kids encyclopedia robot

Ryan Phillippe facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Ryan Phillippe
Ryan Phillippe 2011 Shankbone.JPG
Phillippe in 2011
Born
Matthew Ryan Phillippe

(1974-09-10) September 10, 1974 (age 50)
Occupation
  • Actor
Years active 1992–present
Spouse(s)
(m. 1999; div. 2007)
Children 3

Matthew Ryan Phillippe, born on September 10, 1974, is an American actor. He became well-known in the late 1990s. His early roles included the TV show One Life to Live and the movie Crimson Tide. He gained more fame with films like I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and Cruel Intentions (1999).

Throughout the 2000s and beyond, Ryan Phillippe acted in many different movies. Some of these include Crash (2004), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), and The Lincoln Lawyer (2011). He also played the main character, Bob Lee Swagger, in the TV series Shooter from 2016 to 2018.

About Ryan Phillippe's Early Life

Ryan Phillippe was born in New Castle, Delaware. His mother, Susan, ran a day care center from their home. His father, Richard Phillippe, worked as a chemist. Ryan has three sisters. He also has some French family background. He finished his acting training at Barbizon in Wilmington, Delaware.

When he was younger, Ryan Phillippe earned a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Ryan Phillippe's Acting Journey

Starting His Career (1990–1996)

Ryan Phillippe's acting career began after he signed with Cathy Parker Management. Soon after, he appeared on the TV show One Life to Live. He played the character Billy Douglas from 1992 to 1993. This was a very important role for daytime TV.

After leaving that show, Phillippe moved to Los Angeles. There, he took on smaller roles in various TV series. These included Matlock and Due South. He also appeared in movies like Crimson Tide (1995) and White Squall (1996).

Becoming Famous (1997–2001)

Ryan Phillippe was cast in the 1997 horror film, I Know What You Did Last Summer. This movie was very popular. It helped Phillippe become more widely known. He then got roles in other big films like 54 and Playing by Heart in 1998.

In 1999, he starred in Cruel Intentions. This movie was a modern version of an old novel. His future wife, Reese Witherspoon, also starred in it. The film was a hit with teenage audiences. Phillippe also appeared in the Marcy Playground music video "Comin' Up From Behind".

In the years that followed, he acted in the crime drama The Way of the Gun. He also played a famous software engineer in the thriller Antitrust. He was part of the cast in Robert Altman's Gosford Park. This film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture.

Later Success and Roles (2002–2011)

Ryan Phillippe - 2010 TIFF
Phillippe at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival

Phillippe had supporting roles in Igby Goes Down (2002) and Crash (2005). Crash won the Best Picture Oscar. In 2006, Phillippe played a real-life Navy corpsman, John Bradley. This was in the war film Flags of Our Fathers, directed by Clint Eastwood. Phillippe said this film was the "best experience" of his career.

His next role was in the thriller Breach. He played an FBI investigator named Eric O'Neill. He acted alongside Chris Cooper. Phillippe then starred in Chaos as a police officer. He also appeared in Five Fingers, set in Morocco. He was in Kimberly Peirce's Iraq war film Stop-Loss.

Next, Phillippe took on a funny role as Lt. Dixon Piper in MacGruber. This film was based on a sketch from Saturday Night Live (SNL). To promote the film, Phillippe hosted SNL on April 17, 2010. He also co-hosted WWE Raw on April 19, 2010.

That same year, Phillippe starred in The Bang-Bang Club. This movie told the true story of four South African photographers. Their pictures showed the end of apartheid. Phillippe played Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Greg Marinovich. Filming took place in South Africa. Phillippe found the experience very impactful. The film premiered in September 2010 at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.

In mid-2010, Phillippe started filming The Lincoln Lawyer. He played Louis Roulet, a wealthy man accused of a crime. The movie opened in March 2011 and was well-liked by critics. Phillippe then filmed the action movie Setup in December 2010. This movie is about a group of young men whose attempt to steal diamonds goes wrong. The movie was released directly to DVD in September 2011.

Phillippe next filmed the comedy Revenge for Jolly! in mid-2011. This movie is about a man looking for his dog's murderer. It premiered at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival. Phillippe also worked on Straight A's in August 2011. He played a man haunted by his mother's ghost.

Return to TV and New Projects (2012–Present)

Starting in November 2011, Phillippe filmed a 10-episode part on the TV show Damages. He played Channing McClaren. This was his first regular TV role since One Life to Live. The season aired from July to September 2012.

In 2012, Phillippe directed his first film, Catch Hell. It is a thriller where Phillippe plays an actor who gets kidnapped. He also co-produced and co-wrote the script. The movie was released on October 10, 2014.

In October 2013, Phillippe began filming Reclaim in Puerto Rico. He played an American man who travels to Puerto Rico with his wife to adopt a child. The child disappears after a problem with a local. Reclaim was released on September 19, 2014.

In May 2014, ABC picked up the TV show Secrets and Lies. Phillippe played a family man who becomes a main suspect in a child's murder. The 10-episode series started on March 1, 2015.

Phillippe, Breckin Meyer, Seth Green, and David E. Siegal run a production company called Lucid Films. In 2010, Phillippe and Meyer started working on a show for Showtime. Phillippe also helped produce and narrate Isolated. This documentary follows five surfers looking for waves in New Guinea. The documentary premiered in January 2013.

In 2015, Phillippe was cast as the main character, Bob Lee Swagger, in the USA Network series Shooter. It premiered in November 2016. In February 2020, Phillippe was announced for the role of Cody Hoyt in the ABC crime drama series Big Sky. In 2021, Phillippe starred in the British action thriller film One Shot.

Ryan Phillippe's Family Life

In 1997, Ryan Phillippe met actress Reese Witherspoon. They later starred together in Cruel Intentions. Phillippe and Witherspoon married on June 5, 1999. Their daughter was born in 1999, and their son was born in 2003.

On October 30, 2006, Phillippe and Witherspoon announced they were separating. Witherspoon filed for divorce in November 2006. Their marriage officially ended on October 5, 2007. They shared joint custody of their children.

Phillippe dated model and actress Alexis Knapp in 2010. They ended their relationship that same year. Knapp gave birth to a daughter in 2011. Phillippe also dated Paulina Slagter from 2011 to 2016.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ryan Phillippe para niños

kids search engine
Ryan Phillippe Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.