LOS ANGELES — Mitchell RyanWho played the role of a villainous general during the first “Lethal Weapon” movie, a ruthless businessman on TV’s “Santa Barbara”he played character roles in the soap opera “Dark Shadows”Sitcoms from the 1990s “Dharma & Greg,”His agent confirmed his death Friday. He was 88.
“Having been his agent for over 40 years I can say the world lost a great man. Mitchell was kind, thoughtful, smart, loyal, wonderful husband, father, grandfather & client,”Ro Diamond, his agent, made the statement. “I will miss him so much.”
Ryan died at home from congestive cardiac failure, Denise Freed his stepdaughter said. Hollywood Reporter.
Ryan was rugged and granite-jawed with a straight mane of hair. His career spanned over 50 years, starting with an uncredited role as Robert Mitchum in 1958. “Thunder Road.”
He was a general-turned heroin smuggler in “Lethal Weapon,” police officer in “Magnum Force” “Electra Glide in Blue,”Anthony Tonell, a Las Vegas businessman who is connivingly and murderously evil, in the evening TV soap opera “Santa Barbara.”
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In the 1990s, he had a long-running role as Greg’s wealthy, eccentric and boozy father on “Dharma & Greg.”
Ryan played Burke Devlin, a cult 1960s soap-opera “Dark Shadows”For one season, he was fired for his alcoholism.
Ryan admitted to his drinking problems in his 2021 autobiography. “Fall of a Sparrow.”
“I’m blessed that, 30 years a drunk, I’ve managed to live a working actor’s life to be envied. And I’ve lived a great deal of real life while I was at it,”He wrote. “Sober for the next 30 years, I’m told that I’ve come out of it all a good and useful human being.”
Ryan was a part of many TV and movie shows. “High Plains Drifter”With Clint EastwoodTo “Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.”
More:The complete list of ‘Halloween movies’, ranked (including the sequel titled ‘Halloween Kills ‘).
He has also appeared in theaters, including Broadway performances. “Wait Until Dark,” “Medea” “The Price.”
“He was a great gift in my life,”Kathryn Leigh Scott was there with him. “Dark Shadows,”In a Facebook post “I cherish my warm memories of his beautiful soul. I’m heartbroken.”
Contributing: Elise Brisco USA Today
