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William Frank Ryan (May 21, 1949 – November 19, 2021) was an American voice actor and producer–writer–composer, well-known for singing about the American West. In the late seventies he teamed up with Phil Baron as Willio and Phillio. They had regular gigs on television, radio and comedy clubs and universities throughout the US. Ryan and Baron later paired up again voicing characters of best friends Teddy Ruxpin (Baron) and Grubby the Octopede (Ryan) in the Teddy Ruxpin book and tape series as well as the 1987 television show The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin.
The Willio and Phillio act brought Ryan back into music and after moving to California, he began to write and record songs for Disney. He provided the voice of Rabbit, Tigger, and Eeyore in the Disney Channel’s long-running series Welcome to Pooh Corner and in many other Pooh cartoons. He also provided the voice of Barnaby the Dog on the popular series Dumbo’s Circus.
Since 1987, Ryan has been a fixture of the radio drama Adventures in Odyssey, playing Eugene Meltsner, Harlow Doyle, David Harley, Patrick O’Ryan and hundreds of one-shot characters.
He also voiced Rabbit in Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore after the death of Junius Matthews.
Ryan also voiced the character Digit in the 1986 animated film An American Tail.
Ryan had also provided the original voice of Petrie in the 1988 animated film The Land Before Time.
He appears in the film The Wizard of Speed and Time as several different motion picture union representatives.
He is the current voice of Elmo Aardvark. He can be heard as the character, called Elmo Aardvark: Outer Space Detective and in several Elmo Aardvark CDs.
Ryan is the current voice of Willie the Giant. He started voicing the character from Mickey’s Christmas Carol.
Ryan’s youthful involvement in pop music has continued alongside his animation career. Will Ryan compositions have been recorded by artists such as Patti LaBelle, Diane Schuur, Victoria Jackson, The Pointer Sisters and Joanie Sommers (whom he also produced).
With Andrew J. Lederer and Michael Rosenberg (Jackie Diamond), Ryan performed in the ’20s-style music and comedy trio, The Merry Metronomes. He and Lederer also appeared from time to time as a duo, usually under the name The Natty Nabobs.
His latest musical incarnation is as leader of Los Angeles-based Will Ryan and the Cactus County Cowboys, a cross between the Marx Brothers and The Sons of the Pioneers. His variety show, Will Ryan’s Cactus County Round-Up, has been a staple in Southern California since 2008. It regularly plays at several venues, including the Steve Allen Theatre in Hollywood.
Ryan continues to do voice work. In 2009 he was working on the third season of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, the 21st season of Adventures in Odyssey, and the new radio series of Will Ryan’s Cactus County Round-Up.
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Will Ryan Biography / Wiki
| Name | Will Ryan |
| Also Know | Wil Ryan, William Z. Ryan, William Frank Ryan |
| Gender | Male |
| Known For | Acting |
| Place of Birth | Cleveland, Ohio, USA |
| Date of Birth | 1939-11-13 |
| Age(as in 2022) | 82 |
| Deathday | 2021-11-19 |
Will Ryan Acting Movies
| Movie Name | Character | Release Date | Overview |
| Frog and Toad Together | Frog | 1987-09-03 | Claymation adventures with the characters from the popular children’s book…. |
| Stanley and the Dinosaurs | Voice | 1989-01-01 | Stanley is no ordinary caveman. He paints pictures, grows flowers, and befriends a quartet of dinosaurs, who help him build the world’s first house. F… |
| Fitness and Me: Why Exercise? | Voice | 1984-01-01 | An educational short about exercising…. |
| Adventures in Odyssey: Star Quest | Eugene Meltsner | 1993-08-01 | Dylan and his buddy Sal learn that their favorite TV show, Star Quest, is filming in Odyssey, they’re determined to get in on the lights, camera and… |
| Adventures in Odyssey: Go West Young Man! | Eugene Meltsner | 1995-05-23 | John Avery Whittaker has just completed the most amazing transport machine ever — the new Imagination Station! Dylan and Eugene jump in and take off … |
| Adventures in Odyssey: Baby Daze | Eugene Meltsner | 1998-09-22 | When a baby shows up on the doorstep of Whit’s End, the place becomes a flurry of splattered food, dirty diapers, and talking sock-puppets! Eugene w… |
| Adventures in Odyssey: Once Upon an Avalanche | Eugene Meltsner | 1994-05-01 | When their sled careens out of control during a day of winter fun, Dylan, Jessie and Carter get stranded in Avalanche Canyon. Lost and freezing, the t… |
| Adventures in Odyssey: The Caves of Qumran | Eugene Meltsner | 2002-04-09 | When a mysterious old treasure map shows up in Odyssey, Mr. Whittaker, Dylan, Connie, and Eugene embark on a perilous, action-packed journey that lead… |
| Adventures in Odyssey: The Last Days of Eugene Meltsner | Eugene Meltsner | 2000-09-12 | Through Whit’s new invention, the Micro-stimulator, Eugene takes a fantastic voyage through his own circulatory system and makes an alarming discove… |
| Uncle Elephant | Uncle (voice) | 1991-01-01 | Animation – ‘Old Uncle Elephant does his best to cheer Arnie up until his missing parents return. Provides viewers with some gentle lessons about cari… |
| Frog and Toad Are Friends | Frog | 1985-05-23 | Claymation adventures based on the popular children’s book series of Frog and Toad by author Arnold Lobel… |
| Adventures in Odyssey: Escape from the Forbidden Matrix | Eugene Meltsner | 2001-01-23 | Dylan can’t get enough of the new action-packed video game “Insectoids”. So when he and his friend Sal are invited to play Insectoids “for real” in th… |
| Jack and the Beanstalk | Bean Seller (voice) (uncredited) | 1990-09-04 | Golden Films – Jack and the Beanstalk… |
| The Adventures of Biffle and Shooster | Sam Shooster | 2015-08-16 | Feature compilation of four Biffle and Shooster comedy shorts–“The Biffle Murder Case,” “Imitation of Wife,” “Schmo Boat” and “Bride of Finklestein”-… |
| Mouse Soup | Weasel | 1993-06-01 | A mouse caught by a hungry weasel must think of ways to delay the prospect of becoming lunch. Includes all four stories from the book: ‘Bees & the Mud… |
| Too Smart for Strangers | Rabbit / Tigger (voice) | 1985-06-19 | Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Owl and the rest of the gang discuss all the dangers of strangers and how you should handle yourself should you ever … |
| Sport Goofy in Soccermania | Scrooge McDuck / The Beagle Boys / Gyro Gearloose (voice) | 1987-05-27 | Uncle Scrooge donates an old beat-up trophy for Huey, Dewey and Louie’s soccer tournament. But when he finds out that it is actually worth a million d… |
| The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin | (voice) | 1985-11-30 | Originally, AlchemyII Inc. had hoped to create a live-action series using animatronic characters, as Ken Forsse had helped Disney do with Welcome to P… |
| The Land Before Time | Petrie (voice) | 1988-11-18 | An orphaned brontosaurus named Littlefoot sets off in search of the legendary Great Valley. A land of lush vegetation where the dinosaurs can thrive a… |
| Adventures in Odyssey: A Stranger Among Us | Eugene Meltsner | 1998-04-14 | Can it be true? Is there a murderer loose in Odyssey? Despite a warning to be careful what they put into their minds, watching a horror movie leads Co… |
| Adventures in Odyssey: In Harm’s Way | Eugene Meltsner | 1997-03-10 | When the new kid in town isn’t exactly cool, what’s a guy to do? Being nice is one thing, but letting him hang around with you . . . well, that’… |
| Adventures in Odyssey: A Twist In Time | Eugene Meltsner | 1997-10-07 | Whit is working on a secret new invention—but Dylan and his friend Sal can’t stand the suspense of not knowing what it is. When they disregard Whi… |
| Totally Minnie | Goofy (voice) | 1988-02-25 | This live action film features a Nerd who, in desperation, goes to the “Minnie Mouse Center for the totally un-hip”. There he learns how to dress, dan… |
| Pooh’s Great School Bus Adventure | Rabbit (voice) | 1986-09-19 | Pooh thinks that Christopher Robin has forgotten his lunch and he, Piglet, Rabbit, Tigger, Owl, and Eeyore hop on a school bus to give it to him at sc… |
| Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore | Rabbit (voice) | 1983-01-01 | Winnie the Pooh and friends decide to throw a birthday celebration for gloomy, old Eeyore…. |
| Thumbelina | Hero / Reverend Rat (voice) | 1994-03-29 | The tiny girl meets a fairy prince who saves her from the creatures of the woods…. |
| Cap’n O.G. Readmore’s Jack and the Beanstalk | Wordsy (voice) | 1985-10-12 | Cap’n O.G. Readmore and his friends – Kitty Literature, Ol’ Tome Cat, Wordsy, Lickety Page and Dog-Eared – are holding their Friday Night Book Clu… |
| Cap’n O.G. Readmore Meets Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | Wordsy (voice) | 1986-09-13 | Cap’n O.G. Readmore and his friends are holding their Friday Night Book Club meeting on a rainy, eerie night. They select the story of Dr. Jekyll and … |
| Cap’n O.G Readmore’s Puss in Boots | Wordsy (voice) | 1988-09-10 | Cap’n O.G. Readmore, who regales his library friends Kitty Literature, Ol’ Tome Cat, Wordsy and Lickety Page with the humorous and witty tale of his g… |
| Get a Horse! | Peg-Leg Pete (voice) | 2013-11-27 | Mickey, Minnie, Horace Horsecollar, and Clarabelle Cow go on a musical wagon ride until Peg-Leg Pete tries to run them off the road…. |
| Mickey’s Christmas Carol | Collector for the Poor #2 / Ghost of Christmas Present (Willie the Giant) / Ghost of Christmas Future (Pete) / Santa Claus (Big Bad Wolf) / Weasel #2 (voice) | 1983-10-19 | Ebenezer Scrooge is far too greedy to understand that Christmas is a time for kindness and generosity. But with the guidance of some new found friends… |
| Down and Out with Donald Duck | Pete / Goofy (voice) | 1987-03-25 | This “duckumentary,” done in the style of “60 Minutes,” traces the life of Donald Duck. As Donald’s fame grows, so does his ego. While hosting a varie… |
| The Clean Club | 1990-01-01 | Talking germs and objects teach kids the importance of proper hygiene…. | |
| Pooh’s Great School Bus Adventure | Tigger (voice) | 1986-09-19 | Pooh thinks that Christopher Robin has forgotten his lunch and he, Piglet, Rabbit, Tigger, Owl, and Eeyore hop on a school bus to give it to him at sc… |
| Gummi Bears: A New Beginning | Unwin / Ogres (voice) | 1986-07-18 | As Duke Igthorn plans an attack on King Gregor’s castle, Cavin (a page in the castle) is left in the woods after some of Igthorn’s ogres run off the H… |
| An American Tail | Digit (voice) | 1986-11-21 | A young mouse named Fievel and his family decide to migrate to America, a “land without cats,” at the turn of the 20th century. But somehow, Fievel en… |
| Disney’s DTV Valentine | Pongo / Goofy (voice) | 1986-02-14 | A Valentine’s Day special featuring rock and roll music set to scenes from Disney animation…. |
| Mickey’s Great Clubhouse Hunt | Willie the Giant (voice) | 2007-03-20 | Mickey and the gang are preparing for an Easter party; however, Pete says the password incorrectly, blowing the clubhouse away, and Mickey must travel… |
| Alice Through the Looking Glass | The Paper Man (voice) | 1987-01-01 | Alice returns to Wonderland in this animated feature based on Lewis Carroll’s sequel about a little girl making her way through a fantastic land fille… |
| The Little Mermaid | Seahorse (voice) | 1989-11-17 | This colorful adventure tells the story of an impetuous mermaid princess named Ariel who falls in love with the very human Prince Eric and puts everyt… |
| The Little Mermaid Live! | Herald (voice) | 2019-11-05 | Live musical performances by a star-studded cast will be interwoven into the broadcast of the animated classic…. |
| The Wizard of Speed and Time | All the Unions / Mr. President (voice) (as William Z. Ryan) | 1989-09-01 | A Hollywood filmmaker (Mike Jittlov) makes a short for an evil film studio. Unbeknownst to him, the producer has placed a bet of $25,000 that he won’t… |
| Ralph S. Mouse | Mouse (voice) | 1991-02-16 | Ralph the mouse lives at the Mountain View Inn and loves his motorcycle. When the inn becomes overriden with mice and Ralph’s friend Matt the bellboy … |
| The One and Only June Foray | Himself | 2013-01-16 | This film is about the life and times of legendary voice actress June Foray. From her beginnings as a child wanting to be an actress, to becoming one … |
| Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation | Stars and Hearts (voice) | 1986-03-21 | This animated adventure goes back in time to the Care Bears’ first-ever Caring Mission, when True Heart Bear and Noble Heart Horse touch down on Earth… |
| Wizards | Guards (uncredited) | 1977-02-09 | After the death of his mother, the evil mutant wizard Blackwolf discovers some long-lost military technologies. Full of ego and ambition, Blackwolf cl… |
| I Know That Voice | Himself | 2014-01-07 | Filmmaker Lawrence Shapiro discusses voice-over acting with the talented people behind the characters…. |
Will Ryan Production Movies
| Movie Name | Job | Release Date | Overview |
| Mouse Soup | Associate Producer | 1993-06-01 | A mouse caught by a hungry weasel must think of ways to delay the prospect of becoming lunch. Includes all four stories from the book: ‘Bees & the Mud… |
| Producer | The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss is an American live-action/puppet television series based on characters created by Dr. Seuss, produced by Jim Henson … | ||
Credit: TMDB
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