Mitchell Ryan, who was a villainous general in “Lethal Weapon”, a ruthless businessman at TV’s Santa Barbara, and played roles on “Dark Shadows” as well as the sitcom “Dharma & Greg”, died Friday. He was 88.
Ryan died from congestive heart disease at his Los Angeles home. Denise Freed was Ryan’s stepdaughter.
Ryan was a rugged, granite-jawed man with a straight hairstyle. Ryan’s career spanned over 50 years, starting with an uncredited part in the 1958 Robert Mitchum film, “Thunder Road”.
He was a heroin smuggler turned general in “Lethal Weapon,” a police officer in “Magnum Force”, and an aspiring criminal in “Electra Glide in Blue” as well as the conniving and murderous Las Vegas businessman Anthony Tonell in nighttime TV soap opera, “Santa Barbara.”
He was Greg’s eccentric, wealthy, and boozy father in the 1990s on “Dharma & Greg”.
Ryan was Burke Devlin in the 1960s soap opera Dark Shadows for one season, but he was fired due to his alcoholism.
Ryan admitted to his drinking problems in “Fall of a Sparrow,” his 2021 autobiography.
“I am blessed that I have managed to live a life of envy as a working actor after being a drunk for 30 years.” He wrote that he had lived a lot of real life while doing it. “I was sober for 30 years and I am proud to say that I have come out of this all a good, useful person.”
Ryan was a part of many TV and movie shows, including “High Plains Drifter” starring Clint Eastwood and “Halloween – The Curse of Michael Myers.”
He has also appeared in theater, including Broadway performances in “Wait Until Dark”, “Medea”, and “The Price.”
Kathryn Leigh Scott, Kathryn Leigh Scott’s wife and co-star in Dark Shadows, wrote in a Facebook post that “he was a great gift to my life.” I will always cherish his beautiful soul. I’m heartbroken.”
