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. Throughout his lifetime, Ryan voiced: Rabbit (Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore) - after the death of Junius Matthews. Digit (the 1986 animated film An American Tail) Petrie (original voice, the 1988 animated film The Land Before Time) Elmo Aardvark. (Elmo Aardvark: Outer Space Detective) - and in several Elmo Aardvark CDs. Willie the Giant (Mickey's Christmas Carol) He appeared in the film The Wizard of Speed and Time as several different motion picture union representatives. 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). His musical incarnation was being the 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. 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. In 2009, he was working on the third season of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, the 21st season of Adventures in Odyssey, and a radio series called Will Ryan's Cactus County Round-Up. On November 19, 2021, at the age of 72, Will Ryan died from complications related to pancreatic cancer. Description above from the Wikipedia article Will Ryan, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia .
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Biography from TMDB.
- May 21, 1949
- November 19, 2021 (aged 72)
- Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Actor, also producer and writer
- 28 on MovieCove · 77 credits in all
What are Will Ryan's films like?
Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Ideas.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 12
Light 12 · Serious 0 · Dark 0
Grounded 1 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 2
Gentle 8 · Charged 4 · Intense 0
Steady 9 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 2
A split, not a type: Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 1
Casual 11 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 10 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 1
Resolved 12 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Trickster: 2 of 3 analyzed roles.
- Tricksteras Petrie in The Land Before Time (1988)
- Heraldas Bean Seller in Jack and the Beanstalk (1990)
- Tricksteras Shooster in The Adventures of Biffle and Shooster (2015)
Moods and endings
- Happy12
- Bittersweet1
- Cyclical1
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 Will Ryan's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (9).
Subscription and free streaming for Will 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
77 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Mickey Mouse Funhouse(2021)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all shows
The Little Mermaid Live!(2019)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Get a Horse!(2013)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse(2006)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows
Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Adventures in Odyssey: The Caves of Qumran (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Adventures in Odyssey: Escape from the Forbidden Matrix (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Disney's House of Mouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Adventures in Odyssey: The Last Days of Eugene Meltsner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Little Dogs On The Prairie: Lyin' Cheatin' And A Hot Lollipop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Little Dogs On The Prairie: Pride Prejudice And Fudge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Little Dogs On The Prairie: A Lotta Love And A Little Off The Top (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Courage the Cowardly Dog(1999)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Family Guy(1999)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Adventures in Odyssey: Baby Daze (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Adventures in Odyssey: A Stranger Among Us (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Adventures in Odyssey: A Twist In Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Adventures in Odyssey: In Harm's Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all showsRotten Ralph - The Taming of the Ralph (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
The Story of Santa Claus(1996)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Adventures in Odyssey: Go West Young Man! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
A Troll in Central Park(1994)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Three Little Pigs Sing A Gig (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Adventures in Odyssey: Once Upon an Avalanche (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Thumbelina(1994)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Adventures in Odyssey: Star Quest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Morris Has a Cold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Mouse Soup (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Adventures in Odyssey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Rock-A-Doodle(1991)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
A Gnome Named Gnorm(1990)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films
Ralph S. Mouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Benny's Biggest Battle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Uncle Elephant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Bobby's World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Jack and the Beanstalk(1990)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Clean Club (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
The Little Mermaid(1989)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Stanley and the Dinosaurs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
The Land Before Time(1988)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Cap'n O.G Readmore's Puss in Boots (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Totally Minnie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
DuckTales(1987)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows
The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Frog and Toad Together (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Sport Goofy in Soccermania (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Down and Out with Donald Duck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
An American Tail(1986)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Pooh's Great School Bus Adventure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Cap'n O.G. Readmore Meets Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Teen Wolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Gummi Bears: A New Beginning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Disney's DTV Valentine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Swabbies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Cap'n O.G. Readmore's Jack and the Beanstalk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
The Pyramid of Darkness: The Further Adventures of G.I. Joe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Gummi Bears(1985)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows
Too Smart for Strangers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Frog and Toad Are Friends (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Dumbo's Circus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
The Bollo Caper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
G.I. Joe: The Revenge of Cobra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Fitness and Me: Why Exercise? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Mickey's Christmas Carol(1983)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
G.I. Joe(1990)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows
Welcome to Pooh Corner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Wizards(1977)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Career shape
Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 76 titles from 1977 to 2021; peak year 1988.
Biggest box office
The Land Before Time (1988)
Highest rated
Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)
Most popular right now
Gummi Bears (1985)
Film career
Peak 1988 · 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.
- 1977Screen debut· Wizards
- 1988Career best· The Land Before Time
Billing
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 Will Ryan's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 19; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up10
- 50th to 74th7
- 25th to 49th8
- Below 25th3
Shape of the crowd
10 of their 28 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved4
- Divisive2
- Cult Classic4
- Crowd Pleaser10
- Mixed8
Reviewers score the acting 68/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 42. 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 Will Ryan's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Will Ryan work with?
People who share at least 2 of Will Ryan's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Don Bluth shares the most, 5.
Directors
- Don BluthShared titles: The Pebble and the Penguin (1995), A Troll in Central Park (1994), Thumbelina (1994), The Land Before Time (1988), An American Tail (1986)See all 5 shared titles with Don Bluth
- Gary GoldmanShared titles: The Pebble and the Penguin (1995), A Troll in Central Park (1994), Thumbelina (1994), The Land Before Time (1988), An American Tail (1986)See all 5 shared titles with Gary Goldman
Writers
- Rachel KoretskyShared titles: The Story of Santa Claus (1996), The Pebble and the Penguin (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Rachel Koretsky
- Stephen WhitestoneShared titles: The Story of Santa Claus (1996), The Pebble and the Penguin (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Stephen Whitestone
- Stu KriegerShared titles: A Troll in Central Park (1994), The Land Before Time (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Stu Krieger
- Judy FreudbergShared titles: The Land Before Time (1988), An American Tail (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Judy Freudberg
Actors
- Russi TaylorShared titles: Get a Horse! (2013), Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Great Clubhouse Hunt (2007)See all 2 shared titles with Russi Taylor
- Corey BurtonShared titles: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Great Clubhouse Hunt (2007), Gummi Bears (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Corey Burton
- Jim CummingsShared titles: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Great Clubhouse Hunt (2007), The Story of Santa Claus (1996)See all 2 shared titles with Jim Cummings
- Wayne AllwineShared titles: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Great Clubhouse Hunt (2007), Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)See all 2 shared titles with Wayne Allwine
Composers and editors
- Fiona TraylerShared titles: The Pebble and the Penguin (1995), A Troll in Central Park (1994), Thumbelina (1994)See all 3 shared titles with Fiona Trayler
- Mark WattersShared titles: Get a Horse! (2013), The Pebble and the Penguin (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Mark Watters
- Nikki MossShared titles: The Pebble and the Penguin (1995), Thumbelina (1994)See all 2 shared titles with Nikki Moss
- Dan MolinaShared titles: The Land Before Time (1988), An American Tail (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Dan Molina
Producers
- John PomeroyShared titles: The Pebble and the Penguin (1995), A Troll in Central Park (1994), Thumbelina (1994), The Land Before Time (1988), An American Tail (1986)See all 5 shared titles with John Pomeroy
- Russell BolandShared titles: The Pebble and the Penguin (1995), A Troll in Central Park (1994), Thumbelina (1994)See all 3 shared titles with Russell Boland
- Deborah Jelin NewmyerShared titles: The Land Before Time (1988), An American Tail (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Deborah Jelin Newmyer
- Frank MarshallShared titles: The Land Before Time (1988), An American Tail (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Frank Marshall
