Very sad news has come in as Mitchell Ryan has passed away. The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Ryan, who has appeared in many familiar roles over the decades from Dark Shadows to Lethal Weapon to Dharma & Greg, died Friday of congetive heart failure at his Los Angeles home according to his stepdaughter, Denise Freed. He was 88 years old.
Mitchell Ryan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Jan. 11, 1934. He grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and went on to serve in the United States Navy during the Korean War. He followed up his stint in the military with his acting debut, appearing in a production of Thunder Road at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. This sparked the acting bug for Ryan and he had found his calling, continuing to perform on the stage in shows like Wait Until Dark, Medea, and The Price.
On the small screen, Ryan's breakout role was as an original cast member on the gothic soap Dark Shadows, playing Burke Devlin until he was replaced with Anthony George in 1967. Decades later, he'd pick up another one of his most memorable roles as Greg's father, Edward Montgomery, on the comedy series Dharma & Greg.
The actor was also considered for Patrick Stewart's role as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and later appeared in the series as Kyle Riker, the father of Jonathan Frakes' William Riker. Ryan's other television credits include The Golden Girls, NYPD Blue, Hart to Hart, Silk Stalkings, The West Wing, General Hospital, All My Children, and The Drew Carey Show.
Mitchell Ryan Is Very Recognizable for His Many Film and TV Roles
One of Mitchell Ryan's most celebrated roles is as ranch hand Shorty Austin in 1970's Monte Walsh. He'd follow that up with roles in The Friends of Eddie Coyle and Electra Glide in Blue. In 1981, he played Hugh Hefner in the film Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story.
One of Ryan's most well-known roles is as Gen. Peter McAllister in the original Lethal Weapon with Danny Glover and Mel Gibson. Horror fans will also know Ryan well for his role as Dr. Wynn in the horror sequel Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. Other notable roles include playing Minnie Driver's father in Grosse Point Blank and Dirty Harry's best friend in Magnum Force.
Fans will also recognize Ryan for many other movie roles, which includes films like Liar, Liar with Jim Carrey, Hot Shots! Part Deux with Charlie Sheen, Judge Dredd with Sylvester Stallone, Blue Sky with Jessica Lange, and The Devil's Own with Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt. He is listed in the credits of the upcoming film Valley of Shadows, but it's not clear if he'd shot any footage prior to his passing.
Mitchell Ryan's survivors include his wife, Barbara; stepdaughter Denise; daughter-in-law Elizabeth; sister-in-law Mary; and grandchildren Ashley, Jacqueline, Olivia, Kaila, and Noah. Our thoughts go out to them along with the rest of Ryan's family and friends at this painful time. May he rest in peace as his legacy lives on.