Ryan was born in Sacramento, CA and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At the age of 11, he gained his first acting experience, portraying the title character, Khlestakov, in Nikolia Gogol's The Government Inspector. Many theatrical opportunities followed over the next few years, and Ryan found his passion in acting playing in school and local theatre productions of Grease, Find Me, Alice in Wonderland, Much Ado About Nothing, and others.