Mitchell Ryan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mitchell Ryan
Mitchell Ryan in 1973
Born	(1934-01-11)January 11, 1934 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Died	March 4, 2022(2022-03-04) (aged 88) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1958–2022
Spouse(s)	Barbara Ryan
Children	3

Mitchell Ryan (born January 11, 1934 – died March 4, 2022) was an American actor. He worked in movies, TV shows, and plays for over sixty years. Many people remember him for playing Burke Devlin in the 1960s TV show Dark Shadows. He was also known for his role as Edward Montgomery, the father of Thomas Gibson's character, in the comedy show Dharma & Greg. Ryan also played the bad guy, General Peter McAllister, in the 1987 action movie Lethal Weapon.

Early Life and Military Service

Mitchell Ryan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. His father was a salesman, and his mother was a writer. Ryan served in the United States Navy during the Korean War.

Acting Career

Mitchell Ryan was a dedicated member of the Actors Studio. He performed in many plays on Broadway, which is famous for its theaters in New York City. Some of his Broadway plays included Wait Until Dark, Medea, and The Price. He also acted in plays off-Broadway, like Antony and Cleopatra in 1963.

Early Television Roles

In 1970, Ryan appeared in an episode of The High Chaparral. He played a character named Jelks, who was trying to escape from the law. The next year, he was in an episode of Cannon. He also appeared in The Streets of San Francisco. From 1973 to 1974, he played the main character, Chase Reddick, in the crime drama Chase.

Mitchell Ryan in Chase

In 1975, Ryan acted in an episode of Barnaby Jones. He then played Dan Walling in Executive Suite from 1976 to 1977. He also appeared as Blake Simmons in the drama Julie Farr, M.D..

Notable TV Series

Ryan played Cooper Hawkins in the Western TV series The Chisholms in 1980. He was Sam Garrett on King's Crossing in 1982. He also had roles in High Performance (1983), Hot Pursuit (1984), and 2000 Malibu Road (1992).

He appeared in NBC's The A-Team as Ike Hagan. He was also Grant Everett in a two-part episode of Silk Stalkings. Ryan played Kyle Riker, the father of Commander William Riker, in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Icarus Factor". He was even considered for the main role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek.

Ryan also played Rex Huntington, an abusive boyfriend, in The Golden Girls. He was a police officer in an episode of NYPD Blue in 1993. The same year, he appeared as Dallas Shields in Renegade. He was in two episodes of Hart to Hart, one in 1983 and another in 1994.

Film Appearances

Mitchell Ryan acted in many movies. He was in Liar Liar and Magnum Force. In Magnum Force, he played Charlie McCoy, a police officer and friend of Dirty Harry. He was the main villain, General Peter McAllister, in Lethal Weapon. Other film credits include Grosse Pointe Blank, Electra Glide in Blue, and Hot Shots! Part Deux, where he played Senator Grey Edwards.

In 1985, he played Tillet Main in the first North and South miniseries. In 1995, he appeared in the films Judge Dredd and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. In Halloween, he played Dr. Terrence Wynn.

Later Career and Voice Acting

From 1997 to 2002, Ryan played Greg's father, Edward Montgomery, on the popular comedy show Dharma & Greg. The following year, he lent his voice to the character Highfather in the animated series Justice League.

Mitchell Ryan also served as the president of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. This organization helps actors.

Personal Life

Mitchell Ryan married Lynda Morse in 1972. They later divorced and had one child together. In 1998, Ryan married Barbara Albertine after they had been together for 11 years. They had two children and five grandchildren. Ryan passed away from heart failure at his home in Los Angeles, California, on March 4, 2022. He was 88 years old.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Mitchell Ryan para niños