PEGGY RYAN BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Peggy Ryan was born on August 28th, 1924 in Long Beach, California with the birth name Margaret O'Rene Ryan.  She developed an interest in singing and dancing from a young age and became a very talented musical performer as she grew older.  She is most well known for starring in a variety of movie musicals alongside Donald O'Connor and Gloria Jean.

Her parents were both vaudeville performers and so from the age of two, Ryan was already performing on the stage in her parent's act known as, "The Merry Dancing Ryans".

Soon, George Murphy, a dancer, actor and politician discovered Ryan and she was given a part in universal's film, "Top of the Town" (1937) also starring Doris Nolan, George Murphy and Ella Logan, at the age of thirteen.  Soon she began adding more film credits to her resume such as, "The Women Men Marry" (1937) starring with George Murphy, Josephine Hutchinson, Claire Dodd, Toby Wing and Sidney Blackmer, "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940) starring Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, John Qualen, Eddie Quillan, Ward Bond, Eddie Waller and Darryl Hickman, "What's Cookin'?" (1942) starring The Andrews Sisters, Jane Frazee, Robert Paige, Gloria Jean, Leo Carrillo, Billie Burke, Charles Butterworth and Franklin Pangborn, "Private Buckaroo" (1942) starring The Andrews Sisters, Dick Foran, Harry James, Donald O'Connor, Shemp Howard, Addison Richards, Eddie Acuff, Joe E. Lewis and Jennifer Holt, "Give Out, Sisters" (1942) starring The Andrews Sisters, Dan Dailey, Donald O'Connor, William Frawley, Fred 'Snowflake' Toones, Irving Bacon and Jason Robards Sr., "Get Hep to Love" (1942) co-starring Gloria Jean, Donald O'Connor, Jane Frazee and Robert Paige, "Top Man" (1943), "The Merry Monahans" (1944) starring Donald O'Connor, Rosemary DeCamp, Jack Oakie and Ann Blyth, "Chip Off the Old Block" (1944) starring Donald O'Connor, Ann Blyth, Patric Knowles, Mantan Moreland, Irving Bacon and Arthur Treacher and "Bowery to Broadway" (1944) starring Maria Montez, Jack Oakie, Susanna Foster, Turhan Bey, Ann Blyth, Donald O'Connor, Donald Cook, Andy Devine, Leo Carrillo, Mantan Moreland, Frank McHugh, Evelyn Ankers, Rosemary DeCamp, Dick Lane and Thomas Gomez.  

After the war she found work as a freelance actress and continued to make quite a name for herself in the industry appearing on such features as, "Shamrock Hill" (1949), "All Ashore" (1953) and the television series, "The Spike Jones Show" (1954).

Peggy then took a break from film work and chose to focus on her night club act as well as later teaching Las Vegas showgirls tap dancing.  She did return to the industry with a recurring role as Jack Lord's secretary, Jenny Sherman on the television series, "Hawaii Five-O" (1968-1976) and appeared on one episode of "Simon & Simon" (1983).

She married a total of three times throughout her lifetime, first to Jimmy Cross in 1947 and they had one son together before the marriage came to an end in 1950.  She then wed Ray McDonald in 1952 and they also had one child together before divorcing in 1958.  Her third and final marriage was to Eddie Sherman in 1958 and again, after having one child together this marriage also ended in 1988. 

Peggy Ryan passed away at the age of eighty, on October 30th, 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada after suffering from stroke complications. 

Filmography

1983         Simon & Simon
1980         Pleasure Palace
1968-1976     Hawaii Five-O 
1954         The Spike Jones Show
1953         All Ashore
1951         All Star Revue
1949         There's a Girl in My Heart
1949         Shamrock Hill
1945         Men in Her Diary
1945         On Stage Everybody
1945         That's the Spirit
1945         Patrick the Great
1945         Here Come the Co-eds
1944         Bowery to Broadway
1944         Babes on Swing Street
1944         The Merry Monahans
1944         This Is the Life
1944         Chip Off the Old Bloc
1943         Top Man
1943         Mister Big
1942         When Johnny Comes Marching Home
1942         Get Hep to Love
1942         Give Out, Sisters
1942         Miss Annie Rooney
1942         Private Buckaroo
1942         Girls' Town
1942         What's Cookin'?
1940         Varsity Vanities
1940         Sailor's Lady
1940         The Grapes of Wrath
1939         She Married a Cop
1939         The Flying Irishman
1939         A Night at the Troc
1938         Billy Rose's Casa Mañana Revue
1937         The Women Men Marry
1937         Top of the Town
1930         The Wedding of Jack and Jill