Jay Ryan (born 29 August 1981) is a New Zealand actor. He is best known for his roles as
Jack Scully in the Australian soap opera ''
Neighbours
''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...
'', Kevin in the New Zealand comedy-drama programme ''
Go Girls
''Go Girls'' is a New Zealand comedy-drama television series that centers on four adult friends, three female and one male, living on Auckland's North Shore. In the fifth season it was the same premise, but this time centered on five adult fr ...
'', Mark Mitcham in the internationally produced New Zealand television programme ''
Top of the Lake
''Top of the Lake'' is a mystery drama television series created and written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, and directed by Campion and Garth Davis. It aired in 2013, and the sequel, entitled ''Top of the Lake: China Girl'', in 2017. It mark ...
'', Vincent Keller in the American television series ''
Beauty & the Beast'' and Detective Ben Wesley in the Canadian television series ''
Mary Kills People''.
Ryan made his feature film breakthrough playing adult
Ben Hanscom
''It'' is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. ''It'' was his 22nd book and his 17th novel written under his own name. The story follows the experiences of seven children as they are terrorized by an evil entity that exploits t ...
in ''
It Chapter Two
''It Chapter Two'' is a 2019 American supernatural horror film directed by Andy Muschietti, with a screenplay by Gary Dauberman. A follow-up to '' It'' (2017), it is the second of a two-part adaptation of the 1986 novel '' It'' by Stephen King ...
'', a sequel to the 2017 horror film ''
It'', based on the
1986 novel of the same name.
Career
Under the name Jay Bunyan, he appeared as "Glen" in the "Scallywag Pirates" (2000) and had a minor role in ''
Xena: Warrior Princess''. He is known for his portrayal of
Jack Scully in the Australian soap opera ''
Neighbours
''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...
'' from late 2002 until January 2005.
From 2007 to 2009, Ryan played Seaman William "Billy" Webb aka Spider in the popular Australian drama, ''
Sea Patrol
''Sea Patrol'' is an Australian television drama that ran from 2007 to 2011, set on board HMAS ''Hammersley'', a fictional patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The series focused on the ship and the lives of its crew members.
Despi ...
''.
From a theatre background Ryan has shared the stage with the likes of
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and ...
and toured internationally with ''The Packer'', an acclaimed solo show written by NZ/Niuean playwright Dianna Fuemana.
From 2009 to 2012, Ryan played Kevin in the New Zealand comedy/drama series ''
Go Girls
''Go Girls'' is a New Zealand comedy-drama television series that centers on four adult friends, three female and one male, living on Auckland's North Shore. In the fifth season it was the same premise, but this time centered on five adult fr ...
''. In 2011, he joined the cast of the Australian comedy/drama series ''
Offspring
In biology, offspring are the young creation of living organisms, produced either by a single organism or, in the case of sexual reproduction, two organisms. Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny in a more general way. This ca ...
''. Also in 2011, Ryan guest starred on the American science fiction series ''
Terra Nova'', playing a murderer. For this role, Ryan used an American accent.
In 2012, Ryan was cast as the male lead in the CW's ''
Beauty & the Beast'' pilot. The CW officially announced the series at the May 2012 Up Fronts in New York.
Ryan starred as the adult
Ben Hanscom
''It'' is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. ''It'' was his 22nd book and his 17th novel written under his own name. The story follows the experiences of seven children as they are terrorized by an evil entity that exploits t ...
in the 2019
horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes.
Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
''
It Chapter Two
''It Chapter Two'' is a 2019 American supernatural horror film directed by Andy Muschietti, with a screenplay by Gary Dauberman. A follow-up to '' It'' (2017), it is the second of a two-part adaptation of the 1986 novel '' It'' by Stephen King ...
'', the sequel to ''
It'' (2017). He shares the character with
Jeremy Ray Taylor
Jeremy Raymond Taylor (born June 2, 2003) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Ben Hanscom
''It'' is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. ''It'' was his 22nd book and his 17th novel written under his own name. T ...
.
Personal life
Ryan has a daughter named Eve (born 2013) with his wife
Dianna Fuemana.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards
References
External links
*
*
Jay Ryan page – Official Go Girls Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Jay
Living people
New Zealand male film actors
New Zealand male soap opera actors
New Zealand male television actors
People from Auckland
1981 births
20th-century New Zealand male actors
21st-century New Zealand male actors