Fran Ryan
Born
November 29, 1916
Died
January 15, 2000 (83 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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.
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River of Rage: The Taking of Maggie Keene
Hattie Clandell
1993
Suture
Mrs. Lucerne
1993
The Commish
(2 episodes)
1991
Little Dracula
(26 episodes)
1991
Thanksgiving Day
Lois
1990
The New Adam-12
Ida Collins · (1 episode)
1990
Tiny Toon Adventures
Grandma (voice) · (1 episode)
1990
The Dave Thomas Comedy Show
(5 episodes)
1990
Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again
Miss Grundy
1990
The Bradys
(1 episode)
1990
Nick Knight
Jeannie
1989
Baywatch
(1 episode)
1989
Quantum Leap
Dorothy Jaeger · (1 episode)
1989
Chances Are
Mavis Talmadge
1989
Out Cold
Arlene
1989
Murphy Brown
The Asp · (1 episode)
1988
Lucky Stiff
Ma
1988
Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge
Hannah
1987
Quiet Cool
Ma
1986
The Wizard
Tillie Russell · (19 episodes)
1986
Stewardess School
Fainting Lady
1986
Fuzzbucket
Mrs. Langendorf
1986
Matlock
(1 episode)
1986
The Colbys
(1 episode)
1985
Amazing Stories
Mrs. Abbott · (1 episode)
1985
Pale Rider
Ma Blankenship
1985
Rebel Love
Granny Plug
1985
Father of Hell Town
Mother Maggie
1985
The Sure Thing
Lady in Car
1985
Murder, She Wrote
Rose Mulligan · (1 episode)
1984
Highway to Heaven
(2 episodes)
1984
Punky Brewster
(1 episode)
1984
Brothers
Mrs. Murphy · (1 episode)
1984
The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D.
Millie Clark
1984
Night Court
Ethel La Rue · (1 episode)
1984
Night Court
Miss Crombie · (2 episodes)
1984
Eyes of Fire
Sister (Calvin's Wife)
1983
Manimal
(1 episode)
1983
Mister T
(30 episodes)
1983
Private School
Miss Dutchbok
1983
Ghost Dancing
Judge
1983
Tough Enough
Gert Long
1983
Johnny Belinda
Aunt Aggie McAdam
1982
It Takes Two
(1 episode)
1982
Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice
Beatrice's Mother
1982
Matt Houston
(1 episode)
1982
No Soap, Radio
(5 episodes)
1982
Savannah Smiles
Farmer Wilma
1982
Falcon Crest
Cass · (1 episode)
1981
Father Murphy
(1 episode)
1981
Stripes
Dowager in Cab
1981
The Adventures of Nellie Bly
Mrs. Roman
1981
Americana
Colonel
1981
Foul Play
(1 episode)
1981
Hill Street Blues
(1 episode)
1981
Christmas Mountain
Flora
1981
The Long Riders
Mrs. Samuel
1980
When the Whistle Blows
(1 episode)
1980
Goldie and the Boxer
Ethel
1979
Rocky II
Adrian's Nurse (uncredited)
1979
Taxi
Mrs. Elizabeth Weber · (1 episode)
1978
The Great Brain
Aunt Bertha
1978
Big Wednesday
Lucy
1978
Straight Time
Cafe Owner
1978
Deadly Game
Frieda Beezly
1977
CHiPs
Nancy · (2 episodes)
1977
Carter Country
(1 episode)
1977
Panic in Echo Park
1977
Grizzly Adams
(1 episode)
1977
How the West Was Won
(1 episode)
1977
Liza’s Pioneer Diary
Martha Stedman
1976
Stalk the Wild Child
Ellen Mott
1976
Charlie's Angels
Nurse Fager · (1 episode)
1976
Charlie's Angels
Belle Asher · (1 episode)
1976
The Quest
(1 episode)
1976
Family Plot
Registrar Clerk (uncredited)
1976
Good Heavens
(1 episode)
1976
Laverne & Shirley
(1 episode)
1976
One Day at a Time
(1 episode)
1975
Starsky & Hutch
Landlady · (3 episodes)
1975
Long Way Home
Marvis Bidwell
1975
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Mrs. Stockley
1975
Barney Miller
Mrs. Hirsch, Homeless Woman · (1 episode)
1975
Hong Kong Phooey
(31 episodes)
1974
Devlin
(16 episodes)
1974
Hog Wild
Flora
1974
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters
Gertrude · (29 episodes)
1973
The Waltons
(1 episode)
1972
The Rookies
(1 episode)
1972
New Zoo Revue
(67 episodes)
1972
Nichols
Minnie Dowd · (1 episode)
1971
The Million Dollar Duck
Mrs. Purdham (uncredited)
1971
Scandalous John
Farm Woman
1971
Night Gallery
(1 episode)
1970
McCloud
(1 episode)
1970
The Brady Bunch
(1 episode)
1969
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
(1 episode)
1969
The Bill Cosby Show
Mrs. Beal · (1 episode)
1969
Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities
1969
Adam-12
Mrs. Killian · (1 episode)
1968
That Girl
(1 episode)
1966
Batman
Chairlady · (1 episode)
1966
Mickey One
Homeless Woman (uncredited)
1965
I Dream of Jeannie
Switchboard Operator · (1 episode)
1965
Green Acres
(2 episodes)
1965
The Front Line
Haughty Customer
1965
Daniel Boone
Mrs. Jones · (1 episode)
1964
Gunsmoke
Mrs. Keller · (1 episode)
1955
Gunsmoke
Hannah · (5 episodes)
1955