| James Ryan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1958 New York, New York |
| Residence | New York, United States |
| Spouse | Leana Smorka |
James Ryan is a writer, director, actor and professor.
In 1984, he appeared alongside Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep in the romantic-drama film, Falling in Love. He appeared in Five Corners alongside Jodie Foster and Tim Robbins, and stopped acting professionally in order to focus on writing and directing. His plays have been produced at Playwrights Horizons and Ensemble Studio Theatre, and the National Playwrights Conference, O'Neill Theater Center. He has received commissions from the Actors Theatre of Louisville and South Coast Repertory Company, and is a recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, and McKnight Foundation.
In 1999 he earned acclaim for his screenplay of The Young Girl and the Monsoon which he also directed. Ryan won Best Screenplay and the Gold Medal at the Wine Country Film Festival in 2000. His lead actress, the Dead Like Me star, Ellen Muth also won Best Actress at the American Film Institute (AFI). He has written screenplays for Hollywood Pictures, Warner Bros., Spring Creek Productions and Mr. Mudd.
He currently teaches screenwriting and playwriting at the Rugters University's MFA Theater program, and served as Chair, Actors Studio School of Drama at the New School University in New York City. He is author of Screenwriting From the Heart.