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John P. Ryan

John P. Ryan

Actor · Died March 20, 2007, aged 70 · New York City, New York, USA

Character actor John P. Ryan was born on July 30, 1936 in New York City. The son of Irish immigrant parents, Ryan graduated from Rice High School and studied English at the City College of New York, where he first developed an interest in acting. He served six years in the US Army and worked as a welfare investigator prior to pursuing an acting career. John made his film debut in the 1967 comedy "The Tiger Makes Out." He appeared in five pictures for Jack Nicholson; he's especially memorable as male nurse Spicer in "Five Easy Pieces." Manic, pale-eyed and craggy-faced, with an often intense and explosive screen presence, Ryan was frequently cast as nasty villains, hard-boiled police officers, and strict military men. John gave a strong and touching performance in a rare change-of-pace sympathetic role as Frank Davis, the bitter and regretful father of a murderous monster mutant baby in Larry Cohen's excellent "It's Alive." He also portrayed Davis in the okay sequel "It Lives Again." Other notable movie parts include the fanatical Colonel Hardcore in "Shamus," shrewd mob capo Patsy O'Neill in the witty "Cops and Robbers," evil scientist Schneider in "Futureworld," the dogged Lt. Parmental in "Breathless," vicious Irish mobster Joe Flynn in "The Cotten Club;" at his ferocious best as sadistic prison Warden Ranken in the powerful "Runaway Train," hateful fascist lunatic Glastenbury in the exciting "Avenging Force," ruthless drug kingpin Nathan White in the cruddy "Death Wish IV: The Crackdown," ramrod high school principal Mr. O'Rourke in the amusing "Three O'Clock High," and lethal robot history teacher Mr. Hardin in "Class of 1999." Among the TV shows Ryan did guest spots on are "M.A.S.H.," "The Rockford Files," "Hawaii Five-O," "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," "Starsky & Hutch," "Kojak," "Hart to Hart," "The F.B.I.," and "Miami Vice." John had a recurring role on the TV series "Archer." In addition to his film and TV credits, Ryan also appeared in over 90 stage plays. Following his final film appearance in "Bound," John spent his later years giving acting lessons and was an advocate of spiritual healing. John P. Ryan died from a stroke at age 70 on March 20, 2007 in Los Angeles, California; he's survived by two daughters.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 30, 1936
Died
March 20, 2007 (aged 70)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
47 on MovieCove · 69 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 15% in 30 days

What are John P. Ryan's films like?

Across their 29 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Action12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 27th percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
20%
Morality
20%
Self
20%
Power
19%
Survival
14%
Society
5%
Ideas
2%
Justice11 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom6 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themePower3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 29 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 14 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 5

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 11 · Intense 17

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 6 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 6

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 19 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 16 · Relentless 9

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 9 · Engaged 18 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 6 · Affecting 17 · Heavy 6

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

17 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 7 of 17 analyzed roles.

Shadow
7 of 17
Mentor
3 of 17
Ally
2 of 17
Threshold guardian
2 of 17
Hero
1 of 17
Trickster
1 of 17
Herald
1 of 17
Show the 17 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
26
Melancholic
13
Thrilling
10
Dread
7
Absurd
5
Other
15

How their films linger

Fun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet14
  • Tragic7
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch John P. Ryan's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 30 of their 47 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (19).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John P. Ryan's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

69 credits, 47 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Pixar Story(2007)

    as Dr. Schneider (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Bound(1996)

    as Mickey Malnato

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Bad Blood(1994)

    as John Blackstone

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Patriots(1994)

    as Arthur

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Batman: Mask of the Phantasm(1993)

    as Buzz Bronski (voice)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Sheriff Bob Cavendish

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Young Goodman Brown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as The Devil

  • Hoffa(1992)

    as Red Bennett

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • White Sands(1992)

    as Arms Dealer (Uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Star Time(1992)

    as Sam Bones

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Blood River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Henry Logan

  • Eternity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Thomas Vandervere / Prosecutor

  • Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection(1990)

    as Gen. Taylor

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Class of 1999(1990)

    as Mr. Hardin

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Best of the Best(1989)

    as Jennings

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Paramedics (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Captain Prescott

  • City of Shadows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Sergeant Fireman

  • Rent-a-Cop(1987)

    as Wieser

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Fatal Beauty(1987)

    as Lt. Kellerman

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Three O'Clock High(1987)

    as Mr. O'Rourke

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Death Wish 4: The Crackdown(1987)

    as Nathan White

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Hendrick Hudson / Narrator (voice)

  • Houston: The Legend of Texas(1986)

    as David Burnett

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Avenging Force(1986)

    as Prof. Elliott Glastenbury

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Runaway Train(1985)

    as Ranken

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Hollywood Beat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Cotton Club(1984)

    as Joe Flynn

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Miami Vice(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Jake Manning

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • The Right Stuff(1983)

    as Head of Program

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Shooting Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as McGee

  • Breathless(1983)

    as Lt. Parmental

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Matt Houston (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Faerie Tale Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Hendrick Hudson / Narrator (voice)

  • The Escape Artist(1982)

    as Vernon

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Cagney & Lacey(1981)

    Show 1 episode · as Philip Corrigan

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Peter Doyle

  • Simon & Simon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Postman Always Rings Twice(1981)

    as Kennedy

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Last Flight of Noah's Ark(1980)

    as Coslough

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Hart to Hart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Kurt Belzack

  • Kaz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • It Lives Again(1978)

    as Frank Davis

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Kill Me If You Can(1977)

    as Johnson

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • A Killing Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Flagler

  • Futureworld(1976)

    as Dr. Mort Schneider

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Missouri Breaks(1976)

    as Si

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Streetkill(1975)

    as Detective Dave Lambert

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Matt Helm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Carl Ainsley

  • Starsky and Hutch(1975)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Archer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 6 episodes · as Lieutenant Barney Brighton

  • Target Risk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Ralph Sloan

  • Police Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Rockford Files(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Dearborn

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • It's Alive(1974)

    as Frank Davis

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Kojak(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Peter Ibbotson

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows

  • Cops and Robbers(1973)

    as Patsy O'Neill

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Dillinger(1973)

    as Charles Mackley

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Shamus(1973)

    as Col. Craig C. Hardcore

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The King of Marvin Gardens(1972)

    as Surtees

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • M*A*S*H(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Major Van Zandt

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • The Legend of Nigger Charley(1972)

    as Houston

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me(1971)

    as Oeuf

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Five Easy Pieces(1970)

    as Spicer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Hawaii Five-O(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Guido Marioni

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • A Lovely Way to Die(1968)

    as Harry Samson (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • A Hatful of Rain(1968)

    as Chuck

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The F.B.I. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Ernie Flood · as William Quine

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 69 titles from 1965 to 2007; peak year 1986.

Biggest box office

Breathless (1983)

$20M worldwide

Highest rated

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

Midcredits 97th

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19652007

Peak 1986 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 7 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting69 of 69: 69 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score58th

By decade

1960s4 · acting1970s26 · acting1980s25 · acting1990s13 · acting2000s1 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 4% of 27 roles
70758590

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do John P. Ryan's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 55th percentile, the median of all 39; across their 29 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 54th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 29

Approval · how many liked their films

44thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 29

Reach · how many have seen their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 29

Midcredits score across 47 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th14
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

19 of their 47 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Crowd Pleaser19
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed19

Most divisive · actor

A Hatful of Rain (1968)

80th percentile spread · 19% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Right Stuff (1983)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 66/100 in their films, across 28 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 42. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is John P. Ryan's work okay for kids?

Across up to 14 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore14 titles48–87 · median 77 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity13 titles20–70 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity12 titles34–72 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs10 titles30–62 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense11 titles43–70 · median 62 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does John P. Ryan work with?

People who share at least 2 of John P. Ryan's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Yoram Globus shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles