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Fran Ryan

​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.


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Born:
Nov 29, 1916 In Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Movie/TV Credits:
60
First Appeared:
In the series Gunsmoke 1955-09-10
Latest Project:
Movie River of Rage: The Taking of Maggie Keene 1993-10-03
Known For
Poster of Tiny Toon Adventures
Poster of Straight Time
Filmography
Movie River of Rage: The Taking of Maggie Keene Hattie Clandell 1993-10-03
Movie Suture Mrs. Lucerne 1993-09-14
Series The Commish Unknown 1991-09-28
Movie Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again Miss Grundy 1990-05-06
Series Tiny Toon Adventures Unknown 1990-09-14
Movie Nick Knight Jeannie 1989-08-20
Movie Out Cold Arlene 1989-03-03
Movie Lucky Stiff Ma 1988-11-01
Series Murphy Brown Unknown 1988-11-14
Movie Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge Hannah 1987-09-27
Movie Fuzzbucket Mrs. Langendorf 1986-05-18
Movie Stewardess School Fainting Lady 1986-08-01
Series The Wizard 1986-09-09
Movie Quiet Cool Ma 1986-11-08
Movie The Sure Thing Lady in Car 1985-03-01
Movie Pale Rider Ma Blankenship 1985-06-28
Series The Colbys Unknown 1985-11-20
Series Amazing Stories Unknown 1985-09-29
Series Punky Brewster Unknown 1984-09-16
Series Murder, She Wrote Unknown 1984-09-30
Movie Tough Enough Gert Long 1983-05-20
Movie Eyes of Fire Sister (Calvin's Wife) 1983-10-21
Movie Private School Miss Dutchbok 1983-06-29
Movie Savannah Smiles Farmer Wilma 1982-04-09
Series Matt Houston Unknown 1982-09-26
Movie Johnny Belinda Aunt Aggie McAdam 1982-10-19
Movie Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice Beatrice's Mother 1982-09-29
Series It Takes Two Unknown 1982-10-14
Movie Americana Colonel 1981-05-16
Series Hill Street Blues Unknown 1981-01-15
Movie Stripes Dowager in Cab 1981-06-26
Series Falcon Crest Unknown 1981-12-04
Movie The Long Riders Mrs. Samuel 1980-05-16
Movie Rocky II Adrian's Nurse (uncredited) 1979-06-15
Movie Goldie and the Boxer Ethel 1979-12-30
Movie Big Wednesday Lucy 1978-05-26
Movie Straight Time Cafe Owner 1978-03-18
Movie The Great Brain Aunt Bertha 1978-06-01
Series How the West Was Won Unknown 1977-02-06
Movie Panic in Echo Park 1977-06-23
Movie Deadly Game Frieda Beezly 1977-12-01
Series Carter Country Unknown 1977-09-15
Movie Family Plot Registrar Clerk (uncredited) 1976-04-09
Series Laverne & Shirley Unknown 1976-01-27
Series Good Heavens Unknown 1976-02-29
Series The Quest Unknown 1976-09-22
Series Charlie's Angels Unknown 1976-09-22
Series Barney Miller Unknown 1975-01-23
Series One Day at a Time Unknown 1975-12-16
Series Starsky & Hutch 1975-09-10
Series Hong Kong Phooey 1974-09-07
Series New Zoo Revue 1972-01-03
Series The Waltons Unknown 1972-09-14
Movie Scandalous John Farm Woman 1971-06-22
Movie The Million Dollar Duck Mrs. Purdham (uncredited) 1971-06-30
Series Night Gallery Unknown 1970-12-16
Series The Doris Day Show 1968-09-24
Series Batman Unknown 1966-01-12
Series Daniel Boone Unknown 1964-09-24
Series Gunsmoke Unknown 1955-09-10
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