Mitchell Ryan

{{Infobox person

| name = Mitchell Ryan

| image = Mitchell Ryan 1973.JPG

| caption = Mitchell Ryan in 1973

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1934|01|11}}

| birth_place = Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|03|04|1934|01|11}}

| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| occupation = Actor

| spouse = {{marriage|Lynda Morse|1972|1982|end=divorce}}

| children = 3

| yearsactive = 1958–2022

}}

Mitchell Ryan (January 11, 1934[https://web.archive.org/web/20210125095745/http://mitchellryan.net/biography.shtml Bio] – March 4, 2022) was an American actor. His six decades of television credits, he is best known for playing Burke Devlin in the 1960s gothic soap opera Dark Shadows, and later for his co-starring role as Greg Montgomery (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.

Early life

Mitchell Ryan was born on January 11, 1934, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and raised in Louisville, Kentucky.{{cite news |title='Chase' – Jack Webb's Newest Dramatic Series |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78682251/sunday-news/ |access-date=May 31, 2021 |work=Sunday News |date=September 30, 1973 |location=Pennsylvania, Lancaster |page=62|via = Newspapers.com}} His father was a salesman and his mother was a writer.{{Cite news |last=Medina |first=Eduardo |date=2022-03-05 |title=Mitchell Ryan, Who Played the Villain in 'Lethal Weapon,' Dies at 88 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/05/arts/television/mitchell-ryan-dead.html |access-date=2022-03-05 |issn=0362-4331}} He served in the United States Navy during the Korean War.

Career

A life member of the Actors Studio,{{cite book|first=David |last=Garfield|title=A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio|url=https://archive.org/details/playersplacestor00garf|url-access=registration|year=1980|publisher=MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc.|location=New York|isbn=0-02-542650-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/playersplacestor00garf/page/279 279]|chapter=Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980}} Ryan's Broadway theatre credits include Wait Until Dark, Medea, and The Price.{{cite web |title=Mitchell Ryan |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/mitchell-ryan-80871 |website=Internet Broadway Database |publisher=The Broadway League |access-date=May 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531164147/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/mitchell-ryan-80871 |archive-date=May 31, 2021}} His off-Broadway credits include Antony and Cleopatra (1963) and The Price (1979).{{cite web |title=Mitchell Ryan |url=http://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/18824 |website=Internet Off-Broadway Database |publisher=Lucille Lortel Foundation |access-date=May 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531185839/http://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/18824 |archive-date=May 31, 2021}}

Ryan was an original cast member of the cult TV soap opera Dark Shadows, playing Burke Devlin until he was dismissed from the show in June 1967 due to his alcoholism,{{Cite web|url=http://www.mitchellryan.net/sparrow.shtml|title=MItchell Ryan – The Fall Of A Sparrow|website=www.mitchellryan.net|access-date=March 15, 2020|archive-date=March 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305150701/https://www.mitchellryan.net/sparrow.shtml|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.darkshadowsonline.com/where-ryan.html|title=The Stars of Dark Shadows: Where Are They Now? Mitchell Ryan|website=www.darkshadowsonline.com|access-date=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 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).{{cite book|last1=Terrace|first1=Vincent|title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010|date=2011|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|location=Jefferson, N.C.|isbn=978-0-7864-6477-7|page=180|edition=2nd}}

File:Mitchell Ryan Chase 1973.JPG

In 1975, Ryan played in Barnaby Jones, in the episode titled "Counterfall". He portrayed the leading character, Dan Walling, on Executive Suite (1976–77){{r|etvs|page1=316}} and played Blake Simmons in the drama Julie Farr, M.D. (1978–79) which paired him with lead actress Susan Sullivan, whom he reunited with to star together again in Dharma & Greg.{{r|etvs|page1=549}}

Ryan portrayed Cooper Hawkins on the Western series The Chisholms (1980),{{r|etvs|page1=185–186}} Sam Garrett on King's Crossing (1982){{r|etvs|page1=567}} Brennan Flannery on High Performance (1983),{{r|etvs|page1=459}} Edward Wyler on Hot Pursuit (1984),{{r|etvs|page1=478}} and Porter Tremont on 2000 Malibu Road (1992).{{r|etvs|page1=1122–1123}}

Ryan's other acting credits include the films Liar Liar; Magnum Force, playing as "Dirty Harry" Callahan (Clint Eastwood)'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 (Jonathan Frakes), in the Star Trek: The Next Generation second season episode "The Icarus Factor"; Ryan had been considered for the part of series lead Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart).{{cite web|url=http://www.lettersofnote.com/2010/08/star-trekcasting.html|title=Letters of Note: STAR TREK/Casting|access-date=March 25, 2010}} He also portrayed the roles of the abusive boyfriend of Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), Rex Huntington, in The Golden Girls season 6 episode "The Bloom is off the Rose", and Jack Hanlan, a police officer in "Emission Accomplished", a 1993 season 1 episode of NYPD Blue. The same year, Ryan played 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).

Ryan played the role of Greg Montgomery (Thomas Gibson)'s father, Edward Montgomery, on the comedy Dharma & Greg (1997–2002).{{r|etvs|page1=256}} The following year, Ryan voiced Highfather on Justice League.

Ryan was the president of Screen Actors Guild Foundation.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sagaftra.org/press-releases/june-21-2003/screen-actors-guild-foundation-launches-storyline-online-ii|title=Screen Actors Guild Foundation Launches Storyline Online II|date=June 21, 2003|website=Screen Actors Guild|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010141100/http://www.sagaftra.org/press-releases/june-21-2003/screen-actors-guild-foundation-launches-storyline-online-ii|archive-date=October 10, 2017|access-date=March 15, 2020}}

Personal life

Ryan married Lynda Morse in 1972, and they had a son.California Marriage Index 1960–1985; Ancestry.com Ryan and Morse divorced in 1982, and Ryan married Barbara Albertine in 1998. They had 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.{{cite web |title=Mitchell Ryan, Actor in 'Lethal Weapon' and 'Dharma & Greg,' Dies at 88|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/mitchell-ryan-lethal-weapon-dharma-greg-1235104831/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |date=March 5, 2022 |access-date=March 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305014834/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/mitchell-ryan-lethal-weapon-dharma-greg-1235104831/ |url-status=live |archive-date=March 5, 2022 }}

Filmography

= Film =

class="wikitable sortable"

!Year

!Title

!Role

!Notes

1958

|Thunder Road

|Jed Moultrie

|Uncredited

1970

|Monte Walsh

|Shorty Austin

rowspan="3" |1971

|My Old Man's Place

|Martin Flood

The Hunting Party

|Doc Harrison

Chandler

|Chuck Kincaid

rowspan="2" |1972

|The Honkers

|Lowell

A Reflection of Fear

|Inspector McKenna

rowspan="4" |1973

|High Plains Drifter

|Dave Drake

The Friends of Eddie Coyle

|Waters

Electra Glide in Blue

|Harvey Poole

Magnum Force

|Charlie McCoy

rowspan="2" |1976

|Midway

|Aubrey Fitch

|Uncredited

Two-Minute Warning

|Priest

1987

|Lethal Weapon

|General Peter McCallister

1989

|Winter People

|Drury Campbell

rowspan="2" |1992

|Aces: Iron Eagle III

|General Simms

The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them

|Kenneth Davenport

1993

|Hot Shots! Part Deux

|Gray Edwards

rowspan="2" |1994

|Blue Sky

|Ray Stevens

Speechless

|Lloyd Wannamaker

rowspan="2" |1995

|Judge Dredd

|Vartis Hammond

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

|Dr. Terrence Wynn

1996

|Ed

|Abe Woods

rowspan="3" |1997

|The Devil's Own

|Jim Kelly

Liar Liar

|Mr. Allan

Grosse Pointe Blank

|Bart Newberry

2005

|Love for Rent

|Doctor

|Uncredited

= Television =

class="wikitable sortable"

!Year

!Title

!Role

!Notes

1959

|Brenner

|Detective Mack

|Episode: "Record of Arrest"

1961

|'Way Out

|Bill Fontaine

|Episode: "Soft Focus"

1961–1963

|Naked City

|Various

|5 episodes

1961–1965

|The Defenders

|Harry Cook/Jack Bostick

|2 episodes

1966–1967

|Dark Shadows

|Burke Devlin

|107 episodes

1967

|Coronet Blue

|Oscar Davis

|Episode: "Faces"

1967–1969

|N.Y.P.D.

|Joseph Robert Maloney/Mr. Whitaker

|2 episodes

1970

|The High Chaparral

|Jelks

|Episode: "Jelks"

1971

|O'Hara, U.S. Treasury

|Brad Fletcher

|Episode: "Operation: Pay Off"

1971–1975

|Cannon

|Alexander Roper/John Flatow/Ed Farrell

|3 episodes

rowspan="2" |1973

|The Fuzz Brothers

|Ben

|Television film

The Streets of San Francisco

|Abel Hoffman

|Episode: "The Unicorn"

1973–1974

|Chase

|Captain Chase Reddick

|23 episodes

rowspan="2" |1974

|The Manhunter

|Tom Bailey

|Episode: "The Man Who Thought He Was Dillinger"

Kodiak

|Prisoner

|Episode: "Thunder Mountain"

rowspan="4" |1975

|Barnaby Jones

|Dennis Kelly

|Episode: "Counterfall"

The Rockford Files

|Colonel Hopkins

|Episode: "2 Into 5.56 Won't Go"

The Entertainer

|Mr. Pasko

|Television film

Baretta

|Bax Baxter

|Episode: "Nobody in a Nothing Place"

rowspan="2" |1976

|The Blue Knight

|Peter Stryker

|Episode: "Cop Killer"

The Hemingway Play

|Ernest Hemingway

|Television film

1976–1977

|Executive Suite

|Dan Walling

|18 episodes

rowspan="4" |1977

|Most Wanted

|Keith Garner

|Episode: "The Spellbinder"

Escape from Bogen County

|Ambler Bowman

|Television film

Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion

|Jethro Lundy

|Television film

Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A.

|Matthew Sullivan

|Television film

rowspan="3" |1978

|Having Babies III

|Dr. Blake Simmons

|Television film

Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force

|Lieutenant Colonel Applegate

|Television film

Family

|Mike Dunston

|Episode: "Expectations"

1978–1979

|Julie Farr, M.D.

|Dr. Blake Simmons

|8 episodes

1979

|Flesh & Blood

|Jack Fallon

|Television film

rowspan="2" |1980

|The Chisholms

|Cooper Hawkins

|9 episodes

Angel City

|Silas Creedy

|Television film

rowspan="5" |1981

|The Choice

|Jerry Clements

|Television film

The Monkey Mission

|Keyes

|Television film

The Five of Me

|Dr. Ralph B. Allison

|Television film

Death of a Centerfold

|Hugh Hefner

|Television film

Of Mice and Men

|Slim

|Television film

1982

|King's Crossing

|Sean Garrett

|Episode: "Long Ago Tomorrow"

rowspan="5" |1983

|Uncommon Valor

|Chief Tom Riordan

|Television film

High Performance

|Brennan Flannery

|2 episodes

Medea

|Jason

|Television film

The Gambler: The Adventure Continues

|Charlie McCourt

|Television film

Hart to Hart

|Ramsey MacLeish

|Episode: "Highland Fling"

1984

|Hardcastle and McCormick

|Sheriff Stretch Carter

|2 episodes

rowspan="11" |1985

|Hotel

|Steve Cutler

|Episode: "Lifelines"

Dallas

|Captain Merwin Fogarty

|3 episodes

Hot Pursuit

|Mr. Wyler

|2 episodes

Fatal Vision

|Paul Strombaugh

|Episode: "1.2"

Robert Kennedy and His Times

|Robert McNamara

|Episode: "1.1"

Riptide

|Colonel John Litvak

|Episode: "Boz Busters"

The A-Team

|Ike Hagen

|Episode: "Waste 'Em!"

North and South

|Tillet Main

|6 episodes

Hostage Flight

|Captain Malone

|Television film

Hell Town

|Howard Bane

|Episode: "My Girlfriend, Annie"

Northstar

|Colonel Even Marshall

|Television film

1985–1995

|Murder, She Wrote

|Various

|4 episodes

rowspan="2" |1986

|All My Children

|Alex Hunter

|Episode: "1.4186"

Penalty Phase

|Donald Faulkner

|Television film

1987

|St. Elsewhere

|George Deaton

|Episode: "Rites of Passage"

rowspan="2" |1988

|The English Programme

|Slim

|5 episodes

Favorite Son

|Vice President Dan Eastman

|Episode: "Part One"

rowspan="6" |1989

|The Ryan White Story

|Tom

|Television film

Star Trek: The Next Generation

|Kyle Riker

|Episode: "The Icarus Factor"

Double Exposure: The Story of Margaret Bourke-White

|General George S. Patton

|Television film

Mission: Impossible

|Edgar Sheppard

|Episode: "Submarine"

Santa Barbara

|Anthony Tonell

|36 episodes

Hardball

|Captain Jake Griffin

|Episode: "The Fighting 52nd"

1989–1990

|Jake and the Fatman

|Lieutenant Dan Gorecki/Ethan Mitchell

|2 episodes

rowspan="3" |1990

|Who's the Boss?

|Jack

|Episode: "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?"

Judgment

|Dave Davis

|Television film

L.A. Law

|Duncan Young

|Episode: "Smoke Gets In Your Thighs"

rowspan="5" |1991

|The Golden Girls

|Rex Huntington

|Episode: "The Bloom is Off the Rose"

Hunter

|Tom Reed

|Episode: "Shadows of the Past"

Deadly Game

|Admiral Mark Nately

|Television film

In a Child's Name

|Peter Chappell

|2 episodes

Matlock

|Ellis Blake

|Episode: "The Foursome"

rowspan="6" |1992

|Civil Wars

|Judge Kosarin

|Episode: "Denise and De Nuptials"

Mann & Machine

|Bennet Tyler

|Episode: "Water, Water ,Everywhere"

The Young Riders

|Marshall Luke Murphy

|Episode: "Lessons Learned"

Dirty Work

|Frank Esposito

|Television film

2000 Malibu Road

|Porter Tremont

|4 episodes

Majority Rule

|John Wade

|Television film

rowspan="4" |1993

|Reasonable Doubts

|Hugh Mandrake

|Episode: "Wish You Were Here"

Star

|Harrison Barclay

|Television film

NYPD Blue

|Jack Hanlan

|Episode: "Emission Accomplished"

General Hospital

|Frank Smith

|2 episodes

1993–1994

|Renegade

|Dallas Bronson/Ted Shields

|4 episodes

rowspan="3" |1994

|Hart to Hart: Home is Where the Hart Is

|Chief Carson

|Television film

Walker, Texas Ranger

|Judge Riley

|Episode: "The Committee"

One West Waikiki

|Cosmetic Surgeon

|Episode: "'Til Death Do Us Part"

rowspan="3" |1995

|Gramps

|Oliver

|Television film

The Single Guy

|Mr. Brimley

|2 episodes

Silk Stalkings

|Grant Everett

|2 episodes

rowspan="4" |1996

|A Face to Die For

|Joe Thomas

|Television film

Raven Hawk

|White

|Television film

Champs

|Mr. Shuester

|Episode: "We'll Never Have Paris"

Wings

|Jonathan Clayton

|3 episodes

rowspan="3" |1997

|Dark Skies

|William Paley

|Episode: "To Prey in Darkness"

Spy Game

|Morganthal

|Episode: "What, Micah Worry?"

The Practice

|Judge George Nelson

|Episode: "The Civil Right"

1997–2002

|Dharma & Greg

|Edward Montgomery

|119 episodes

1998

|Life of the Party: The Pamela Harriman Story

|W. Averell Harriman

|Television film

1999

|Aftershock: Earthquake in New York

|Frank Agostini

|2 episodes

2003

|Justice League

|Highfather (voice)

|Episode: "Twilight"{{cite web |title=Mitchell Ryan (visual voices guide) |url=http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Mitchell-Ryan/ |access-date=July 30, 2024 |publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.

rowspan="2" |2004

|The West Wing

|Senator Roland Pierce

|Episode: "The Supremes"

The Drew Carey Show

|Woody

|Episode: "Drew Hunts Silver Fox"

2021

|Smartphone Theatre

|Harry

|Episode: "What Friends Do (#Expendables)"