1. Kehidupan Awal dan Awal Karier
Fran Ryan menunjukkan bakat aktingnya sejak usia dini dan mengembangkannya melalui pendidikan serta pengalamannya di panggung.
1.1. Kehidupan Awal dan Pendidikan
Frances Mary Ryan lahir pada 29 November 1916 di Los Angeles, California. Bakatnya di bidang seni peran sudah terlihat sejak kecil; ia mulai tampil di usia enam tahun di Henry Duffy Theatre di Oakland. Setelah itu, ia melanjutkan pendidikannya di Universitas Stanford, di mana ia menempuh studi selama tiga tahun.
1.2. Aktivitas Panggung dan USO
Sebelum terjun ke dunia televisi, Ryan aktif dalam berbagai pertunjukan panggung. Ia tampil membawakan komedi, menyanyi, dan akting di panggung-panggung di California dan Chicago. Selama Perang Dunia II, ia bergabung dengan USO (Organisasi Layanan Bersama), sebuah organisasi yang bertugas menghibur pasukan militer Amerika Serikat. Perannya dalam USO adalah untuk menghibur pasukan, menunjukkan dedikasinya dalam menggunakan bakatnya untuk tujuan patriotik. Dua dekade setelah pengalamannya di panggung, ia memulai kariernya di televisi.
2. Karier Akting
Fran Ryan memiliki karier akting yang luas, membentang di berbagai media dari televisi hingga film, serta pengisi suara dan iklan. Ia dikenal karena kemampuannya memerankan berbagai karakter, terutama wanita-wanita yang berkarakter kuat.

2.1. Peran Televisi
Debut televisi Fran Ryan terjadi pada tahun 1966 dalam episode ke-43 serial Batman. Setelah itu, ia mendapatkan peran kecil dalam The Beverly Hillbillies. Pada tahun 1972, ia tampil dalam episode Columbo, "Dagger of the Mind," sebagai "wanita tanpa kredit di bandara."
Peran pendukung pertamanya di televisi adalah sebagai Aggie Thompson dalam beberapa episode awal The Doris Day Show. Di musim yang sama, ia ditawari peran pengganti sebagai Doris Ziffel dalam serial Green Acres dari tahun 1969 hingga 1971, menggantikan Barbara Pepper yang sedang sakit. Ryan juga membintangi serial TV Western yang tayang lama, Gunsmoke, selama musim ke-20 dan terakhirnya sebagai Miss Hannah (Cobb). Ia kemudian mengulang perannya sebagai Miss Hannah dalam film TV Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge pada tahun 1987.
Ia juga dikenal atas perannya sebagai Rosie Carlson dalam opera sabun Days of Our Lives (1976-1979) dan Suster Agatha dalam General Hospital pada tahun 1989. Ryan juga tampil di beberapa acara TV anak-anak, seperti Sigmund and the Sea Monsters pada tahun 1975 sebagai Gertrude Grouch, acara anak-anak tahun 1970-an New Zoo Revue sebagai Ms. Goodbody, serial TV tahun 1980-an No Soap, Radio sebagai Mrs. Belmont, dan serial TV CBS berumur pendek tahun 1980-an The Wizard sebagai Tillie Russell dari tahun 1986 hingga 1987. Peran reguler terakhirnya di TV adalah dalam The Dave Thomas Comedy Show.
Sepanjang kariernya, Ryan membuat banyak penampilan sebagai bintang tamu di berbagai acara TV populer, antara lain:
- Adam-12
- The Brady Bunch
- CHiPs
- The Dukes of Hazzard
- Quantum Leap
- Night Court
- Taxi
- Baywatch
- The Commish
- The Second Hundred Years
- The Beverly Hillbillies
- Daniel Boone
- Marcus Welby, M.D.
- Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
- The Bill Cosby Show
- I Dream of Jeannie
- The Bold Ones: The Lawyers
- Men at Law
- The Partridge Family
- Night Gallery
- The Jimmy Stewart Show
- Nichols
- McCloud
- Bonanza
- Return to Peyton Place
- Ironside
- The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
- The New Dick Van Dyke Show
- The Family Holvak
- The Rookies
- Good Heavens
- The Quest
- Visions
- Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
- Barney Miller
- James at 16
- One Day at a Time
- The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams
- Starsky & Hutch
- Charlie's Angels
- How the West Was Won
- Carter Country
- Salvage 1
- When the Whistle Blows
- The Waltons
- Father Murphy
- Benson
- Laverne & Shirley
- It Takes Two
- The Optimist
- Matt Houston
- Falcon Crest
- Manimal
- Three's Company
- Hill Street Blues
- Hollywood Wives
- Hell Town
- Punky Brewster
- Amazing Stories
- Hardcastle and McCormick
- The Colbys
- The Magical World of Disney
- Brothers
- The New Mike Hammer
- Highway to Heaven
- Webster
- Houston Knights
- Mr. Belvedere
- Murphy Brown
- Murder, She Wrote
- Matlock
- Empty Nest
- Over My Dead Body
- The New Adam-12
- Davis Rules
- Homefront
2.2. Peran Film
Ryan juga tampil dalam banyak film layar lebar sepanjang kariernya. Beberapa film utamanya meliputi:
- Big Wednesday (1978)
- The Long Riders (1980), di mana ia memerankan ibu Frank dan Jesse James.
- Take This Job and Shove It (1981)
- Pale Rider (1985)
- Chances Are (1989)
- Ia juga membuat penampilan kameo yang berkesan dalam film Stripes (1981), sebagai penumpang taksi yang diantar oleh karakter yang diperankan oleh Bill Murray di adegan-adegan pembuka film tersebut.
2.3. Pengisi Suara dan Iklan
Selain peran di depan kamera, Fran Ryan juga aktif sebagai pengisi suara untuk berbagai serial animasi dan muncul dalam iklan komersial. Ia mengisi suara untuk kartun-kartun seperti Hong Kong Phooey, Mister T, Little Dracula, The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, dan Tiny Toon Adventures. Ia juga membintangi serangkaian iklan untuk biskuit Hungry Jack dari The J.M. Smucker Company yang dimulai pada tahun 1975.
3. Kehidupan Pribadi
Kehidupan pribadi Fran Ryan diwarnai oleh kebahagiaan dan tragedi. Suami pertamanya adalah Walter Kenneth Wayne, yang dinikahinya di Fairbanks, Alaska, pada tahun 1949. Sayangnya, Walter meninggal dunia dalam kecelakaan pesawat yang ia piloti sendiri pada Januari 1951, ketika Fran sedang mengandung anak pertama dan satu-satunya mereka. Putra mereka, Christopher, lahir pada April 1951.
Fran kemudian menikah lagi pada Januari 1953 dengan Howard Schafer. Namun, tragedi kembali menimpanya; Howard juga meninggal dalam kecelakaan pesawat yang ia piloti di Oregon pada Mei 1953. Puing-puing pesawat Howard tidak ditemukan hingga 15 tahun kemudian, pada November 1968. Jasad Howard dan penumpangnya tidak pernah ditemukan. Yang ditemukan di lokasi kecelakaan hanyalah sebuah sepatu wanita, empat sisir, dan dua pasang kacamata.
4. Kematian
Fran Ryan meninggal dunia pada 15 Januari 2000, di usia 83 tahun, karena penyakit. Ia meninggal di Burbank. Jenazahnya dikremasi dan abunya dimakamkan pada tahun 2004 di pemakaman keluarga, di samping ibunya, Mary, di Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hayward, California.
5. Filmografi
Berikut adalah daftar film dan program televisi yang dibintangi oleh Fran Ryan.
5.1. Film
| Tahun | Judul | Peran | Catatan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Mickey One | Wanita Tunawisma | Tidak Dikreditkan |
| 1970 | Scream, Evelyn, Scream! | Wanita Tua | |
| 1971 | Scandalous John | Wanita Petani | |
| 1971 | The Million Dollar Duck | Mrs. Purdham | Tidak Dikreditkan |
| 1974 | How to Seduce a Woman | Mrs. Toklas | |
| 1975 | The Apple Dumpling Gang | Mrs. Stockley | |
| 1976 | Family Plot | Petugas Pendaftaran | Tidak Dikreditkan |
| 1978 | Straight Time | Pemilik Kafe | |
| 1978 | Big Wednesday | Lucy | |
| 1978 | The Great Brain | Bibi Bertha | |
| 1979 | Rocky II | Perawat Adrian | |
| 1980 | The Long Riders | Mrs. Zerelda Cole Samuel | |
| 1981 | Americana | Kolonel | |
| 1981 | Take This Job and Shove It | Mrs. Hinkle | |
| 1981 | Circle of Power | Marie Davis | |
| 1981 | Stripes | Bangsawan di Taksi | |
| 1981 | Christmas Mountain | Flora | |
| 1982 | Shoot the Moon | Hakim | Tidak Dikreditkan |
| 1982 | Savannah Smiles | Petani Wilma | |
| 1982 | Flush | Belle Chance | |
| 1983 | Tough Enough | Gert Long | |
| 1983 | Private School | Miss Dutchbok | |
| 1983 | Eyes of Fire | Istri Calvin | |
| 1985 | The Sure Thing | Wanita di Mobil | |
| 1985 | Rebel Love | Nenek Plug | |
| 1985 | Pale Rider | Ma Blankenship | |
| 1986 | Stewardess School | Wanita Pingsan | |
| 1986 | Quiet Cool | Ma | |
| 1988 | Lucky Stiff | Ma | |
| 1989 | Out Cold | Arlene | |
| 1989 | Chances Are | Mavis Talmadge | |
| 1993 | Suture | Mrs. Lucerne |
5.2. Televisi
| Tahun | Judul | Peran | Catatan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | The Front Line presented by Reader's Digest | Pelanggan | Episode: "How To Be An Effective Supermarket Checker" |
| 1966 | Batman | Ketua Wanita | Episode: "The Greatest Mother of Them All" |
| 1967 | The Second Hundred Years | Mrs. Sanders | Episode: "No Experience Necessary" |
| 1968 | The Beverly Hillbillies | Mrs. Meek | Episode: "The Housekeeper" |
| 1968 | The Doris Day Show | Aggie Thompson | 10 episode |
| 1969 | Daniel Boone | Mrs. Jones | Episode: "Love and Equity" |
| 1969 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Perawat Prifogle | Episode: "A Matter of Humanities" |
| 1969 | Mr. Deeds Goes to Town | Rosie | Episode: "The Wonderful Old Saloon" |
| 1969 | The Bill Cosby Show | Mrs. Beal | Episode: "Rules Is Rules" |
| 1969 | Adam-12 | Mrs. Killian | Episode: "Log 142: As High as You Are" |
| 1970 | I Dream of Jeannie | Operator Sambungan Telepon | Episode: "One of Our Hotels Is Growing" |
| 1970 | The Brady Bunch | Mrs. Hunsaker | Episode: "To Move or Not to Move" |
| 1970 | The Bold Ones: The Lawyers | Edna | Episode: "Trial of a PFC" |
| 1970 | Men at Law | Mrs. Kenton | Episode: "Where Were We, Waldo?" |
| 1970 | The Partridge Family | Istri Pertama | Episode: "My Son, the Feminist" |
| 1969-1971 | Green Acres | Doris Ziffel / Minnie Holcombe | 7 episode |
| 1971 | Night Gallery | Penyihir Ketiga | (segmen "Witches' Feast"), Episode: "Death in the Family/The Merciful/Class of '99/Witches' Feast" |
| 1971 | The Jimmy Stewart Show | Manajer Binatu | Episode: "Guest of Honor" |
| 1972 | Nichols | Minnie Dowd | Episode: "About Jesse James" |
| 1972 | McCloud | Perawat | Episode: "Give My Regrets to Broadway" |
| 1972 | Bonanza | Janda Lucas | Episode: "A Visit to Upright" |
| 1972 | Return to Peyton Place | Dr. Helen Randall | |
| 1972 | Ironside | Kepala Perawat | Episode: "Five Days in the Death of Sgt. Brown" |
| 1972 | New Zoo Revue | Ms. Goodbody | |
| 1972 | The Bold Ones: The New Doctors | Perawat Gawat Darurat | Episode: "A Very Strange Triangle" |
| 1972 | Columbo | Wanita di Bandara | Tidak Dikreditkan, Episode: "Dagger of the Mind" |
| 1973 | The New Dick Van Dyke Show | Ibu | Episode: "Exit Laughing" |
| 1974 | Hog Wild | Flora | Film TV |
| 1974 | Hong Kong Phooey | Pengisi Suara | |
| 1974 | Devlin | Berbagai Suara | |
| 1973-1974 | Sigmund and the Sea Monsters | Gertrude | 5 episode |
| 1972-1975 | Gunsmoke | Hannah / Mrs. Keller | 6 episode |
| 1975 | The Family Holvak | Mavis Bidwell | Episode: "The Long Way Home: Part 2" |
| 1975 | The Rookies | Ma Burker | Episode: "Ladies Day" |
| 1976 | Good Heavens | Ma Buckingham | Episode: "See Jane Run" |
| 1976 | The Quest | Mag Wood | Episode: "Seventy-Two Hours" |
| 1976 | Stalk the Wild Child | Ellen Mott | Film TV |
| 1976 | Visions | Martha Stedman | Episode: "Liza's Pioneer Diary" |
| 1977 | Panic in Echo Park | Film TV | |
| 1977 | Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman | Miss Adeline Jeeter | 15 episode |
| 1977 | Barney Miller | Mrs. Hirsch, Wanita Tunawisma | Episode: "Corporation" |
| 1977 | James at 16 | Pekerja Konstruksi Wanita | Episode: "Higher Ground" |
| 1977 | Deadly Game | Frieda Beezly | Film TV |
| 1977-1978 | One Day at a Time | Berbagai Peran | Episode: "The Dress Designer" (1978) sebagai Eve, "Julie's Operation" (1977) sebagai Perawat |
| 1978 | The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams | Gerty | Episode: "The Great Burro Race" |
| 1976-1978 | Starsky & Hutch | Nyonya Tanah / Miss Bycroft / Stella | 3 episode |
| 1978 | CHiPs | Nancy / Pengemudi Wanita | Episode: "Trick or Trick" sebagai Nancy, "Surf's Up" sebagai Pengemudi Wanita |
| 1977-1978 | Charlie's Angels | Belle Asher / Perawat Fager | 2 episode |
| 1979 | How the West Was Won | Mrs. Holmes | Episode: "Hillary" |
| 1978-1979 | Carter Country | Martha | Episode: "The Big Move: Part 2" (1979) sebagai Martha, "Roy's Separation" (1978) |
| 1979 | Salvage 1 | Melba | Episode: "Confederate Gold" |
| 1976-1979 | Days of Our Lives | Rosie Carlson | 7 episode |
| 1979 | Who's on Call? | Perawat Bremer | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1979 | Goldie and the Boxer | Juru Masak | Film TV |
| 1980 | When the Whistle Blows | May | Episode: "Wildcatters" |
| 1981 | The Dukes of Hazzard | Ma Harper | Episode: "Duke vs. Duke" |
| 1981 | The Waltons | Eula Mae Moonie | Episode: "The Hostage" |
| 1981 | The Adventures of Nellie Bly | Mrs. Roman | Film TV |
| 1982 | Father Murphy | Ibu Toby | Episode: "Eighty-Eight Keys to Happiness" |
| 1982 | Benson | Molly Emerson | "Clayton's Condo" |
| 1982 | Taxi | Mrs. Elizabeth Weber | Episode: "Elegant Iggy" |
| 1982 | No Soap, Radio | Mrs. Belmont | 5 episode |
| 1982 | Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice | Ibu Beatrice | Film TV |
| 1982 | Johnny Belinda | Bibi Aggie McAdam | Film TV |
| 1983 | Laverne & Shirley | Ibu Superior | Episode: "The Monastery Show" |
| 1983 | It Takes Two | Bridget | Episode: "Mother and Child Reunion" |
| 1983 | The Optimist | Kepala Rumah Sakit | Episode: "Healthy Body, Unhealthy Mind" |
| 1983 | Ghost Dancing | Hakim | Film TV |
| 1983 | Mister T | Suara | |
| 1983 | Matt Houston | Maggie | Episode: "Marilyn" |
| 1983 | Falcon Crest | Cass | Episode: "Solitary Confinements" |
| 1983 | Manimal | Sadie Bethune | Episode: "Night of the Beast" |
| 1983-1984 | Three's Company | Grace / Hilda | 2 episode |
| 1984 | The Return of Marcus Welby, M.D. | Millie Clark | Film TV |
| 1984 | The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries | Pengisi Suara, Episode: "Happy Birthday, Scooby-Doo" | |
| 1984 | Hill Street Blues | Mary Minot | Episode: "The Rise and Fall of Paul the Wall" |
| 1985 | Hollywood Wives | Nina Carrolle | Miniseri TV |
| 1985 | Hell Town | Ibu Maggie | Film TV |
| 1985 | Punky Brewster | Isabelle Peavey | Episode: "Love Thy Neighbor" |
| 1986 | Amazing Stories | Mrs. Abbott | Episode: "The Sitter" |
| 1986 | Hardcastle and McCormick | Mrs. Vassah | Episode: "In the Eye of the Beholder" |
| 1986 | The Colbys | Helen Webster | Episode: "Anniversary Waltz" |
| 1974-1986 | The Magical World of Disney | Flora / Mrs. Langendorf | 3 episode |
| 1986 | Brothers | Mrs. Murphy | Episode: "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" |
| 1986-1987 | The Wizard | Tillie Russell | 19 episode |
| 1987 | The New Mike Hammer | Sekretaris Baru Mike | Episode: "A Blinding Fear" |
| 1987 | Highway to Heaven | Lil | Episode: "Man's Best Friend: Part 1 and 2" |
| 1987 | Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge | Hannah | Film TV |
| 1987 | Webster | Letnan Kolonel Howard | Episode: "Grab Bag" |
| 1987 | Houston Knights | Minnie Elizabeth Lundy | Episode: "Secrets" |
| 1988 | Mr. Belvedere | Mrs. Deferschmidt | Episode: "Duel" |
| 1988 | Murphy Brown | The Asp | Episode: "Nowhere to Run" |
| 1989 | Murder, She Wrote | Rose Mulligan | Episode: "The Sins of Castle Cove" |
| 1989 | Matlock | Doris Curtis | Episode: "The Priest" |
| 1989 | Nick Knight | Jeannie | Film TV |
| 1990 | Empty Nest | Mrs. Kramer | Episode: "Take My Mom, Please" |
| 1990 | Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again | Miss Grundy | Film TV |
| 1990 | The Dave Thomas Comedy Show | Fran | 5 episode |
| 1990 | Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers | Guru Sekolah / Camembert Kate | 2 episode |
| 1987-1990 | Night Court | Miss Crombie / Ethel La Rue | 3 episode |
| 1990 | Quantum Leap | Dorothy Jaeger | Episode: "The Boogieman - October 31, 1964" |
| 1990 | Over My Dead Body | Manajer Gedung | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1990 | Thanksgiving Day | Lois | Film TV |
| 1990 | The New Adam-12 | Ida Collins | Episode: "Blue Avengers" |
| 1990 | Davis Rules | Miss Catworthy | Episode: "Mission: Improbable" |
| 1991 | Little Dracula | Hannah the Barbarian | Pengisi Suara |
| 1991 | Baywatch | Tillie McCabe | Episode: "Thin or Die" |
| 1991 | Homefront | Suster Theophane | Episode: "Sinners Reconciled" |
| 1992 | Tiny Toon Adventures | Nenek Duff | Pengisi Suara, Episode: "Grandma's Dead" |
| 1993 | River of Rage: The Taking of Maggie Keene | Hattie Clandell | Film TV |
| 1993 | The Commish | Doris | Episode: "Dying Affection", (penampilan terakhir) |