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How did Mitchell Ryan die? 'Lethal Weapon' and 'Dharma & Greg' actor passes away at 88

Ryan was known for playing Burke Devlin in the 1960s gothic soap opera 'Dark Shadows'

Actor Mitchell Ryan died on Friday, February 4, aged 88. His stepdaughter, Denise Freed, reportedly confirmed that he died of congestive heart failure at his Los Angeles home. Ryan's career, which began with a role in the 1958 Robert Mitchum film 'Thunder Road', spanned over a half-century. 

In his 2021 autobiography, Ryan acknowledged his drinking issues. "I’m blessed that, 30 years a drunk, I’ve managed to live a working actor’s life to be envied. And I’ve lived a great deal of real life while I was at it,” he wrote in his autobiography 'Fall of a Sparrow'. “Sober for the next 30 years, I’m told that I’ve come out of it all a good and useful human being.”

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Ryan was known for playing Burke Devlin in the 1960s gothic soap opera 'Dark Shadows'. He later co-starred as Thomas Gibson's father Edward Montgomery on 'Dharma & Greg'. He is also well known for playing the villainous General Peter McAllister in the 1987 action film 'Lethal Weapon'. 

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Ryan served in the United States Navy during the Korean War. After the war, he made his acting debut in 'Thunder Road' at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. He married Lynda Morse in 1972 but the pair later divorced. He later married Barbara Albertine.

Tributes poured in on social media after news of Ryan's death surfaced. "Rest in peace, Mitchell Ryan. The kind of actor that everybody knew from somewhere. To me, he was among the baddest of the bad in '80s action. Great thing with him was, no matter where you knew him from, he was always one of the best things about it," one user wrote. "Sad to hear about Mitchell Ryan’s passing. Best known to me as Dr. Wynn from HALLOWEEN 6, I was delighted to see three consecutive movies in theaters in 1997 that he was in—THE DEVIL’S OWN, LIAR LIAR, and (one of my all timers) GROSSE POINT BLANK. Terrific actor. RIP," wrote another user.

"Most sincerely sorry to hear that the great Mitchell Ryan has passed. What a great Burke Devlin he was, and what a lovely job he did in "A Christmas Carol." His career was a gift to the world," one user said, while another commented, "Sad to hear of the passing #MitchellRyan at age 88; a familiar face on TV, he co-starred with Clint Eastwood in HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER, was a close friend of Lee Marvin after they worked together in MONTE WALSH, and was General McCallister in LETHAL WEAPON. A true character star." "Just found out that Mitchell Ryan passed away. I loved Dark Shadows. Still do. Also...Dr. Wynn in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (which I hold very dear to me) was a badass! Sucks hard! My thoughts go out to his family," one user said.