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Roz Ryan

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Roz Ryan
Ryan singing the National Anthem at Citi Field in 2011
Born
Rosalyn Bowen

(1951-07-07) July 7, 1951 (age 73)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
  • comedian
Years active1978–present
Websitewww.rozryan.com Edit this at Wikidata

Roz Ryan (born Rosalyn Bowen; July 7, 1951) is an American actress who has worked for productions in film, television, and Broadway theatre for over 40 years. Ryan's first role on Broadway was in Ain't Misbehavin', a Fats Waller-influenced musical revue that debuted in 1978. She is well known for her part in the television show, Amen, for her character Amelia Hetebrink, for being the voice of Thalia, the Muse of Comedy in the 1997 Disney animated film, Hercules, and for guest starring on the Disney Channel sitcom, K.C. Undercover as Grandma Gayle.

Life and career

Ryan was born Rosalyn Bowen in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of Gertrude and Thomas Bowen, who worked for the Board of Education.[1] She is a 1969 graduate of Mackenzie High School.[1] A year later, she recorded the Stax/Volt 45, "You're My Only Temptation." For 13 years, Ryan worked as a nightclub singer in Detroit before a friend suggested she audition for Ain't Misbehavin, a Broadway musical revue featuring the music of Fats Waller.[2] Her audition was successful, and she was on stage only 10 days later.[2] Ryan continued to star in numerous Broadway musicals including the Tony Award-winning Chicago, for which she holds the record of longest tenure for the character Matron "Mama" Morton.[3][4] Other plays Ryan has appeared in are A Christmas Carol, Dreamgirls, One Mo' Time, and the 2006 revival of The Pajama Game.[4]

In television and film, Ryan is better known for her roles as Amelia Hetebrink on Amen, Mrs. Dixon on Good News and Flo Anderson on All About the Andersons. She also guest starred on an episode on Barbershop. She was the voice of Thalia, the Muse of Comedy in Disney's animated film Hercules and Hercules: The Animated Series. She is the voice of Bubbie the whale in the 2008 animated television series The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. She had roles in the films I Think I Love My Wife, The Invention of Lying and Waiting for Forever. She voices Kick's teacher Ms. Fitzpatrick in the animated series Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil. She was the voice of Witch Lezah in The Looney Tunes Show. She has also played Jake's female feline counterpart Cake in the Adventure Time episodes "Fionna and Cake", "Bad Little Boy", "The Prince Who Wanted Everything", and "Five Short Tables"—and voiced the character in the spin-off series Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake. She has also starred in TVOne's The Rickey Smiley Show.

She most recently starred on Broadway in Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson. In late May 2016 Ryan begun her 13th run in Chicago as Matron "Mama" Morton.

Broadway stage

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Hercules Thalia, the Muse of Comedy (voice)
The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue Computer Parts / Additional voices (voice) Direct-to-video
1998 Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five Nurse
1999 Hercules: Zero to Hero Thalia (voice) Direct-to-video
Nikita’s Blues Mildred Short film
2007 I Think I Love My Wife Landlady
Divine Intervention Mother Candice
Whatever Lola Wants Postal Worker
2009 Steppin: The Movie Roz
The Invention of Lying Nurse Barbara
2010 Waiting for Forever Dorothy
2015 Hello, My Name Is Doris Nurse Patty

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1986–91 Amen Amelia Hetebrink Main role, 110 episodes
1997 Sparks Loretta Episode: "Rehearsal of Fortune"
1997–98 Good News Hattie Dixon Main role, 22 episodes
1998 Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Sister Louise Pittman Episode: "Kirby/Dust/Malibu Cop/A Joyful Noise"
The Journey of Allen Strange Merle Episode: "The Truth About Lies"
1998–99 Hercules Thalia (voice) Recurring role, 24 episodes
2000 Buzz Lightyear of Star Command Madam President (voice) Recurring role, 7 episodes
2001 Danny Chickie Main role, 9 episodes
2002–07 Kim Possible Wade’s mom / Park Ranger (voice) Episodes: "Crush", "Monkey Fist Strikes", "Mother’s Day" and "The Cupid Effect"
2003–04 All About the Andersons Florence "Flo" Anderson Main role, 16 episodes
2004 Half & Half Josephine Baylor Episode: "The Big Practice What You Preach Episode"
Lilo & Stitch: The Series Dr. Gladys (voice) Episode: "Spike: Experiment 319"
2005 JAG Loretta McKee Episode: "Unknown Soldier"
Barbershop Mae Episodes: "Madonna Is a Ho", "Family Business" and "Debates and Dead People"
2008 The Bobby Lee Project Aunt Viola Television film
2008–10 The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack Bubbie (voice) Main role, 44 episodes
2010–12 Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil Ms. Fitzpatrick (voice) Recurring role, 6 episodes
2011–13 The Looney Tunes Show Witch Lezah (voice) Recurring role, 12 episodes
2011–17 Adventure Time Cake (voice) Recurring role, 5 episodes
2012 Let's Stay Together Mrs. Galloway Episode: "All Juice, No Seeds"
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated Gorgeous G (voice) Episode: "The Night the Clown Cried II: Tears of Doom!"
General Hospital Esther Love Episode: "1.12632"
2012–14 The Rickey Smiley Show Aunt Sylvia Main role, 22 episodes
2014 Teen Titans Go! Cyborg's Grandma Voice (voice) Episode: "Grandma Voice"
Bee and PuppyCat Temp Bot No. 3 (voice) Episode: "Cats"
2015 Mickey Mouse Cow (voice) Episode: "Movie Time"
2015–17 K.C. Undercover Grandma Gayle King Episodes: "Off the Grid", "KC and Brett: The Final Chapter, Part 1", "The Legend of Bad, Bad Cleo Brown" and "Out of the Water and Into the Fire"
2018 Mighty Magiswords Steel Magnolia (voice) Episode: "Suitable Armor"
2019 Nowhere USA Martha Television film
Raven's Home Miss Bertha Episodes: "Friend-Ship" and "Lost at Chel-Sea"
2019–21 Summer Camp Island Elder Yeti / The Death Cap / Additional voices (voice) Recurring role, 7 episodes
2021; 2022 That Girl Lay Lay Velma Episodes: "Ha-Lay-Lay-Lujah" and "Lay Lay’s Beauty Shop Day Day"
2022 Mickey Mouse Funhouse Thalia (voice) Episode: "Daisy and the Muses/Keep on the Ball" and "Farfus' Family!/The Adventure Parade!"
2023-present Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake Cake (voice) Main role

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Disney’s Animated Storybook: Hercules Thalia
Disney’s Hercules
1999 Tonic Trouble The Barmain
2022 MultiVersus Cake (Jake variant)

References

  1. ^ a b Azzopardi, Chris (February 4, 2016). "Native Detroiter Roz Ryan Razzle Dazzles in 'Chicago'". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on February 2, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  2. ^ a b getTV Staff. "getTV Talks Amen — An Interview with Roz Ryan". getTV.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  3. ^ Gans, Andrew (March 15, 2004). "Roz Ryan Returns to Chicago March 15". Playbill.com. Playbill Inc. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Lanes, Elliot (March 29, 2017). "Interview: Theatre Life with Roz Ryan". BroadwayWorld.com. Wisdom Digital Media. Archived from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
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