The iconic actor Mitchell Ryan has sadly passed away at the age of 88.
The news was confirmed by the actor's stepdaughter, Denise Freed, who informed The Hollywood Reporter that Ryan had passed away at his home in Los Angeles on Friday.
According to Freed, Ryan's cause of death was congestive heart failure.
After being born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Jan. 11, 1934, Ryan was later raised by his parents in Louisville, Kentucky.
Following his service in the United States Navy during the Korean War, during which he served in the special services entertainment unit, Ryan would move to New York City to pursue a career in acting after seeing Warren Oates perform on-stage during a 1953 production of Dark of the Moon.
In 1958, he landed his first movie role - a small part in 1958's Thunder Road, alongside Robert Mitchum.
Recalling the scene, Ryan said: "He stood by the camera joking with the crew. At last I heard my scene called, at which point Mitchum walked over to me, was silent for a second and then said, ‘Remember, I’m Big Mitch and you’re Little Mitch.’ He looked grim, then burst out laughing and said, ‘Let's do this f***ing thing.’"
In 1973, Ryan would star alongside Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood in High Plains Drifter and Magnum Force.
Ryan would go on to have a storied acting career that spanned eight decades. With his chiseled jaw and slick hair, he was instantly recognizable to viewers.
Some fans may best remember Ryan as general-turned heroin smuggler Peter McAllister in 1987's Lethal Weapon. Horror fans make recognize him as Dr. Wynn from 1995's Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. Comedy fans will surely remember Ryan for his role as Mr. Allan alongside Jim Carrey in 1997's Liar Liar.
Ryan also had many notable roles in television.
He appeared in over 100 episodes of the 90s sitcom Dharma & Greg, and had notable roles on shows like Dark Shadows, Chase, Executive Suite, Having Babies, The Chisholms, Dallas, Santa Barbara, Renegade, and Murder, She Wrote.
In fact, following the news of the actor's passing, Ryan's Dark Shadows co-star Kathryn Leigh Scott shared the following tribute on social media:
"My sweet, beloved friend Mitch died early this morning," Scott wrote, adding: "He was a great gift in my life. I cherish my warm memories of his beautiful soul. I'm heartbroken."
He is survived by his wife, Barbara; stepdaughter Denise; grandchildren Ashley, Jacqueline, Olivia, Kaila and Noah; daughter-in-law Elizabeth; and sister-in-law Mary.
Our thoughts are with Ryan's family, friends, and fans at this time.
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