“My sweet, beloved friend Mitch died early this morning,” Scott wrote. “He was a great gift in my life. I cherish my warm memories of his beautiful soul. I’m heartbroken.”
Ryan and Scott played love interests Burke Devlin and Maggie Evans on Dark Shadows. That was before the vampire Barnabas Collins (played by Jonathan Frid) made a victim of Maggie. Ryan left the series in 1967 and was replaced by Anthony George in the role.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Ryan made his acting debut in the play Thunder Road at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. From there, he moved to Broadway, appearing in the plays Wait Until Dark, Medea, and The Price.
Ryan accumulated more than 135 credits over the course of his career appearing in such television series as Golden Girls, St. Elsewhere, Who’s the Boss?, Matlock, and Murder, She Wrote, among many others. He also played mobster Frank Smith on General Hospital.
His film roles included appearances in Judge Dredd, Halloween, Liar Liar, Magnum Force, and Lethal Weapon.
No information was immediately available on survivors or memorial plans.
