Frances Mary Ryan was an American character actress featured in television and films.
13 Facts About Fran Ryan
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Fran Ryan attended Stanford University for three years, and during World War II was a member of the USO entertaining troops.
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Fran Ryan performed comedy, singing and acting on stage in California and Chicago, and launched her television career two decades later.
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Fran Ryan's first supporting cast television role was as Aggie Thompson in the first several episodes of The Doris Day Show.
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Fran Ryan starred on the long-running TV Western series Gunsmoke during its 20th and final season as Miss Hannah.
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Fran Ryan played the role of Rosie Carlson in the soap opera Days of Our Lives and Sister Agatha in General Hospital in 1989.
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Fran Ryan did voices for cartoons such as Hong Kong Phooey, Mister T, and Little Dracula.
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Fran Ryan starred on some TV shows for children, such as Sigmund and the Sea Monsters in 1975 as Gertrude Grouch, the 1970s children's show New Zoo Revue as Ms.
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Fran Ryan appeared in a series of commercials for Hungry Jack biscuits beginning in 1975.
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Fran Ryan appeared in many feature films, including Big Wednesday, as Frank and Jesse James' mother in The Long Riders, Take This Job and Shove It, Pale Rider, Chances Are, and a cameo appearance in 1981's Stripes, as a cab fare to Bill Murray as the cabbie, in the opening scenes of the film.
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Fran Ryan made many guest appearances on TV shows, including Batman, Adam-12, The Brady Bunch, CHiPs, The Dukes of Hazzard, Quantum Leap, Night Court, Taxi, Baywatch, and The Commish.
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Fran Ryan gave birth to their son, Christopher, in April 1951.
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Fran Ryan was cremated and her ashes buried in 2004 in the family plot, alongside her mother Mary, at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hayward, California.