Fran Ryan

Biography: A familiar presence on the Chicago theatrical scene, American character actress Fran Ryan has kept busy in films since the late 1960s. Often cast as tight-lipped "battle-ax" types (albeit with the proverbial twinkle in the eye), Ryan was an invaluable presence in several Disney films. On TV, she has thrice found herself in the unenviable position of last-minute replacement: she took over the role of Doris Ziffel from Barbara Pepper during the 1969-70 season of Green Acres; as Miss Hannah, she succeeded Kitty Russell (Amanda Blake) as proprietress of the Long Branch Saloon in the 1974-75 season of Gunsmoke; and on the Saturday-morning kiddie show Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (1974-77), she replaced the departing Mary Wickes as the series' requisite wisecracking housekeeper. Fran Ryan's other TV-series credits include The Doris Day Show (1968-69 season, as housekeeper Aggie Thompson), No Soap, Radio (1982, as hotelier Mrs. Belmont) and The Wizard (1987, as yet anotherA familiar presence on the Chicago theatrical scene, American character actress Fran Ryan has kept busy in films since the late 1960s. Often cast as tight-lipped "battle-ax" types (albeit with the proverbial twinkle in the eye), Ryan was an invaluable presence in several Disney films. On TV, she has thrice found herself in the unenviable position of last-minute replacement: she took over the role of Doris Ziffel from Barbara Pepper during the 1969-70 season of Green Acres; as Miss Hannah, she succeeded Kitty Russell (Amanda Blake) as proprietress of the Long Branch Saloon in the 1974-75 season of Gunsmoke; and on the Saturday-morning kiddie show Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (1974-77), she replaced the departing Mary Wickes as the series' requisite wisecracking housekeeper. Fran Ryan's other TV-series credits include The Doris Day Show (1968-69 season, as housekeeper Aggie Thompson), No Soap, Radio (1982, as hotelier Mrs. Belmont) and The Wizard (1987, as yet another housekeeper, this one named Tillie). Expand

Fran Ryan's Scores

  • TV
Average career score: 72
Highest Metascore: 72 Murphy Brown: Season 1
Lowest Metascore: 72 Murphy Brown: Season 1
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
1 tv review
Title: Year: Credit: User score:
tbd Charlie's Angels (1977): Season 3 Sep 13, 1978 Belle / Fran Ryan tbd
tbd Starsky & Hutch: Season 3 Sep 17, 1977 Nurse tbd
tbd Barney Miller: Season 4 Sep 15, 1977 Mrs. Hirsch tbd
tbd Charlie's Angels (1977): Season 1 Mar 21, 1976 Fran Ryan / Nurse Fager tbd
tbd Gunsmoke: Season 20 Sep 9, 1974 Hannah / Hannah tbd
tbd Gunsmoke: Season 18 Sep 11, 1972 Miss Hannah tbd
tbd Bonanza: Season 13 Sep 19, 1971 Widow Lucas tbd
tbd Gunsmoke: Season 17 Sep 13, 1971 Mrs. Keller tbd
tbd Green Acres: Season 6 Sep 15, 1970 Doris Ziffel / Doris / Doris Ziffel tbd
tbd Green Acres: Season 5 Sep 27, 1969 Doris Ziffel / Doris tbd
tbd The Brady Bunch: Season 1 Sep 26, 1969 Mrs. Hunsaker tbd
tbd I Dream of Jeannie: Season 5 Sep 16, 1969 Switchboard Operator tbd
tbd Green Acres: Season 4 Sep 25, 1968 Minnie Holcombe / Minnie tbd
tbd The Doris Day Show: Season 1 Sep 24, 1968 Aggie Thompson / Aggie Thompson tbd
tbd Gunsmoke: Season 14 Sep 23, 1968 Miss Hannah tbd
tbd The Beverly Hillbillies: Season 6 Sep 13, 1967 Miss Meek tbd
tbd Batman (1966): Season 2 Sep 7, 1966 Chairlady tbd
tbd Gunsmoke: Season 6 Sep 3, 1960 Miss Hannah tbd
tbd Gunsmoke: Season 5 Sep 5, 1959 Miss Hannah tbd
tbd Gunsmoke: Season 4 Sep 6, 1958 Miss Hannah tbd
tbd Gunsmoke: Season 3 Sep 14, 1957 Miss Hannah tbd
tbd Gunsmoke: Season 2 Sep 8, 1956 Miss Hannah tbd
tbd Gunsmoke: Season 1 Sep 10, 1955 Miss Hannah tbd