---
name: "John P. Ryan"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/john-p-ryan"
fi1m_id: "john-p-ryan"
imdb_id: "nm0752636"
tmdb_id: 15213
wikidata_id: "Q1701301"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "30 July 1936"
died: "20 March 2007"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 83
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-09-19T11:38:40.113878+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# John P. Ryan

## Identity

John P. Ryan

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/john-p-ryan
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** john-p-ryan
- **IMDb ID:** nm0752636
- **TMDB ID:** 15213
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1701301
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_P._Ryan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1701301, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0752636/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15213

Actor. Born 30 July 1936 in New York City, New York, USA. Died 20 March 2007.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 30 July 1936, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 20 March 2007
- **Active:** 1970–1996
- **Average Fi1m score:** 83, as actor, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 88 (1), 1980s 84 (2), 1990s 81 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 84 to 78 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Crime 3, Animation 1, History 1, Mystery 1, Thriller 1
- **Screen time:** 8 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $52m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_P._Ryan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1701301, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0752636/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15213

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Batman: Mask of the Phantasm*](https://film.one/film/batman-mask-of-the-phantasm.md) (82)
- **The Criterion Channel:** [*Bound*](https://film.one/film/bound.md) (80)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

John P. Ryan (1936–2007) was an American character actor. Born in New York City, he graduated from Rice High School and studied English at the City College of New York before training at the Actors Studio. He served six years in the US Army and worked as a welfare investigator prior to beginning his acting career.

Ryan made his film debut in *The Tiger Makes Out* (1967) and appeared in five films with Jack Nicholson, including *Five Easy Pieces* (1970). He was frequently cast as villains, tough cops and military officers, with notable roles in *It's Alive* (1974), *The Right Stuff* (1983), *Runaway Train* (1985) and *The Cotton Club* (1984). His final screen appearance was as Mickey Malnato in *Bound* (1996). He also had an extensive stage career and appeared in numerous television series.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Bound* (1996), Fi1m 80, as Mickey Malnato — [page](https://film.one/film/bound.md)
- *Batman: Mask of the Phantasm* (1993), Fi1m 82, as Buzz Bronski (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/batman-mask-of-the-phantasm.md)
- *Miami Vice* (1984), Fi1m 81, as Jake Manning — [page](https://film.one/tv/miami-vice.md)
- *The Right Stuff* (1983), Fi1m 86, as Head of Program — [page](https://film.one/film/the-right-stuff.md)
- *Five Easy Pieces* (1970), Fi1m 88, as Spicer — [page](https://film.one/film/five-easy-pieces.md)

## Complete filmography (69)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Pixar Story* (2007), as Dr. Schneider (archive footage)
- *Bound* (1996), as Mickey Malnato — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/bound.md)
- *Bad Blood* (1994), as John Blackstone
- *The Patriots* (1994), as Arthur
- *Batman: Mask of the Phantasm* (1993), as Buzz Bronski (voice) — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/batman-mask-of-the-phantasm.md)
- *The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.* (1993), series, as Sheriff Bob Cavendish
- *Young Goodman Brown* (1993), as The Devil
- *Hoffa* (1992), as Red Bennett
- *White Sands* (1992), as Arms Dealer (Uncredited)
- *Star Time* (1992), as Sam Bones
- *Blood River* (1991), as Henry Logan
- *Eternity* (1990), as Thomas Vandervere / Prosecutor
- *Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection* (1990), as Gen. Taylor
- *Class of 1999* (1990), as Mr. Hardin
- *Best of the Best* (1989), as Jennings
- *Paramedics* (1988), as Captain Prescott
- *City of Shadows* (1987), as Sergeant Fireman
- *Rent-a-Cop* (1987), as Wieser
- *Fatal Beauty* (1987), as Lt. Kellerman
- *Three O'Clock High* (1987), as Mr. O'Rourke
- *Death Wish 4: The Crackdown* (1987), as Nathan White
- *Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle* (1987), as Hendrick Hudson / Narrator (voice)
- *Houston: The Legend of Texas* (1986), as David Burnett
- *Avenging Force* (1986), as Prof. Elliott Glastenbury
- *Runaway Train* (1985), as Ranken
- *Hollywood Beat* (1985), series, Actor
- *The Cotton Club* (1984), as Joe Flynn
- *Miami Vice* (1984), series, as Jake Manning — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/miami-vice.md)
- *The Right Stuff* (1983), as Head of Program — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/the-right-stuff.md)
- *Shooting Stars* (1983), as McGee
- *Breathless* (1983), as Lt. Parmental
- *Matt Houston* (1982), series, Actor
- *Faerie Tale Theatre* (1982), series, as Hendrick Hudson / Narrator (voice)
- *The Escape Artist* (1982), as Vernon
- *Cagney & Lacey* (1982), series, as Philip Corrigan — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/cagney-and-lacey.md)
- *American Playhouse* (1982), series, as Peter Doyle
- *Simon & Simon* (1981), series, Actor
- *The Postman Always Rings Twice* (1981), as Kennedy
- *The Last Flight of Noah's Ark* (1980), as Coslough
- *Paris* (1979), series, Actor
- *Hart to Hart* (1979), series, Actor
- *Buck Rogers in the 25th Century* (1979), series, as Kurt Belzack
- *Kaz* (1978), series, Actor
- *It Lives Again* (1978), as Frank Davis
- *Kill Me If You Can* (1977), as Johnson
- *A Killing Affair* (1977), as Flagler
- *Futureworld* (1976), as Dr. Mort Schneider
- *The Missouri Breaks* (1976), as Si
- *Death Scream* (1975), as Detective Dave Lambert
- *Matt Helm* (1975), series, as Carl Ainsley
- *Starsky & Hutch* (1975), series, Actor
- *Archer* (1975), series, as Lieutenant Barney Brighton
- *Target Risk* (1975), as Ralph Sloan
- *The Rockford Files* (1974), series, as Dearborn — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-rockford-files.md)
- *Police Woman* (1974), series, Actor
- *It's Alive* (1974), as Frank Davis
- *Kojak* (1973), series, as Peter Ibbotson — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/kojak.md)
- *Cops and Robbers* (1973), as Patsy O'Neill
- *Dillinger* (1973), as Charles Mackley
- *Shamus* (1973), as Col. Craig C. Hardcore
- *The King of Marvin Gardens* (1972), as Surtees
- *M*A*S*H* (1972), series, as Major Van Zandt — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/tv/m-a-s-h-1972.md)
- *The Legend of Nigger Charley* (1972), as Houston
- *Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me* (1971), as Oeuf
- *Five Easy Pieces* (1970), as Spicer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/five-easy-pieces.md)
- *Hawaii Five-O* (1969), series, as Guido Marioni
- *A Lovely Way to Die* (1968), as Harry Samson (uncredited)
- *A Hatful of Rain* (1968), as Chuck
- *The F.B.I.* (1965), series, as Ernie Flood, William Quine

## Gallery

- ![John P. Ryan](https://film.one/media/person/87013/gallery-906ee25ca28e.jpg) John P. Ryan — film trailer screenshot (AIP), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/John_P._Ryan_in_Futureworld_trailer.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![John P. Ryan](https://film.one/media/person/87013/gallery-d61742c4448b.jpg) John P. Ryan — Image via TMDB

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/john-p-ryan