John P. Ryan

Ryan was born in New York City, the son of Irish immigrant parents, and graduated from Rice High School in Harlem. He studied English at the City College of New York and acting at the Actors Studio. Among his stage roles, Ryan played King Henry in The Lion in Winter and Mr. DePinna in You Can't Take It with You at the 1966 Williamstown Theatre Festival. He starred in the Broadway productions Daphne in Cottage D (1967) and Medea (1973).

Ryan got into film acting at the encouragement of his friend Jack Nicholson. He appeared opposite Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces (1970), The King of Marvin Gardens (1973), The Missouri Breaks (1976), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), and Hoffa (1992).

He usually played supporting roles or character parts, though he played a rare leading role in the Larry Cohen-directed horror film It's Alive and its sequel It Lives Again. He also appeared in such films as Dillinger (1973), Futureworld (1976), Breathless (1983), The Right Stuff (also 1983), The Cotton Club (1984), Three O'Clock High (1987), and Best of the Best (1989). One of his best-known parts was as prison warden Ranken in Runaway Train (1985). His last role was as mobster Mickey Malnato in The Wachowskis' directorial debut Bound (1996).