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Thomas Jay Ryan

Thomas Jay Ryan

Actor · Born August 1, 1962 (64) · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Thomas Jay Ryan (born August 1, 1962) is an American actor. He may be best known for his starring role in the 1997 film Henry Fool.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 1, 1962 (64)
From
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
22 on MovieCove · 36 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 3% in 30 days

What are Thomas Jay Ryan's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.

Genres

Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 33rd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Animation2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
31%
Society
13%
Bonds
12%
Power
12%
Morality
11%
Ideas
10%
Survival
10%
Identity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 3 · Dark 6

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 6

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 4 · Charged 7 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 4

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 3

Ambiguous: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their ambiguous movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 9

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 3 of 6 analyzed roles.

Shadow
3 of 6
Mentor
2 of 6
Threshold guardian
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Contemplative
7
Absurd
7
Melancholic
5
Dread
3
Other
11

How their films linger

Thought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Thomas Jay Ryan's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 22 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Thomas Jay Ryan's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

36 credits, 22 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Darla in Space(2024)

    as Arnot Pickens

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Ghostwritten(2021)

    as Martin Cline

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Cryptozoo(2021)

    as Nicholas (voice)

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Scenes from an Empty Church(2021)

    as Father James

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Return of Tragedy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as Chief of Police

  • Dedalus(2018)

    as William

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea(2016)

    as Principal Grimm (voice)

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Burn Country(2016)

    as Dmitri Sokurov

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Missing Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Stan Colvins

  • Equals(2015)

    as Gideon

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Ned Rifle(2014)

    as Henry Fool

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • My America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Actor

  • Sabbatical (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Dan Keaton

  • Elementary(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Ken Whitman

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • The Dollar General (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as James Baldwin

  • My Sweet Misery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Psychologist

  • The Good Wife(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Ed Janoway

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Nurse Jackie(2009)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Dream Boy(2008)

    as Harland Davies

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • South of Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Hood 2

  • Fay Grim(2006)

    as Henry Fool

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Strange Culture(2007)

    as Steve Kurtz

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Attic(2007)

    as Dr. Perry

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • The Dying Gaul(2005)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Pigs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Larry

  • Tiger: His Fall & Rise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Joe Luck

  • Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind(2004)

    as Frank

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Cloud of Unknowing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Nicholas Parajanov

  • New World Order (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Zeus

  • Teknolust(2002)

    as Preacher

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Dischord (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Jimmy

  • The Legend of Bagger Vance(2000)

    as Spec Hammond

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Mary Cassatt: American Impressionist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Edgar Degas

  • The Book of Life(1998)

    as Satan

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Henry Fool(1997)

    as Henry Fool

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Degas and the Dancer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Edgar Degas

Career shape

Star power in the 94th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 36 titles from 1998 to 2024; peak year 1998.

Biggest box office

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

$73M worldwide

Highest rated

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

19982024

Peak 1998 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1998Screen debut· Henry Fool
  • 1998First top-billed film· Henry Fool

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting36 of 36: 36 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score52nd

By decade

1990s4 · acting2000s17 · acting2010s10 · acting2020s5 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 7% of 14 roles
9808

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Thomas Jay Ryan's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 49th percentile, the median of all 19; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 42nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Approval · how many liked their films

43rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Midcredits score across 22 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 22 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · actor

Ghostwritten (2021)

92nd percentile spread · 51% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Midcredits 99th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 63/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 36. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Thomas Jay Ryan's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 50 · moderateMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Thomas Jay Ryan work with?

People who share at least 2 of Thomas Jay Ryan's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; James Urbaniak shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles