Fran Ryan
Known for: Acting
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.
Filmography
Series
Murder, She Wrote
Rose Mulligan
1984
Series
Falcon Crest
Cass
1981
Series
Quantum Leap
Dorothy Jaeger
1989
Series
Batman
Chairlady
1966
Series
Baywatch
1989
Series
Charlie's Angels
Nurse Fager
1976
Series
Charlie's Angels
Belle Asher
1976
Series
Taxi
Mrs. Elizabeth Weber
1978
Series
Hill Street Blues
1981
Series
The Waltons
1972
Series
Adam-12
Mrs. Killian
1968
Series
Night Court
Ethel La Rue
1984
Series
Night Court
Miss Crombie
1984
Series
Matlock
Doris Curtis
1986
Series
Barney Miller
Mrs. Hirsch, Homeless Woman
1975
Series
Daniel Boone
Mrs. Jones
1964
Series
I Dream of Jeannie
Switchboard Operator
1965
Series
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
Miss Adeline Jeeter
1976
Series
Murphy Brown
The Asp
1988
Series
One Day at a Time
1975
Series
Highway to Heaven
1984
Series
Starsky & Hutch
Landlady
1975
Series
Green Acres
1965
Series
Night Gallery
1970
Series
Gunsmoke
Mrs. Keller
1955
Series
Gunsmoke
Hannah
1955
Series
The Partridge Family
1st Wife
1970
Series
Laverne & Shirley
1976
Series
Amazing Stories
Mrs. Abbott
1985
Series
The Rookies
1972
Series
Tiny Toon Adventures
Grandma (voice)
1990
Series
The Brady Bunch
1969
Series
Empty Nest
Mrs. Kramer
1988
Series
McCloud
1970
Series
The Commish
1991
Series
That Girl
1966
Series
Punky Brewster
1984
Series
Matt Houston
1982
Series
Brothers
Mrs. Murphy
1984
Film
Rocky II
Adrian's Nurse (uncredited)
1979
Series
How the West Was Won
1977
Series
The Colbys
1985
Series
Grizzly Adams
Gerty
1977
Series
The Bill Cosby Show
Mrs. Beal
1969
Series
The New Dick Van Dyke Show
Dick's mother
1971
Series
CHiPs
Nancy
1977
Series
Nichols
Minnie Dowd
1971
Series
The New Adam-12
Ida Collins
1990
Film
Stripes
Dowager in Cab
1981
Series
Hong Kong Phooey
1974
Film
Pale Rider
Ma Blankenship
1985
Film
Private School
Miss Dutchbok
1983
Series
The Second Hundred Years
Mrs. Sanders
1967
Series
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters
Gertrude
1973
Series
Carter Country
1977
Series
The Quest
Mag Wood
1976
Series
The Wizard
Tillie Russell
1986
Series
Father Murphy
1981
Film
The Sure Thing
Lady in Car
1985
Series
Manimal
1983
Series
Devlin
1974
Film
Chances Are
Mavis Talmadge
1989
Film
The Long Riders
Mrs. Samuel
1980
Series
It Takes Two
1982
New Zoo Revue
1972
Series
Little Dracula
1991
Film
Straight Time
Cafe Owner
1978
Film
Family Plot
Registrar Clerk (uncredited)
1976
Film
Big Wednesday
Lucy
1978
Series
Hollywood Wives
Nita Carrolle
1985
Series
Good Heavens
1976
Series
The Bradys
1990
Series
Mister T
1983
Series
When the Whistle Blows
1980
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1969
Film
The Apple Dumpling Gang
Mrs. Stockley
1975
Series
Foul Play
1981
Film
The Million Dollar Duck
Mrs. Purdham (uncredited)
1971
Film
Tough Enough
Gert Long
1983
Film
Stewardess School
Fainting Lady
1986
Film
Marcus Welby, M.D.: A Matter of Humanities
1969
Film
Johnny Belinda
Aunt Aggie McAdam
1982
Film
Fuzzbucket
Mrs. Langendorf
1986
Film
Quiet Cool
Ma
1986
Film
Out Cold
Arlene
1989
Film
Eyes of Fire
Sister (Calvin's Wife)
1983
Film
Hog Wild
Flora
1974
No Soap, Radio
1982
Film
Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again
Miss Grundy
1990
Film
Lucky Stiff
Ma
1988
Film
Rebel Love
Granny Plug
1985
Film
Deadly Game
Frieda Beezly
1977
Film
River of Rage: The Taking of Maggie Keene
Hattie Clandell
1993
Film
Savannah Smiles
Farmer Wilma
1982
The Dave Thomas Comedy Show
1990
Film
Scandalous John
Farm Woman
1971
Film
Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge
Hannah
1987
Liza’s Pioneer Diary
Martha Stedman
1976
Film
Nick Knight
Jeannie
1989
Film
Mickey One
Homeless Woman (uncredited)
1965
Film
Suture
Mrs. Lucerne
1993
Film
Brainwash
Marie Davis
1983
Film
Goldie and the Boxer
Ethel
1979
Film
The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D.
Millie Clark
1984
Ghost Dancing
Judge
1983
Film
Stalk the Wild Child
Ellen Mott
1976
Film
Americana
Colonel
1981
Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice
Beatrice's Mother
1982
Film
Panic in Echo Park
1977
Film
The Adventures of Nellie Bly
Mrs. Roman
1981
Film
Long Way Home
Marvis Bidwell
1975
Film
Thanksgiving Day
Lois
1990
Film
Father of Hell Town
Mother Maggie
1985
Film
Christmas Mountain: The Story Of A Cowboy Angel
Flora
1981
Film
The Great Brain
Aunt Bertha
1978
Film
The Front Line
Haughty Customer
1965