Ryan MacDonald (né Machunas;May, Marvin (April 15, 1973). "Channel Chatter: Network Snipping Irks TV Stars". The Philadelphia Inquirer TV Week. p. 42. Retrieved September 8, 2025. "Ryan MacDonald, Scott Banning in NBC's Days of Our Lives, back in his native Philadelphia the other day to attend a reunion of John Bartram High School's class of '48, was the recipient of 'official welcome home' hoopla at City Hall. The former Ryan Machunas was adjudged – in a Joyce Haber national poll chronicled here – the male whom women respondents would most like to see in a nude centerfold. He'll oblige in Playgirl Magazine."McCarron, Rosemary (August 20, 1947). "Lack of Football Holdovers Problem for Bartram". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 33. Retrieved September 8, 2025. "Machunas, Ryan – pos: E. Ht: 6.02. Wt: 175. Age: 17"Hoffman, Steve (January 12, 1973). "Ryan MacDonald Is TV's 'Sexiest' Star". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 30. Retrieved September 8, 2025. "Ryan will be the first to admit he hasn't had much success as a real-life lover. He has been married twice but he has been single for the past 3½ years. One of his wives was one of Dean Martin's dancers for two years, Barbara Andrews.""New York, New York City Marriage Licenses Index, 1950-1995", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLSP-1JJW : Sat Feb 22 01:36:49 UTC 2025), Entry for Ryan Machunas and Barbara Andrews, 1965. September 4, 1930 – February 13, 2020) was an American film, television, and stage actor. He was best known for playing the recurring role of Roy in the first season of the American sitcom television series The Odd Couple,Stock, Rip (1983). Odd Couple Mania. Ballantine Books. p. 17. .Javna, John, ed. (1984). The TV Theme Song Sing-along Songbook. New York : Hal Leonard Publishing/St. Martin's Press. p. 18. . and was also known for playing Scott Banning in the CBS soap opera television series Days of Our Lives,"Days Of Our Lives - Season 8". Getty Images. Retrieved September 8, 2025. "DAYS OF OUR LIVES -- "Death of Scott Banning" -- Pictured: (l-r) Ryan MacDonald as Scott Banning, Susan Seaforth Hayes as Julie Banning -- (Photo by: Fred Sabine/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)" a performance whose popularity would, in turn, lead to MacDonald being the subject of a seven-page photo spread in the inaugural issue of Playgirl Magazine.Kreiling, Ernie (May 11, 1973). "A Closer Look at Television". The Van Nuys News. p.14-B-Central. Retrieved September 9, 2025. "Playgirl, published by Fawcett, features a four-page centerfold of Lyle Waggoner, Carol Burnett's announcer [...] surrounded by seven other color photographs of him in various stages of dishabile. Likewise featured is Ryan MacDonald, the Scott Banning of NBC's Days of Our Lives, who was recently killed off in the series, but who is generously displayed over seven pages in nine photos."
Early life and career Born Adam Machunas in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, MacDonald was the brother of stage actress Florence Alberta Machunas,"Obituaries". Tampa Bay Times. April 26, 1994. p. 82. Retrieved September 8, 2025. "MACHUNAS, FLORENCE ALBERTA, 70, of Clearwater, died Friday (April 22, 1994) of cancer at home. She came here in 1968 from her native Philadelphia. She was active in the USO during World War II and appeared in many area theater productions. Survivors include two brothers, Michael Wosinko, Palm Harbor, and Ryan MacDonald, California; a sister, Victoria Miller, Clearwater;" the son of Lithuanian-American U.S. Army Captain Adam William Machunas,"Obituary: Capt. Adam W. Machunas". The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 6, 1943. p. 15. Retrieved September 8, 2025. "Funeral services will be held tomorrow for Captain Adam William Machunas, a veteran of the World War, who died at the Philadelphia General Hospital on Monday. He lived at 2617 Muhfeld st. Mass will be celebrated in St. Andrew's Church, 11th and Lemon st. Captain Machunas served in France with Company K, of the 21st Battalion of Engineers. [...] He is survived by his wife, Victoria, and two children, Adam and Florence.""Captain Machunas Visiting Here". Evening Herald. p. 1. Retrieved September 8, 2025. "Captain Adam Machunas, formerly of Shenandoah. who served as Captain of the 21st Regiment Engineers, and was decorated by the Belgium, French and with the St. George's Cross by the former Czar of Russia, is visiting friends in town. Captain Machunas is honored, he being the only man of Lithuanian: parentage having reached the rank of Captain in the United States army." and his Lithuanian-born wife, the former Mrs. Victoria Wosinko (as well as the half-brother of the latter's children by her previous marriage)."United States, Census, 1940", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQ6B-JJQ : Wed Jul 17 13:35:01 UTC 2024), Entry for Victoria Machunas and Anna H Wosinko, 1940.
As of 1940, it appears that the Machunas family had become, at least intermittently, a single-parent household. In this light, an unrelated news story reveals that Capt. Machunas—who would die just three years later with no cause of death disclosed—had, as early as November 1938, been reported to be residing at Philadelphia's Naval Hospital, "suffering with a heart condition.""V.F.W. Joins for Missing Woman". Courier-Post. . p. 22. Retrieved September 8, 2025. Information as to the whereabouts of Mrs. Ella Moran, who resided at 1026 North Eighteenth street, Camden, in September 1933, is requested by Joseph Whylings, past county commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Whylings [is] seeking the information for Adam W. Machunas, who is now in the Naval Hospital, Philadelphia, suffering with a heart condition. Machunas, a brother of Mrs. Moran, last heard from her at the death of their mother, Mrs. Anna Machunas." MacDonald's own recollection, as reflected in comments made in 1973 by his then-press agent, Bobby Karp, does nothing to contradict that picture, apart, perhaps, from suggesting an even earlier onset. Ryan was raised in a houseful of women. His dad was gone while he was growing up. He lived with his mother and many sisters.Glazer, Barney (May 8, 1973). "The Entertainment Scene". Anaheim Bulletin. p. C7. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
MacDonald—as Ryan Machunas—began acting no later than 1945, when, at age 14, he performed on an episode of Science Is Fun, a weekly radio program airing on Philadelphia's WFIL.Van Duzer, Winifred (March 25, 1945). "Children's Thrilling Discovery". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. . Retrieved September 8, 2025. He later attended John Bartram High School, graduating in 1948.
On October 3, 1952, in Hopewell, Virginia, he was one of "five new faces" whose local stage debut was deemed front page news by that day's Hopewell News. All five performers are prominently displayed in the photo accompanying the story, characterized as "veteran performers with experience in little theater, summer theater, and radio.""'Best of Everything' Cast Includes Five New Faces to Local Audiences". The Hopewell News. October 3, 1952. p. 1. Retrieved September 8, 2025. "WHEN THE PLAYERS produce 'The Best of Everything' on October 16, 17 and 18, there will be five new faces to Hopewell audiences, but they are all veteran performers with experience in little theater, summer theater and radio. Newcomers who will make their first appearances here in this three-act comedy are Clinton Norton, Flora Henningsen, Ryan Machunas, Carol Lawes and Wayne Alley."
In 1954, having by then adopted his better known stage name, MacDonald began his screen acting career, playing the role of Professor Paul Britton #4 in the soap opera The Secret Storm. Later in his career, he appeared in three Broadway plays, Toys in the Attic, Any Wednesday, and Catch Me If You Can.
In March 1963, having just taken Scott McKay's place for 14 performances in the Chicago production of Jean Kerr's Mary, Mary, MacDonald was called to replace an ailing Donald Harron in the London production, appearing alongside Maggie Smith and fellow import Ron Randell.Meyer, Erica (March 27, 1973). "McDonald's Career Is Just Unfolding". Tampa Bay Times. p. 2-D. Retrieved September 8, 2025. "His experience includes working with Maggie Smith on the London stage and performing in 'Mary, Mary,' 'Any Wednesday' and other Broadway plays. MacDonald also participates in a weekly theatre workshop in California, where he lives."Darlington, W. A. (1963). "First Night: COMEDY IN CHROMIUM; MAGGIE SMITH SHINES AGAIN". The Daily Telegraph. p. 14. Retrieved September 8, 2025. "Maggie Smith, Ron Randell, Donald Harron, in 'Mary, Mary' at the Queen's Theatre." Regarding his performance in particular, Bolton News theatre critic G.F.T. was especially appreciative. This is a very funny play mainly concerning the strained reunion of a divorced couple, played by Smith and a very good trans-Atlantic actor, Ryan MacDonald, who was flown over from the States to replace Donald Harron [...] Mr. Harron, I believe, was excellent. I did not see him; but Ryan MacDonald is splendid and a good foil to Miss Smith. He certainly eclipses the Hollywood film star, Ron Randell, who gives a very limp performance as a Hollywood film star.T., G. F. (March 23, 1963). "Miss Smith heads laughter parade". The Bolton News. p. 2. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
In 1970 MacDonald was cast as Roy, Oscar Madison's accountant and one of his poker cronies in the television series The Odd Couple, only appearing in the first season. The following year, he became the fourth and final actor—following Bob Carraway, Mike Farrell, and Robert Hogan—cast as Scott Banning on the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives, playing the part from 1971 through 1973,Russell, Maureen (1995). Days of Our Lives : A Complete History of the Long-Running Soap Opera. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 204. . "Scott Banning: Ryan MacDonald 1971-73, Robert Hogan 1970-71; Mike Farrell 1968-70; Robert Carraway 1968" when the character was "killed off".
In 1973, in the wake of Scott Banning's demise and a subsequent poll whose voters deemed MacDonald the man most American women would wish to see unclothed, the actor obliged by becoming one of two celebrities whose in-the-buff photo spreads adorn the debut issue of the women's magazine Playgirl.
MacDonald guest-starred in numerous television programs including Nanny and the Professor, The Rockford Files, Police Woman, Mannix, The Doris Day Show, Quincy, M.E., Columbo, Hart to Hart, Emergency!, The Greatest American Hero, The Facts of Life, Barnaby Jones, The Six Million Dollar Man, Here's Lucy, The Streets of San Francisco, Remington Steele, Quantum Leap, Knots Landing, and Newhart. He later appeared in another recurring role in Days of Our Lives, as shady lawyer Chauncey Powell from 1991 to 1992.
Personal life and death