Scott Ryan (actor)

Scott Ryan (born 12 May 1973) is an Australian actor, writer, and director. He wrote and starred in the FX series Mr Inbetween and the film The Magician, which he also directed.

Scott Ryan
Ryan in Mr Inbetween 2021
Born	(1973-05-12) 12 May 1973 (age 51) Hallam, Victoria, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Occupations	Actor writer director
Years active	2003–present
Agent	CAA
Notable work	The Magician Mr Inbetween
Awards	AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor

Early life and writing beginnings

Ryan grew up in Hallam and moved to Richmond at age 17. His passion for storytelling began in primary school, where his writing talent was first noticed when his teacher asked him to read his story aloud to the class. This experience inspired him to write and perform plays, but after a failed improvisation attempt, he stopped writing until his twenties.^[1]

Ryan faced challenges in high school, being asked to leave both alma maters. He later described his behavior as possibly related to oppositional defiant disorder, recounting experiences of public humiliation by teachers.^[2] At 17, Ryan's mental health declined, leading to agoraphobia. He lived reclusively, leaving his home only for essential tasks.

Ryan later encountered Dr. Richard Liu, a master of medicine and martial arts, who introduced him to Chinese herbs and meditation. For 12 years, Ryan led a monk-like lifestyle, practicing yoga, tai chi, and meditation, abstaining from indulgences. This period of reflection reignited his passion for writing, which became his salvation.^[1]

Career setbacks and breakthrough

Ryan self-funded the production of The Magician in 2003 with $3,000. He developed the film while studying filmmaking at RMIT and shot it over 13 months with help from friends and family. Initially met with skepticism, the film gained attention at the St Kilda Film Festival, where it was noticed by Nash Edgerton, who helped re-edit it for theatrical release. The film eventually became the basis for Mr Inbetween.^[3]

In 2009, Ryan was cast in the Hollywood film Hesher, where he began rehearsals with Natalie Portman. However, Joseph Gordon-Levitt replaced him after John C. Reilly left the project. Despite this setback, Ryan eventually found success with Mr Inbetween.^[1]

Television adaptation of The Magician

Mr Inbetween, based on The Magician, premiered on FX in September 2018. The series follows Ray Shoesmith, a hitman balancing his personal and professional life. The character of Ray in the series is a more nuanced version of the one portrayed in The Magician. Nash Edgerton directed all episodes and served as executive producer. The series was well-received, developing a cult following in both the US and Australia.^[3]

Representation and career developments

In July 2020, Ryan signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) after actress Helen Mirren and her husband, director Taylor Hackford, encouraged their Hollywood agent to watch Mr Inbetween. This led to CAA representing Ryan and his future projects.^[4] He also began working on several feature projects.

Recent work and future projects

After completing three seasons of Mr Inbetween, Ryan confirmed that there would be no fourth season of the series. He has shifted his focus to new projects, including a road-trip/serial-killer/bank-heist film provisionally titled Everybody Dies. Ryan has completed three drafts of the script and expressed interest in directing and starring in the film, potentially playing the serial killer.^[1]

In May 2023, Ryan posted on Instagram that he had been busy writing several projects, one of which is titled It's Coming This Way. The post included an image of a draft script with the title "It's Coming This Way", written by Ryan, showing that he is actively developing new work for the future.^[5]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2005	The Magician	Ray Shoesmith
2018–2021	Mr Inbetween	Ray Shoesmith	26 episodes

Awards and nominations

AACTA Awards

Year	Category	Nominated work	Result
2018	Best New Talent	Mr Inbetween	Won
2019	Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama	Mr Inbetween	Won
2021	Best Lead Actor in a Drama	Mr Inbetween	Won
2021	Best Screenplay in Television	Mr Inbetween ("Ray Who?")	Won

Logie Awards

Year	Category	Nominated work	Result
2019	Most Outstanding Actor	Mr Inbetween	Won

Other awards

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result
2003	Melbourne Underground Film Festival	Best Actor, Best Director, Best Film	The Magician	Won
2005	Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards	Best Actor in a Lead Role	The Magician	Nominated
2005	IF Awards	Best Actor, Independent Spirit Award	The Magician	Nominated
2018	Australian Writers' Guild	Comedy - Situation or Narrative	Mr Inbetween	Nominated
2018	Screen Producers Australia Awards	Drama Series Production of the Year	Mr Inbetween	Won
2019	The Equity Ensemble Awards	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series	Mr Inbetween	Nominated