Image of Fran Ryan

Fran Ryan

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.   Fran Ryan (November 29, 1916 – January 15, 2000) was an American character actress featured in television and films. She was born in Los Angeles, California. Fran Ryan began performing at the age of 6, at Oakland's Henry Duffy Theatre, in Northern California. She attended Stanford University for three years, and during World War II was a member of the USO entertaining troops. She performed comedy, singing and acting on stage in California and Chicago but was not to launch her television career for two decades. Her small screen debut came in an episode on Television's Batman, in 1966, followed by a bit part in Beverly Hillbillies. Ryan's best known television role was as Aggie Thompson in The Doris Day Show (in its first incarnation plotline theme), though the gig only lasted a few months. This role was cut short because she was offered the 'replacement' role on the hit series Green Acres as Doris Ziffel from 1969-1971. Fran was to replace Barbara Pepper, who by then was in poor health. Sadly, Miss Pepper died just five months later of heart ailments, on July 15, 1969. Ryan also starred on the long running TV Western series Gunsmoke during its twentieth and final season as Miss Hannah (Cobb). In 1987, she reprised the role of Miss Hannah in the TV movie Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge. Fran Ryan played the role of Sister Agatha in the soap opera General Hospital in (1979). She also did voices for cartoons such as Hong Kong Phooey, Mister T and Little Dracula. Fran starred on some TV shows for children like Sigmund and the Sea Monsters in 1975 as Gertrude Grouch, and in 1970s children's show The New Zoo Revue as Ms. Goodbody, the 1980s TV series No Soap, Radio as Mrs. Belmont, the short lived 1980s CBS TV series The Wizard as Tillie Russell from 1986-1987. Her last regular TV role was on The Dave Thomas Comedy Show. She starred in many feature films, including Flush (1977), Big Wednesday (1978), Take This Job and Shove It (1981), Pale Rider (1985), Chances Are, and in her scene-stealing cameo in 1981's Stripes, as a tortured cab fare to Bill Murray as the cabbie, in the opening scenes of the comedy film. Ryan made guest appearances on TV shows ranging from Batman, Adam-12, CHiPs, Quantum Leap, Night Court, Baywatch to The Commish. Fran Ryan was often compared to actress Marjorie Main; they looked similar to one another. Ryan died on January 15, 2000, at age 83. She is buried in the family plots alongside her mother, at the Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery, in Hayward, California. Description above from the Wikipedia article Fran Ryan, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.


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Born:
Nov 29, 1916 In Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Movie/TV Credits:
92
First Appeared:
In the series Gunsmoke 1955-09-10
Latest Project:
Movie Suture 1993-09-14
Known For
Poster of Murphy Brown
Poster of Charlie's Angels
Poster of The Quest
Poster of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
Filmography
Movie Suture Mrs. Lucerne 1993-09-14
Series Little Dracula 1991-09-03
Series The Commish Unknown 1991-09-28
Series The Bradys Unknown 1990-02-09
Movie Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again Miss Grundy 1990-05-06
Series Tiny Toon Adventures Unknown 1990-09-14
Series The Dave Thomas Comedy Show 1990-05-28
Movie Thanksgiving Day Lois 1990-11-19
Movie Chances Are Mavis Talmadge 1989-03-10
Movie Out Cold Arlene 1989-03-03
Movie Nick Knight Jeannie 1989-08-20
Movie Lucky Stiff Ma 1988-11-01
Series Murphy Brown Unknown 1988-11-14
Movie Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge Hannah 1987-09-27
Series Matlock Unknown 1986-03-03
Movie Fuzzbucket Mrs. Langendorf 1986-05-18
Series The Wizard Tillie Russell 1986-09-09
Movie Quiet Cool Ma 1986-11-08
Movie Stewardess School Fainting Lady 1986-08-01
Movie The Sure Thing Lady in Car 1985-03-01
Movie Father of Hell Town Mother Maggie 1985-03-06
Movie Pale Rider Ma Blankenship 1985-06-28
Series Amazing Stories Unknown 1985-09-29
Series The Colbys Unknown 1985-11-20
Movie The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D. Millie Clark 1984-05-16
Series Night Court Unknown 1984-01-04
Series Brothers Unknown 1984-07-13
Series Punky Brewster Unknown 1984-09-16
Series Murder, She Wrote Unknown 1984-09-30
Series Highway to Heaven Unknown 1984-09-19
Movie Tough Enough Gert Long 1983-05-20
Movie Private School Miss Dutchbok 1983-06-29
Series Mister T 1983-09-17
Movie Eyes of Fire Sister (Calvin's Wife) 1983-10-21
Series Manimal Unknown 1983-09-30
Movie Savannah Smiles Farmer Wilma 1982-04-09
Series No Soap, Radio 1982-04-15
Series Matt Houston Unknown 1982-09-26
Series It Takes Two Unknown 1982-10-14
Movie Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice Beatrice's Mother 1982-09-29
Movie Americana Colonel 1981-05-16
Series Hill Street Blues Unknown 1981-01-15
Movie The Adventures of Nellie Bly Mrs. Roman 1981-06-11
Series Foul Play Unknown 1981-01-26
Movie Stripes Dowager in Cab 1981-06-26
Series Falcon Crest Unknown 1981-12-04
Series Father Murphy Unknown 1981-11-03
Series When the Whistle Blows Unknown 1980-03-14
Movie The Long Riders Mrs. Samuel 1980-05-16
Movie Rocky II Adrian's Nurse (uncredited) 1979-06-15
Movie Goldie and the Boxer Ethel 1979-12-30
Movie Big Wednesday Lucy 1978-05-26
Movie Straight Time Cafe Owner 1978-03-18
Movie The Great Brain Aunt Bertha 1978-06-01
Series Grizzly Adams Unknown 1977-02-09
Series How the West Was Won Unknown 1977-02-06
Movie Panic in Echo Park 1977-06-23
Series CHiPs Unknown 1977-09-15
Series Carter Country Unknown 1977-09-15
Movie Deadly Game Frieda Beezly 1977-12-01
Series Good Heavens Unknown 1976-02-29
Series Laverne & Shirley Unknown 1976-01-27
Movie Family Plot Registrar Clerk (uncredited) 1976-04-09
Series The Quest Unknown 1976-05-13
Series Charlie's Angels Unknown 1976-09-22
Movie Stalk the Wild Child Ellen Mott 1976-11-03
Movie The Apple Dumpling Gang Mrs. Stockley 1975-07-01
Series Barney Miller Unknown 1975-01-23
Series Starsky & Hutch Unknown 1975-09-10
Movie Long Way Home Marvis Bidwell 1975-09-07
Series One Day at a Time Unknown 1975-12-16
Movie Hog Wild Flora 1974-01-20
Series Hong Kong Phooey 1974-09-07
Series Devlin 1974-09-07
Series Sigmund and the Sea Monsters Gertrude 1973-09-08
Series The Waltons Unknown 1972-09-14
Series New Zoo Revue 1972-01-03
Series The Rookies Unknown 1972-09-11
Movie Scandalous John Farm Woman 1971-06-22
Movie The Million Dollar Duck Mrs. Purdham (uncredited) 1971-06-30
Series McCloud Unknown 1970-02-17
Series Night Gallery Unknown 1970-12-16
Movie Marcus Welby, M.D. 1969-03-26
Series The Bill Cosby Show Unknown 1969-09-14
Series Mr. Deeds Goes to Town Unknown 1969-09-26
Series The Brady Bunch Unknown 1969-09-26
Series The Doris Day Show 1968-09-24
Series Batman Unknown 1966-01-12
Series That Girl Unknown 1966-09-08
Series Green Acres Unknown 1965-09-15
Series Daniel Boone Unknown 1964-09-24
Series Gunsmoke Unknown 1955-09-10