Biography
Actor, producer, director, writer, known for his versatility, dedication and wide range as an actor, Richard Ryan is the founder of Ox Films, most widely recognized in the role of Joseph Markham in Art of Deception. However, his role of Brad Jenkins in Fortune 500 Man also looms large in his filmography.
Ryan was born Richard Joseph Ryan in Sacramento, California and was raised in El Dorado Hills, California. He is the son of Peggie Ryan-Lanigan, a real estate agent, and Joseph Ryan, insurance broker. He has an older sister Julie Ryan. At both Sacramento Waldorf High School and Oak Ridge High School, Ryan was involved in sports, theater and choir. Ryan attended American River college and Folsom Lake College where he focused on theater, business, and film acting. He eventually moved to Los Angeles and before he became successful with acting and filmmaking, Ryan worked at a gym, did background acting and valet. During work, auditioning and acting in small projects, Ryan combined his innate leadership, creativity, knowledge of business, and unbound determination that enabled him to start his own movie production company, Ox Films. It was at that time that he started making short films and soon after, feature films. Several years later Ryan attended a year at The Art Institute of Sacramento, California to "learn the fundamentals and structure of film making, and follow a curriculum" to increase his understanding and knowledge of the craft.
Ryan's earliest credited roles were in television, independent short films and feature films, including thirteen short films and two feature films that were produced under Ox Films. It wasn't until Art of Deception that he cemented his status as a multi-layered actor and a diverse film maker. Art of Deception was his third and breakthrough feature film.
Richard Ryan emphasizes studying the craft of acting and creating your own content to continue your work and growth as an artist and person. Some of the acting teachers Ryan has studied with are Aaron Speiser, Michelle Danner, Melissa Skoff, Mark Teschner, Paul Ruddy, M'saada Nia, Killian McHugh and Vicki Goggin. Ryan has also studied at Groundlings and La Connection Improv.
