Godspeed Mitchell Ryan

Mitchell Ryan, who played Burke Devlin on Dark Shadows and played the villain in the movie Lethal Weapon (1987), died on March 4 at the age of 88. The cause was congestive heart failure.

Mitchell Ryan was born on January 11 1934 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. During the Korean War he served in the United Sates Navy as part of a special services entertainment unit. He became interested in acting after seeing Warren Oates in a production of Dark of the Moon in Louisville in 1953.

He moved to New York City where he appeared on stage. He made his movie debut in Thunder Road in 1958. He made his television debut in a guest appearance on the TV show Brenner in 1959. The following year he appeared in an episode of Armstrong Circle Theatre. In the Sixties Mitchell Ryan was cast as Burke Devlin on Dark Shadows. He appeared in the show's very first episode in 1966 and continued in the role until the show's 248th episode in 1967. He guest starred on the shows Play of the Week, Way Out, General Hospital, Naked City, The Defenders, Coronet Blue, N.Y. P.D., and The High Chaparral. He appeared in the movie Monte Walsh. He appeared on Broadway in Wait Until Dark and The Sudden & Accidental Re-Education of Horse Johnson.

In the Seventies he played the character of the title on the short-lived TV show Chase, Dan Walling on the nighttime soap Executive Suite, Dr. Blake Simmons on the medical drama Having Babies, and Cooper Hawkins on The Chisholms. He guest starred on the shows O'Hara United States Treasury, The Streets of San Francisco, The Manhunter, Cannon, Barnaby Jones, The Rockford Files, Baretta, The Blue Knight, Most Wanted, and Family. He appeared in the movies My Old Man's Place (1971), The Hunting Party (1971), The Honkers (1972), The Reflection of Fear (1972), High Plains Drifter (1973), Electra Glide in Blue (1973), The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973), Magnum Fore (1973), Midway (1976), and Two-Minute Warning (1976). He appeared on Broadway in The Price.

In the Eighties Mitchell Ryan was a regular on the daytime soap opera Santa Barbara. He appeared in the mini-series North and South. Her guest starred on the TV shows King's Crossing, High Performance, Hart to Hart, Hardcastle and McCormick, Hotel, Dallas, Hot Pursuit, Riptide, The A-Team, All My Children, St. Elsewhere, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Mission: Impossible, Hardball, Jake and the Fatman, Who's the Boss, and L.A. Law. He appeared in several TV movies throughout the decade. He appeared in the feature films Lethal Weapon (1987) and Winter People (1989). He appeared on Braodway in Medea.

In the Nineties Mr. Ryan played Greg's father on the TV sitcom Dharma & Greg. He was a regular on the show 2000 Malibu Road. He guest starred on the shows He guest starred on the show The Golden Girls; Hunter; Matlock; Civil Wars; Mann & Machine; The Young Riders; Reasonable Doubts; NYPD Blue; Walker, Texas Ranger; Renegade; One West Waikiki; The Single Guy; Murder, She Wrote; Silk Stalkings; Champs; Wings; Dark Skies; Spy Game; and The Practice. He appeared in the movies Aces: Iron Eagle III (1992), The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them (1992), Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993), Blue Sky (1994), Speechless (1994), Judge Dredd (1995), Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995), Ed (1996), The Devil's Own (1997), Liar Liar (1997), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), and Making Contact (1999).

In the Naughts he continued to appear on Dharma & Greg. He guest starred on The West Wing and The Drew Carey Show. He was a guest voice on the animated series Justice League. He appeared in the movie Love for Rent (2005). Last year he appeared on the streaming series Smartphone Theatre.

Mitchell Ryan was a remarkable actor. He could be suitably menacing as Burke Devlin on Dark Shadows, but then be hilarious as the boozy, eccentric Edward Montgomery on Dharma & Greg. He could be a base villain as General McAllister in Lethal Weapon, but he could play a hero like Captain Chase Reddick on the TV show Chase. He was as adept as comedy as he was drama. Over the years he played everything from medical doctors to servicemen to priests, and he played all of them well.