Ryan Hansen’s journey as a professional actor has been one full of ups and downs and twists and turns. Still, he wouldn’t trade it for the world. Not only does he get to do something he loves every day, but he’s able to provide for his family by doing it. Since starting his career more than 20 years ago, Ryan has built a resume that includes almost 90 acting credits. Each year, the list grows a little more and Ryan finds more opportunities to show the world what he can do. Recently, he’s gotten a lot of attention for his role in the movie Good on Paper. He doesn’t have any new projects in the works at the moment, but we’ll definitely be seeing more from him soon. Keep reading to learn 10 things you didn’t know about Ryan Hansen.
1. He Grew Up In A Religious Household
Ryan was born and raised in California. His father was a pastor so he spent a lot of time in the church. In fact, church is where he began honing his acting skills. At a young age, he got involved with various plays that were taking place at the church. It’s unclear if religion still plays a big role in his life as an adult.
2. He Likes Helping Others
Ryan has always been interested in giving back to the community. Over the years, he has used his platform to do just that. He is very involved with an organization called Invisible Children, Inc. According to its website, “Invisible Children was founded to change that and to fight against the false notion that our responsibility to each other stops at our own nations’ borders.”
3. He Used To Live With Kristen Bell
Ryan met Kristen Bell when he was cast as Dick Casablancas on the hit series Veronica Mars. The two instantly hit it off and formed a solid friendship. Ryan’s wife, Amy Russell, also became good friends with Bell. For a while, Ryan and Amy were Kristen’s housemates.
4. He’s A Producer
Acting isn’t the only way Ryan has been involved in the entertainment industry over the years. He also produced his own show called Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television. The show aired on YouTube for two seasons before being canceled in 2019. Although the title of the show suggests it may have been a docuseries, it was scripted.
5. He Started His Career With Disney
Ryan may not have entered the industry as a child, but his career still began with Disney. His first on-screen appearance was in the 2001 Disney Channel original movie, Motocrossed. Those of you who are old enough to remember those original movies know that Motocrossed was a good one.
6. He’s A Dancer
Dancing has always been a big part of Ryan’s life, and it’s something that he’s trained in for several years. On occasion, he’s even gotten the chance to incorporate his dancing skills into some of his acting roles. He may not get to dance as often as he’d like these days, but it’s still something he enjoys doing when he has time.
7. He’s Very Adventurous
Ryan has never been the kind of person who’s afraid to step outside of his comfort zone. In fact, he welcomes opportunities to try new things. He loves a good adrenaline rush and he’s always looking for ways to live life to the fullest. He enjoys all kinds of adventurous activities such as skating, diving, and doing backflips from high places.
8. He’s Really Hoping For A Good On Paper Sequal
Ryan’s latest project, Good on Paper, was such a good experience that he hopes he gets to do it again. He’s really looking forward to the possibility of a sequel and he’s willing to do his part to make it work. According to Insider, Ryan joked, “I will actually gain the real weight if I get to do a sequel and jack up my teeth for real.”
9. He Didn’t Always Plan On Becoming An Actor
For lots of actors, working in the industry is a dream come true. For Ryan, however, it wasn’t always a dream at all. He told Mandy, “I didn’t grow up dreaming of being an actor. I loved performing, just because that’s what we did in church plays and stuff but it didn’t click with me that I could actually do it until I started working and getting little commercials and guest spots. That’s kind of when I fell in love with it.”
10. One Of Ryan’s Early Acting Jobs Was A Fitness Tape
Making it as an actor requires a certain level of open-mindedness that not everyone has. Actors have to be willing to take all kinds of opportunities, especially early in their careers. This is something that Ryan has never had a problem with. Early in his career, he was cast in a workout video with Richard Simmons.
