# Mitchell Ryan

Mitchell Ryan (January 11, 1934 – March 4, 2022) was an American actor. His six decades of television credits, he is best known for playing Burke Devlin in the 1960s gothic soap opera Dark Shadows, and later for his co-starring role as Thomas Gibson's father Edward Montgomery on Dharma & Greg. He also played the villainous General Peter McAllister in the 1987 buddy cop action film Lethal Weapon.

## Early life

Ryan was born on January 11, 1934, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. His father was a salesman and his mother was a writer. He served in the United States Navy during the Korean War.

## Career

A life member of the Actors Studio, Ryan's Broadway theatre credits include Wait Until Dark, Medea, and The Price. His off-Broadway credits include Antony and Cleopatra (1963) and The Price (1979).
Ryan was an original cast member of the cult TV soap opera Dark Shadows, playing Burke Devlin until he was dismissed from the show in June 1967 due to his alcoholism, and replaced by Anthony George.
In 1970, Ryan was in one episode of The High Chaparral as a character named Jelks, who was on the run from the law.
He appeared in an episode of Cannon, "Fool's Gold" in 1971, and in ABC's The Streets of San Francisco episode "The Unicorn". He portrayed the title character, Chase Reddick, on the crime drama Chase (1973–74).
In 1975, Ryan played in Barnaby Jones, in the episode titled "Counterfall". He portrayed the leading character, Dan Walling, on Executive Suite (1976–77)$^{:316}$ and played Blake Simmons in the drama Julie Farr, M.D. (1978–79).$^{:549}$
Ryan portrayed Cooper Hawkins on the Western series The Chisholms (1980),$^{:185–186}$ Sam Garrett on King's Crossing (1982)$^{:567}$ Brennan Flannery on High Performance (1983),$^{:459}$ Edward Wyler on Hot Pursuit (1984),$^{:478}$ and Porter Tremont on 2000 Malibu Road (1992).$^{:1122–1123}$
His other acting credits include the films Liar Liar; Magnum Force playing as Dirty Harry's ill-fated despondent best friend and fellow police officer, a motorcycle patrolman named Charlie McCoy; Lethal Weapon playing the key villain General Peter McAllister; Grosse Pointe Blank; Electra Glide in Blue; and Hot Shots! Part Deux, playing Senator Grey Edwards. In 1985, he portrayed Tillet Main, the patriarch of the Main family in the first North and South miniseries. In 1991, he played Ellis Blake in the sixth season Matlock episode "The Foursome".
Ryan appeared in NBC's The A-Team; he played Ike Hagan, as Grant Everett in a two-part Silk Stalkings episode; and as Kyle Riker, the father of Commander William Riker, in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Icarus Factor"; Ryan had been considered for the part of series lead Captain Jean-Luc Picard. He also portrayed the roles of the abusive boyfriend of Blanche Devereaux, Rex Huntington, in The Golden Girls episode "The Bloom is off the Rose", and a police officer in a 1993 episode of NYPD Blue. The same year, Ryan was Dallas Shields in Renegade. He appeared in the 1983 episode of Hart to Hart 'Highland Fling'. In 1994, he appeared again in Hart to Hart in one of the made-for-TV movies, "Home Is Where the Hart Is". In 1995, he appeared in the films Judge Dredd and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers as Dr. Terence Wynn (played by Robert Phalen in the original Halloween film).
He played the role of Greg's father, Edward Montgomery, on the comedy Dharma & Greg (1997–2002).$^{:256}$ The following year, Ryan voiced Highfather on Justice League.
He was the president of Screen Actors Guild Foundation.

## Personal life

Ryan married Lynda Morse in 1972, and they had a son. Ryan and Morse divorced in 1982, and Ryan married Barbara Albertine in 1998. They had two children and five grandchildren.
Ryan died of heart failure at his home in Los Angeles, California, on March 4, 2022, at the age of 88.

## Filmography
### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1966–1967 | Dark Shadows | Burke Devlin | 107 episodes |
| 1981 | Death of a Centerfold | Hugh Hefner | Television film |
| 1983 | Hart to Hart | Ramsey MacLeish | Episode: "Highland Fling" |
| 1985 | The A-Team | Ike Hagen | Episode: "Waste 'Em!" |
| 1985 | Murder, She Wrote | Ray Dixon | Episode: "Capitol Offense" |
| 1985 | North and South | Tillet Main | 6 episodes |
| 1986 | Penalty Phase | Donald Faulkner | Television film |
| 1989 | Mission: Impossible | Edgar Sheppard | Episode: "Submarine" |
| 1989 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Kyle Riker | Episode: "The Icarus Factor" |
| 1989 | Santa Barbara | Anthony Tonell | 36 episodes |
| 1990 | L.A. Law | Duncan Young | Episode: "Smoke Gets In Your Thighs" |
| 1991 | The Golden Girls | Rex | Episode: "The Bloom is Off the Rose" |
| 1991 | Murder, She Wrote | Arthur Prouty | Episode: "The List of Uri Lermintov" |
| 1991 | In a Child's Name | Peter Chappell | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Judge Riley | Episode: "The Committee" |
| 1997–2002 | Dharma & Greg | Edward Montgomery | 119 episodes |
| 2003 | Justice League | Highfather (voice) | Episode: "Twilight" |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1958 | Thunder Road | Jed Moultrie | Uncredited |
| 1970 | Monte Walsh | Shorty Austin | |
| 1971 | My Old Man's Place | Martin Flood | |
| 1971 | The Hunting Party | Doc Harrison | |
| 1971 | Chandler | Chuck Kincaid | |
| 1972 | The Honkers | Lowell | |
| 1972 | A Reflection of Fear | Inspector McKenna | |
| 1973 | High Plains Drifter | Dave Drake | |
| 1973 | The Friends of Eddie Coyle | Waters | |
| 1973 | Electra Glide in Blue | Harvey Poole | |
| 1973 | Magnum Force | Charlie McCoy | |
| 1976 | Midway | Aubrey Fitch | Uncredited |
| 1976 | Two-Minute Warning | Priest | |
| 1977 | Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A. | Matthew Sullivan | |
| 1987 | Lethal Weapon | Peter McCallister | |
| 1989 | Winter People | Drury Campbell | |
| 1992 | Aces: Iron Eagle III | General Simms | |
| 1992 | The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them | Kenneth Davenport | |
| 1993 | Hot Shots! Part Deux | Gray Edwards | |
| 1994 | Blue Sky | Ray Stevens | |
| 1994 | Speechless | Lloyd Wannamaker | |
| 1995 | Judge Dredd | Vartis Hammond | |
| 1995 | Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers | Terrence Wynn | |
| 1996 | Ed | Abe Woods | |
| 1997 | The Devil's Own | Jim Kelly | |
| 1997 | Liar Liar | Mr. Allan | |
| 1997 | Grosse Pointe Blank | Bart Newberry | |
| 2005 | Love for Rent | Doctor | Uncredited |