Ryan Phillippe (pronounced Fil-lih-pee) was born on September 10, 1974. He grew up in New Castle, Delaware with his three sisters: Kirsten, Lindsay, and Katelyn.
Ryan's acting career began with a landmark role on the daytime drama "One Life to Live." Ryan played Billy Douglas, daytime television's first gay teenage character.
His career has grown steadily ever since. After "OLTL," he moved on to NBC's "Lake Success." He followed that with a number of TV movies and guest starring roles. Today, Ryan has made a near-effortless transition to the big screen.
Ryan hits the big screen
Ryan's first major screen success was in "White Squall" where he played the heart-breakingly tragic character Gil Martin. During the 5 1/2 month long shoot, Ryan formed friendships with many of his co-stars, among them Ethan Embry, Balthazar Getty, and "Party of Five" star Scott Wolf.
One of Ryan's most successful screen appearance was in the film "I Know What You Did Last Summer", with Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Geller, and Freddie Prinze, Jr. The movie debuted at No. 1 and held the position for three straight weeks. Based on a Lois Duncan book, the screenplay was written by Kevin Williamson, who penned the recent hit "Scream."
If you were lucky, you were able to catch two of Ryan's films that were in limited release: "Homegrown" and "Little Boy Blue." "Homegrown" had a limited release in May. The movie boasted a plethora of talent including Hank Azaria, Billy Bob Thornton, Kelly Lynch, John Lithgow, Jon Bon Jovi, Ted Danson, Judge Reinhold and Jamie Lee Curtis.
"Little Boy Blue" was released in late May/early June in Los Angeles and New York. The film which also stars Nastassja Kinski and John Savage, tells the story of a Vietnam vet who destroys his family.
Ryan's next big role was in the film "54." Based on the popular 70s nightclub, Studio 54, the film revolves around Ryan's character, Shane O'Shea, a young bartender at the club. Among Ryan's co-stars are Mike Myers as Steve Rubell, one of the club's founders, along with Neve Campbell, Salma Hayek, Sela Ward, Breckin Meyer, and Heather Matarazzo.
Ryan then went on to appear in the independent ensemble film "Playing By Heart" (formerly titled "Dancing About Architecture"), playing an anti-social club kid who meets and falls for the charmingly chatty Angelina Jolie.
Ryan next starred as Sebastian Valmont in the well-received "Cruel Intentions" co-starring Reese Witherspoon and Sarah Michelle Gellar. A modern retelling of "Dangerous Liasons," set in upscale NY, it focuses around a pair of step-siblings who find amusement in toying with others lives.
Upcoming releases
Ryan's next project is as a Russian dancer looking to defect in the film "Company Man" costarring Woody Allen and Sigourney Weaver. He has also recently signed to star in the modern Western "Way of the Gun" opposite Benecio Del Toro and Juliette Lewis.
On the more personal side, Ryan recently married the beautiful and talented actress Reese Witherspoon. The happy couple welcomed their first child in early fall: a baby girl they've named Ava Elizabeth.
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