Fran Ryan

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia   Fran Ryan November 29 1916 January 15 2000 was an American character actress featured in television and films She was born in Los Angeles California Fran Ryan began performing at the age of 6 at Oaklands Henry Duffy Theatre in Northern California She attended Stanford University for three years and during World War II was a member of the USO entertaining troops She performed comedy singing and acting on stage in California and Chicago but was not to launch her television career for two decades Her small screen debut came in an episode on Televisions Batman in 1966 followed by a bit part in Beverly Hillbillies Ryans best known television role was as Aggie Thompson in The Doris Day Show in its first incarnation plotline theme though the gig only lasted a few months This role was cut short because she was offered the replacement role on the hit series Green Acres as Doris Ziffel from 19691971 Fran was to replace Barbara Pepper who by then was in poor health Sadly Miss Pepper died just five months later of heart ailments on July 15 1969 Ryan also starred on the long running TV Western series Gunsmoke during its twentieth and final season as Miss Hannah Cobb In 1987 she reprised the role of Miss Hannah in the TV movie Gunsmoke Return to Dodge Fran Ryan played the role of Sister Agatha in the soap opera General Hospital in 1979 She also did voices for cartoons such as Hong Kong Phooey Mister T and Little Dracula Fran starred on some TV shows for children like Sigmund and the Sea Monsters in 1975 as Gertrude Grouch and in 1970s childrens show The New Zoo Revue as Ms Goodbody the 1980s TV series No Soap Radio as Mrs Belmont the short lived 1980s CBS TV series The Wizard as Tillie Russell from 19861987 Her last regular TV role was on The Dave Thomas Comedy Show She starred in many feature films including Flush 1977 Big Wednesday 1978 Take This Job and Shove It 1981 Pale Rider 1985 Chances Are and in her scenestealing cameo in 1981s Stripes as a tortured cab fare to Bill Murray as the cabbie in the opening scenes of the comedy film Ryan made guest appearances on TV shows ranging from Batman Adam12 CHiPs Quantum Leap Night Court Baywatch to The Commish Fran Ryan was often compared to actress Marjorie Main they looked similar to one another Ryan died on January 15 2000 at age 83 She is buried in the family plots alongside her mother at the Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery in Hayward California Description above from the Wikipedia article Fran Ryan licensed under CCBYSA full list of contributors on Wikipedia