Colton Ryan

Colton Ryan is an American actor and singer born on June 10, 1995, in Lexington, Kentucky. He attended the School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCAPA) from fourth through twelfth grade, where he majored in vocal music and minored in theatre. He is also a 2011 alumnus of the Governor's School for the Arts program in musical theatre. While studying at Baldwin Wallace University, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2017, Ryan began his professional acting career with a production of The Secret Garden at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival in 2015, playing the role of Dickon.

Ryan made his Broadway debut in 2016 as the standby for the roles of Evan Hansen, Connor Murphy, and Jared Kleinman in Dear Evan Hansen, remaining with the production through 2017. He returned to the role of Connor Murphy in the 2021 film adaptation directed by Stephen Chbosky, which premiered as the Opening Night Gala Presentation of the Toronto International Film Festival before its theatrical release on September 24, 2021. His work in Dear Evan Hansen across both stage and screen established him as a recurring presence in that production's history. His Broadway career continued with Girl from the North Country, the Bob Dylan musical in which he originated the role of Gene Laine — a role he had first performed in the 2018 Off-Broadway production — before the Broadway run was shut down in May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, Ryan starred on Broadway in New York, New York, originating the role of Jimmy Doyle, a performance that earned him a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical.

Beyond Broadway, Ryan originated the role of White Rabbit, Alfred Hallam, and March Hare in the 2019 Off-Broadway production of Alice By Heart, for which he received a Theatre World Award that same year. His television work includes a 2017 guest appearance on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a recurring role as J.J. Elkins on the Showtime series Homeland, and the main role of Samuel on the Apple TV+ series Little Voice in 2020. In 2021, he was cast opposite Elle Fanning in the Hulu drama series The Girl from Plainville, portraying Conrad Roy. His performance received critical recognition, including placement on TV Guide's list of the 20 best TV performances of 2022. Ryan's film credits include The Social Ones, Adam, and Uncle Frank, in which he played Bruce for Amazon Studios in 2020.