| Born: | 1983 4, mf=yes |
| Birthplace: | Choctaw, Oklahoma, U.S.A. |
| Birthname: | Ryan Earl Merriman |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Yearsactive: | 1993 ─ present |
| Spouse: | Micol Merriman (2004-present) |
Ryan Earl Merriman (born April 10, 1983) is an American actor. He began his acting career as a child actor during the mid-1990s and has appeared in 30 Hollywood films and television shows to date.
Merriman was born in Choctaw, Oklahoma, the son of Earl and Nona Merriman.[1] He has a sister, Monika. At a young age, he began acting in commercials, print work, vocal performances, and local theater in Oklahoma.
His first major role was on the television series, The Mommies, which ran from 1993 to 1995. During the mid and late 1990s, he appeared in most episodes of The Pretender as a younger version of the title character. Merriman also starred in several made-for-television films, including Smart House, The Luck of the Irish, and as a young Meyer Lansky in Lansky. In 1999, he appeared in the feature film The Deep End of the Ocean, playing the lost son of Michelle Pfeiffer's character, and subsequently starred as the main character, a Jewish boy from the Bronx, in the film Just Looking, which received a limited theatrical release in 2000. In 2002, he played the Madeleine L'Engle character Adam Eddington in yet another Disney Channel original movie, A Ring of Endless Light. In the years following, Merriman again returned to television roles, and appeared in Dangerous Child, co-starring Delta Burke, the mini-series Taken (2003-2004), and a guest role on Smallville in 2004.
During this time period, Merriman's roles also included the horror films (2002), The Ring Two (2005) and Final Destination 3 (2006). He is one of the stars of Home of the Giants, a high school drama co-starring Haley Joel Osment and Danielle Panabaker which has yet to be released. He appeared in the CBS mini-series Comanche Moon, in January 2008.
Dwight H. Little wanted Merriman to play Jin Kazama in his upcoming Tekken movie, but Merriman turned it down for an unknown reason, so the role went to John Foo.
His hobbies include golf, four-wheel and dirt bikes, team sports, water sports, horseback riding, martial arts, basketball, skiing, and snowboarding.
Merriman supports the Neonatal Parents Network of Oklahoma, an independent, non-profit support network for families with critically ill or premature infants. He is also involved with Eagle Mount, an organization that offers riding, skiing, camp programs, and other special activities for disabled children in Bozeman, Montana.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Comanche Moon | Jake Spoon | mini-series |
| Backwoods | Adam Benson | Movie of the Week | |
| 2007 | Home of the Giants | Matt | Lead Role |
| 2006 | Final Destination 3 | Kevin Fischer | Male Lead Role |
| 2005 | The Ring Two | Jake | Minor Role (Opening Kill) |
| 2004 | Smallville | Jason Dante | TV series |
| 2003 | Nikko Zond | Lead Role; TV series | |
| 2002 | Taken | Sam Crawford - Adult | Minor Role; mini-series |
| 2002 | Myles 'Deckard' Barton | ||
| A Ring of Endless Light | Adam Eddington | made-for-television | |
| 2001 | The Luck of the Irish | Kyle Johnson | made-for-television |
| Dangerous Child | Jack | made-for-television | |
| 1999 | Smart House | Ben Cooper | made-for-television |
| The Deep End of the Ocean | Sam Karras/Ben Cappadora - Age 12 | ||
| 1996 | The Pretender | Young Jarod (1996-2000)/Gemini (1999) | Recurring Role; TV series |