James Ryan is a South African actor, writer and director.

Career

Ryan garnered international attention early in his career, starring in the 1976 film '' Kill or Be Killed''. Ryan appeared as a

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

fighter in the alternate world film. He reprised the role five years later in ''

Kill and Kill Again ''Kill and Kill Again'' is a 1981 action film directed by Ivan Hall. The film stars James Ryan as Steve Chase who is hired to save the scientist Horatio Kane, who has been kidnapped by the scientist Marduk. Chase gathers together a team of merc ...

'', starring alongside ''

Miss World Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Miss Int ...

'' winner

Anneline Kriel Anneline Kriel (born 28 July 1955) is a South African actress, model, and beauty queen. She won Miss South Africa and Miss World in 1974 after the UK's Helen Morgan resigned only four days after her victory. Kriel is the second South African w ...

. The sequel proved a major box office success for a low-budget South African feature, reaching No. 2 on the American box office and grossing $802,900 after two weeks in American theatres. In 1984, he had the title role in '' Go for the Gold'' which also starred

Tamara Franke White Zimbabweans are people in Zimbabwe who are of European descent. In linguistic, cultural, and historical terms, these Zimbabweans of European ethnic origin are mostly English-speaking descendants of British settlers and a small minority ...

and Cameron Mitchell. He played the part of a long distance runner called Johnny who lived at home with his mother and abusive stepfather. Two things that mean a lot to him are his girlfriend Trish and his running. He has a solid influence in his champion runner friend Victor (played by M'zwandile Ngxangane). He comes to the attention of Phillip Pritchard, who is a businessman. He risks losing the things that are dear to him, as Pritchard is forcing him to choose between them and fame and fortune.Running Movies
''Go For Gold''
In 1989, he starred in ''

Space Mutiny ''Space Mutiny'' (also known as ''Mutiny in Space'') is a 1988 South African - US space opera action film about a mutiny aboard the generation ship known as the ''Southern Sun''. The film has since developed a cult following after being featu ...

'', a South African

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...

, again with Mitchell. A year later, he appeared alongside

Susan Sarandon Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actorMcCabe, Bruce"Susan Sarandon, the 'actor'" ''Boston Globe''. April 17, 1981. Retrieved January 21, 2021. and activist. She is the recipient of various accolades, ...

and

Harvey Keitel Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He first rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running association with ...

in ''

The January Man ''The January Man'' is a 1989 American crime comedy directed by Pat O'Connor from a screenplay by John Patrick Shanley. The film stars Kevin Kline as Nick Starkey, a smart ex-NYPD detective who is lured back into service by his police commiss ...

''. In 1991, he wrote and starred in ''The Last Hero''. In 1994, he landed a role in '' Halifax f.p'', an Australian television drama that won two

Australian Film Institute The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry. It is responsib ...

awards. A year later he returned to the martial arts film genre, with a role in '' Redemption: Kickboxer 5''. In 1998, he appeared in the Australian television drama and sequel ''Halifax f.p: Afraid of the Dark''; the acclaimed drama earned several Logie and

nominations. In 1999, he appeared in the sequel to ''

From Dusk Till Dawn ''From Dusk till Dawn'' is a 1996 American action horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Quentin Tarantino from a concept and story by Robert Kurtzman. Starring Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Ernest Liu, and ...

'', '' From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money''. Since then, he has appeared in films such as ''Red Lipstick'', ''Global Effect'' and ''Sterne über Madeira'', a German television two-part drama alongside fellow South African

Moira Lister Moira Lister Gachassin-Lafite, Viscountess of Orthez (6 August 192327 October 2007) was a South African-British film, stage and television actress and writer. Early life Born in Cape Town to Major James Lister and Margaret (née Hogan), Liste ...

Selected filmography

* ''La Diosa virgen'' (1973) * '' Kill or Be Killed'' (1976) * ''

'' (1981) * '' Go for the Gold'' (1984) * ''

Falling in Love Falling in love is the development of strong feelings of attachment and love, usually towards another person. The term is metaphorical, emphasizing that the process, like the physical act of falling, is sudden, uncontrollable and leaves the ...

'' (1984) * ''

'' (1988) * ''

Any Man's Death ''Any Man's Death'' is a 1990 South African thriller drama film directed by Tom Clegg and starring John Savage, William Hickey, Mia Sara and Ernest Borgnine. Plot An investigative journalist is sent to the volatile frontiers of Angola and ...

'' (1990) * ''

'' (1990) * '' Redemption: Kickboxer 5'' (1995) * '' From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money'' (1999) * ''

Samson Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...

'' (2018)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, James Living people 1952 births South African male film actors White South African people