Company: The Cast of the TV Classic Dark Shadows, Craig Hamrick & R. J. Jamison: Ryan is quoted as saying "I was so drunk that year, I barely remember what it was about" in a 1976 TV Guide interview
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
- ^ "Letters of Note: STAR TREK/Casting". Retrieved March 25, 2010.
- ^ . Screen Actors Guild. June 21, 2003. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
- ^ California Marriage Index 1960–1985; Ancestry.com
- ^ "Mitchell Ryan, Actor in 'Lethal Weapon' and 'Dharma & Greg,' Dies at 88". The Hollywood Reporter. March 5, 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
External links
- Mitchell Ryan at IMDb
- Mitchell Ryan at the Internet Broadway Database
- Mitchell Ryan at the Internet Off-Broadway Database