Ryan Merriman

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Ryan Merriman
Born Ryan Earl Merriman
April 10, 1983 (1983-04-10) (age 25)
Choctaw, Oklahoma, U.S.
Years active 1994 ─ present

Ryan Earl Merriman (born April 10, 1983) is an American actor. He began his acting career as a child actor during the mid-1990s and has appeared in 30 Hollywood films and television shows to date.

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[edit] Early life

Merriman was born in Choctaw, Oklahoma, the son of Earl and Nona Merriman.[1] He has a sister, Monika. At a young age, he began acting in commercials, print work, vocal performances, and local theater in Oklahoma.

[edit] Career

His first major role was on the television series, The Mommies, which ran from 1993 to 1995. During the mid and late 1990s, he appeared in most episodes of The Pretender as a younger version of the title character. Merriman also starred in several made-for-television films, including Smart House, The Luck of the Irish, and as a young Meyer Lansky in Lansky. In 1999, he appeared in the feature film The Deep End of the Ocean, playing the lost son of Michelle Pfeiffer's character, and subsequently starred as the main character, a Jewish boy from the Bronx, in the film Just Looking, which received a limited theatrical release in 2000. In 2002, he played the Madeleine L'Engle character Adam Eddington in yet another Disney Channel original movie, A Ring of Endless Light. In the years following, Merriman again returned to television roles, and appeared in Dangerous Child, co-starring Delta Burke, the mini-series Taken (2003-2004), and a guest role on Smallville in 2004.

During this time period, Merriman's roles also included the horror films Halloween: Resurrection (2002), The Ring Two (2005) and Final Destination 3 (2006). He is one of the stars of Home of the Giants, a high school drama co-starring Haley Joel Osment and Danielle Panabaker which has yet to be released!. He will appear in the CBS mini-series Comanche Moon, currently scheduled to air in January 2008.

[edit] Personal life

His hobbies include golf, four-wheel and dirt bikes, team sports, water sports, horseback riding, martial arts, basketball, skiing, and snowboarding.

Merriman supports the Neonatal Parents Network of Oklahoma, an independent, non-profit support network for families with critically ill or premature infants. He is also involved with Eagle Mount, an organization that offers riding, skiing, camp programs, and other special activities for disabled children in Bozeman, Montana.

Ryan married his high school sweetheart Micol Duncan, also from Oklahoma. Some of his best friends, co-stars and fans who meet him describe him as a genuine, funny and charismatic man.[citation needed]

[edit] Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2009 Final Destination 4 Kevin Ficsher 2008 The Hard Ride Jack McCall Lead Role
Comanche Moon Jake Spoon mini-series
Backwoods Adam Benson Movie of the Week
2007 Home of the Giants Matt Lead Role
2006 Final Destination 3 Kevin Fischer Male Lead Role
2005 The Ring Two Jake Minor Role (Opening Kill)
2004 Smallville Jason Dante TV series
2003 Veritas: The Quest Nikko Zond Lead Role; TV series
2002 Taken Sam Crawford - Adult Minor Role; mini-series
2002 Halloween: Resurrection Myles 'Deckard' Barton
A Ring of Endless Light Adam Eddington made-for-television
2001 The Luck of the Irish Kyle Johnson made-for-television
Dangerous Child Jack made-for-television
1999 Smart House Ben Cooper made-for-television
The Deep End of the Ocean Sam Karras/Ben Cappadora - Age 12
1996 The Pretender Young Jarod (1996-2000)/Gemini (1999) Recurring Role; TV series

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[edit] External links