Acting · Los Angeles, California, USA · Born November 29, 1916
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.
MovieRiver of Rage: The Taking of Maggie Keene
1993
as Hattie Clandell
MovieSuture
1993
as Mrs. Lucerne
TVThe Commish
1991
TVLittle Dracula
1991
MovieThanksgiving Day
1990
as Lois
TVThe New Adam-12
1990
as Ida Collins
TVTiny Toon Adventures
1990
as Grandma (voice)
The Dave Thomas Comedy Show
1990
MovieArchie: To Riverdale and Back Again
1990
as Miss Grundy
TVThe Bradys
1990
MovieNick Knight
1989
as Jeannie
TVBaywatch
1989
TVQuantum Leap
1989
as Dorothy Jaeger
MovieChances Are
1989
as Mavis Talmadge
MovieOut Cold
1989
as Arlene
TVMurphy Brown
1988
as The Asp
MovieLucky Stiff
1988
as Ma
TVEmpty Nest
1988
as Mrs. Kramer
MovieGunsmoke: Return to Dodge
1987
as Hannah
MovieQuiet Cool
1986
as Ma
TVThe Wizard
1986
as Tillie Russell
MovieStewardess School
1986
as Fainting Lady
MovieFuzzbucket
1986
as Mrs. Langendorf
TVMatlock
1986
as Doris Curtis
TVThe Colbys
1985
TVAmazing Stories
1985
as Mrs. Abbott
MoviePale Rider
1985
as Ma Blankenship
MovieRebel Love
1985
as Granny Plug
MovieFather of Hell Town
1985
as Mother Maggie
MovieThe Sure Thing
1985
as Lady in Car
TVHollywood Wives
1985
as Nita Carrolle
TVMurder, She Wrote
1984
as Rose Mulligan
TVHighway to Heaven
1984
TVPunky Brewster
1984
TVBrothers
1984
as Mrs. Murphy
MovieThe Return of Marcus Welby, M.D.
1984
as Millie Clark
TVNight Court
1984
as Ethel La Rue
MovieEyes of Fire
1983
as Sister (Calvin's Wife)
TVManimal
1983
MovieBrainwash
1983
as Marie Davis
TVMister T
1983
MoviePrivate School
1983
as Miss Dutchbok
Ghost Dancing
1983
as Judge
MovieTough Enough
1983
as Gert Long
MovieJohnny Belinda
1982
as Aunt Aggie McAdam
TVIt Takes Two
1982
Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice
1982
as Beatrice's Mother
TVMatt Houston
1982
No Soap, Radio
1982
MovieSavannah Smiles
1982
as Farmer Wilma
TVFalcon Crest
1981
as Cass
TVFather Murphy
1981
MovieStripes
1981
as Dowager in Cab
MovieThe Adventures of Nellie Bly
1981
as Mrs. Roman
MovieAmericana
1981
as Colonel
TVFoul Play
1981
TVHill Street Blues
1981
MovieChristmas Mountain: The Story Of A Cowboy Angel
1981
as Flora
MovieThe Long Riders
1980
as Mrs. Samuel
TVWhen the Whistle Blows
1980
MovieGoldie and the Boxer
1979
as Ethel
MovieRocky II
1979
as Adrian's Nurse (uncredited)
TVTaxi
1978
as Mrs. Elizabeth Weber
MovieThe Great Brain
1978
as Aunt Bertha
MovieBig Wednesday
1978
as Lucy
MovieStraight Time
1978
as Cafe Owner
MovieDeadly Game
1977
as Frieda Beezly
TVCHiPs
1977
as Nancy
TVCarter Country
1977
MoviePanic in Echo Park
1977
TVGrizzly Adams
1977
as Gerty
TVHow the West Was Won
1977
Liza’s Pioneer Diary
1976
as Martha Stedman
MovieStalk the Wild Child
1976
as Ellen Mott
TVCharlie's Angels
1976
as Nurse Fager
TVThe Quest
1976
as Mag Wood
MovieFamily Plot
1976
as Registrar Clerk (uncredited)
TVGood Heavens
1976
TVLaverne & Shirley
1976
TVMary Hartman, Mary Hartman
1976
as Miss Adeline Jeeter
TVOne Day at a Time
1975
TVStarsky & Hutch
1975
as Landlady
MovieLong Way Home
1975
as Marvis Bidwell
MovieThe Apple Dumpling Gang
1975
as Mrs. Stockley
TVBarney Miller
1975
as Mrs. Hirsch, Homeless Woman
TVHong Kong Phooey
1974
TVDevlin
1974
MovieHog Wild
1974
as Flora
TVSigmund and the Sea Monsters
1973
as Gertrude
TVThe Waltons
1972
TVThe Rookies
1972
New Zoo Revue
1972
TVThe New Dick Van Dyke Show
1971
as Dick's mother
TVNichols
1971
as Minnie Dowd
MovieThe Million Dollar Duck
1971
as Mrs. Purdham (uncredited)
MovieScandalous John
1971
as Farm Woman
TVNight Gallery
1970
TVThe Partridge Family
1970
as 1st Wife
TVMcCloud
1970
TVThe Brady Bunch
1969
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1969
TVThe Bill Cosby Show
1969
as Mrs. Beal
MovieMarcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities
1969
TVAdam-12
1968
as Mrs. Killian
TVThe Second Hundred Years
1967
as Mrs. Sanders
TVThat Girl
1966
TVBatman
1966
as Chairlady
MovieMickey One
1965
as Homeless Woman (uncredited)
TVI Dream of Jeannie
1965
as Switchboard Operator
TVGreen Acres
1965
MovieThe Front Line
1965
as Haughty Customer
TVDaniel Boone
1964
as Mrs. Jones
TVGunsmoke
1955
as Mrs. Keller
