Thomas Jay Ryan (born August 1, 1962) is an American actor. He may be best known for his starring role in the 1997 film Henry Fool.
Early life and education Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ryan attended Carnegie Mellon University and has worked in such theaters as the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and the Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven. In addition, he has worked with avant garde playwright Richard Foreman and has played roles ranging from Dracula to Degas.
Career Ryan had supporting roles in a variety of films, including Teknolust, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Book of Life, Dream Boy, and the sequels to Henry Fool, Fay Grim (2007) and Ned Rifle (2014).
He played pioneering gay activist Harry Hay in the initial production of the play The Temperamentals in 2009 in New York. In 2016, Ryan played Thomas Putnam in Ivo van Hove's production of Arthur Miller's play The Crucible at the Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway."The Crucible sets new first preview and opening dates" by Tom Millward, New York Theatre Guide, February 5, 2016 In 2019 he appeared in the off-Broadway play Eureka Day.
From August 8-25, 2023, Ryan performed as Serebryakov in Uncle Vanya, an off-off broadway production in an unmarked Manhattan loft. He replaced Bill Irwin, who had performed the role earlier in the summer.
Filmography
Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1997Henry FoolHenry Fool1998The Book of LifeSatan2000The Legend of Bagger VanceSpec Hammond2001DischordJimmy2002Noon Blue ApplesZeus2002TeknolustPreacher2004Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless MindFrank2005The Dying GaulUncredited2005The PigsLarry Wemuth2006Fay GrimHenry Fool2007Strange CultureSteve Kurtz2007The AtticDr. Perry2008Dream BoyHarland Davies2008South of HeavenHood 22009My Sweet MiseryPsychologist2014Ned RifleHenry Fool2014SabbaticalDan Keaton2015EqualsGideon2015The Missing GirlStan Colvins2016Burn CountryDmitri Sokurov2018DedalusOlder unrequited loverPart 2 of triptych2018My Entire High School Sinking into the SeaPrincipal GrimmVoice2020The Return of TragedyChef de la police2021CryptozooNicholasVoice2021Scenes from an Empty ChurchFather James2021GhostwrittenMartin2024Darla in SpaceArnot Pickens
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1998Degas and the DancerEdward DegasTelevision film1999Mary Cassatt: An American Impressionist2012ElementaryKen WhitmanEpisode: "Dead Mans's Switch"2014Nurse JackieEpisode: "Rat on a Cheeto"2016The Good WifeEd JanowayEpisode: "Targets"2017Blue BloodsJudge Carter MetcalfEpisode: "Love Lost"
Stage Bold denotes Broadway credit. {| class="wikitable sortable" !Year !Title !Role ! class="unsortable" |Venue ! class="unsortable" |Ref. |- |1996 |Venus |Chorus |Regional, Yale Repertory Theatre |rowspan=40| |- |1997 |Christmas at the Ivanovs|Performer |Off-Broadway, Classic Stage Company |- |2000 |Juno and the Paycock |Joxer Daly |Off-Broadway, Roundabout Theatre Company |- |2001 |The Philadelphia Story |Macauley "Mike" Conner |Regional, Hartford Stage |- |rowspan=3|2004 |rowspan=2|Suitcase or Those That Resemble Flies from a Distance |rowspan=2|Lyle |Off-Broadway, Soho Rep |- |Regional, La Jolla Playhouse |- |SIN (A Cardinal Deposed) |Orson Krieger |Off-Broadway, The New Group |- |2005 |The Room /The Celebration |Matt / Bert Hodd |Off-Broadway, Atlantic Theatre Company |- |2007 |The Misanthrope |Philinte |Off-Broadway, New York Theatre Workshop |- |rowspan=2|2008 |TRAGEDY: a tragedy |John in the Field |Regional, Berkeley Repertory Theatre |- |Passion Play, A Cycle |Visiting Englishman/Friar |Regional, Yale Repertory Theatre |- |rowspan=2|2009 |Six Degrees of Separation |Flanders Kittredge |Regional, Old Globe |- |In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)|Mr. Daldry|Broadway, Lyceum Theatre|- |rowspan=2|2010 |The Temperamentals |Harry Hay |Off-Broadway, New World Stages |- |The Little Foxes |Oscar Hubbard |Off-Broadway, New York Theatre Workshop |- |2011 |Three Sisters |Nicolai Lvovich Tuzenbach |Regional, Berkeley Repertory Theatre |- |rowspan=2|2012 |The Lady from Dubuque |Edgar |Off-Broadway, Signature Theatre Company |- |Hedda Gabler |Judge Brack |Regional, Hartford Stage |- |rowspan=2|2013 |Troublemaker, or the Freakin Kick-A Adventures of Bradley Boatright |Homeless Pirate / Zombie Guy / Hank Miller |Regional, Berkeley Repertory Theatre |- |Red Speedo |Peter |Regional, Studio Theatre |- |rowspan=2|2015 |A Month in the Country |Ignati Ilyich Shpigelsky |Off-Broadway, Classic Stage Company |- |10 out of 12 |Paul |Regional, Soho Rep |- |rowspan=3|2016 |The Crucible|Thomas Putnam|Broadway, Walter Kerr Theatre|- |rowspan=2|A View from the Bridge |rowspan=2|Alfieri |Regional,Kennedy Center |- |Regional, Ahmanson Theatre |- |2017 |Measure for Measure |Angelo |Off-Broadway, Theatre for a New Audience |- |rowspan=3|2018 |The Amateurs |Larking |Off-Broadway, Vineyard Theatre |- |Dance Nation |Dance Teacher Pat |Off-Broadway, Playwrights Horizons |- |The Nap|Danny Killeen|Broadway, Samuel J. Friedman Theatre|- |rowspan=2|2019 |Eureka Day |Don |Off-Broadway, Colt Coeur |- |West Side Story|Lt. Schrank|Broadway, Broadway Theatre|- |2022 |Becky Nurse of Salem |Judge / Jailor |Off-Broadway, Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater |- |rowspan=3|2023 |Arden of Faversham |Arden |Off-Broadway, Lucille Lortel Theatre |- |Deep Blue Sound |John |Off-Broadway, Clubbed Thumb |- |Arms and the Man |Major Paul Petkoff |Off-Broadway, Gingold Theatrical Group |- |2024 |An Enemy of the People|Aslaksen|Broadway, Circle in the Square Theatre'''
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.2015Actors' Equity AwardJoe A. Callaway AwardA Month in the Country2016Drama League AwardDistinguished Performance10 of 12
References
External links
"Thomas Jay Ryan Embraces a Comfortably Unpredictable Acting Career" by Alexis Soloski, The New York Times'', October 11, 2015