{{short description|American actor (born 1976)}} {{Infobox person | name = Ryan Bittle | image = Ryan Bittle 2025.jpg | alt = | caption = Bittle in 2025 | birth_name = Ryan James Bittle | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|3|21}} | birth_place = La Crescenta, California, U.S. | occupation = Actor | spouse = {{Plainlist| * {{Marriage|Jennifer Davis|2003|2006|end=divorced}} * {{Marriage|Elizabeth Chang|2022}} }} | education = Juilliard School (BFA) | years_active = 1994–present }} '''Ryan James Bittle''' (born March 21, 1976) is an American actor. He began appearing on television in 1994.
==Early life== Bittle was born in La Crescenta, California,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=1995-07-08 |title=Faxfile: Ryan James Bittle |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-herald/191020530/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |work=Evening Herald |pages=14}}</ref> the son of Kathy Homewood, a nurse, and ICU director, and Jim Bittle, a Glendale fire captain. He has a younger brother, Ron, and an older brother, Jeff.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=1996-06-17 |title=Meet Ryan James Bittle |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-recorder/191020993/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |work=The Times Recorder |pages=9}}</ref>
While attending Crescenta Valley High School, Bittle was a successful water polo athlete for the Crescenta Falcons.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1992-10-08 |title=The Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/191024515/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |work=The Los Angeles Times |pages=98}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1992-10-08 |title=Prep athlete of the week |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/191024630/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |work=The Los Angeles Times |pages=101}}</ref> He later attended Pasadena City College, The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and The Juilliard School, Drama division (group 31), in New York City, graduating in 2002.
==Career== As a teenager, Bittle modelled for magazines and catalogues, including ''Vogue''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1995-04-22 |title=Sweet on a hunk |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-mirror/191020219/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |work=Daily Mirror |pages=26}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> He had planned to study environmental law at the University of California, Santa Barbara when he landed the role of Todd Wilkins in ''Sweet Valley High'' in 1994, causing him to delay attending university.<ref name=":1" /> He played the role of Todd for the first two seasons, before handing it over to Jeremy Garrett in 1996.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1996-05-06 |title=The Flint Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-flint-journal/191021277/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |work=The Flint Journal |pages=49}}</ref>
While studying at Pasadena City College, Bittle continued to work as an actor with guest starring roles in 1996 on the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', ''Boy Meets World'' and ''The Parent 'Hood''. He also had a recurring role on ''7th Heaven'' as Jessica Biel's early love interest<ref>{{Cite news |date=1997-06-29 |title='7th Heaven' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/san-francisco-chronicle/191024002/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |work=San Francisco Chronicle |pages=318}}</ref> and supporting roles in the films ''Devil in the Flesh'' and ''The Clown at Midnight''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1998-02-19 |title=The fall guy hits Winnipeg |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-winnipeg-sun/191025453/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |work=The Winnipeg Sun |pages=7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1999-03-12 |title=The Winnipeg Sun |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-winnipeg-sun/191025725/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |work=The Winnipeg Sun |pages=37}}</ref>
While working on the latter with Christopher Plummer in 1998, Bittle decided he wanted to leave Hollywood for New York to spend some more time studying at the Juilliard School. Back in Los Angeles, Bittle continued with a recurring role on the successful WB drama ''Dawson's Creek'' and the PBS drama ''American Family''. He had varying guest star roles on shows such as the CBS dramas ''CSI: Miami'', ''CSI: NY'', ''Numb3rs'' and ''NCIS''.<ref name="imdb" />
He played an actor for the second time in his career on Courteney Cox's TV show ''Dirt''. In 2003, Bittle starred as Christian opposite Mark Harelik and Gregory Itzin in ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' at South Coast Repertory.<ref name="imdb">{{IMDb name|0084547}}</ref>
Bittle was in three films released in 2010–11: ''Take Me Home Tonight'', a 1980s set comedy starring with Topher Grace and Anna Faris; ''Backyard Wedding'', starring with Alicia Witt and Frances Fisher,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-01-02 |title=Alicia Witt to star in 'Backyard Wedding' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/elizabethton-star/191027007/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |work=Elizabethton Star |pages=A17}}</ref> and the horror/thriller ''A Lure: Teen Fight Club''.<ref name="imdb"/>
In 2012, Bittle starred in ''Annie Claus Is Coming to Town'', opposite Maria Thayer and Sam Page, as well as the made-for-TV movie ''Operation Cupcake'', opposite Dean Cain and Kristy Swanson. He guest starred on ''The Closer'' and the NBC comedy ''The New Normal''. In 2013, he guest starred on the Showtime series ''Shameless'' as well as reviving the role of JR Chandler on the revived Prospect Park's ''All My Children''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-03-18 |title=Soap Notes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-star/191027388/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |work=The News-Star |pages=21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-03-18 |title=Casting for 'All My Children' gets fast and furious |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-observer/191027471/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |work=The News and Observer |pages=D3}}</ref> In 2014, he starred in two films, ''Love by the Book'', starring opposite Leah Renee,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-01-11 |title=The Monitor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-monitor/191027933/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |work=The Monitor |pages=79}}</ref> and ''A Christmas Mystery'' opposite Esmé Bianco.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-12-04 |title=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-worth-star-telegram/191026868/ |access-date=2026-02-10 |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |pages=T9}}</ref>
==Personal life== In 2003, Bittle married Jennifer Davis;<ref name="InsideWeddings">{{cite news|url=https://www.insideweddings.com/weddings/jennifer-davis-and-ryan-bittle/43/|title=Actor Ryan Bittle's Classic Fall Wedding in Long Beach, California|work=Inside Weddings|access-date=2018-10-20|first1=Aimee|last1=Manis |author2=Epic Imagery (photography)}}</ref> they divorced in 2006. In 2022, Bittle married Elizabeth Chang.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://unicourt.com/case/ca-la22-jennifer-bittle-vs-ryan-bittle-569908|title=Jennifer Bittle Vs. Ryan Bittle|website=UniCourt|language=en-US|access-date=2018-10-20}}</ref>
== Filmography == ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1997 |''Tear It Down'' |John Scott | |- |1998 |''Devil in the Flesh'' |Greg Straffer |Video |- |1999 |''{{sortname|The|Clown at Midnight}}'' |Taylor Marshall | |- |2004 |''Who's Your Daddy?'' |Hudson Reed |Video |- |2009 |''{{sortname|A|Good Funeral|nolink=1}}'' |Bill | |- |2010 |''Lure'' |Mr. Reed |Video |- |2011 |''Ricky and Ravi (Are Between Jobs)'' |Steve |Video short |- |2011 |''Take Me Home Tonight'' |Rick Herrington | |- |2016 |''Marriage of Lies'' |Dylan | |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1994–96 |''Sweet Valley High'' |Todd Wilkins |Main role |- |1996 |''{{sortname|The|Parent 'Hood}}'' |Bradley Lewis |"An American Class President" |- |1996 |''7th Heaven'' |Jeff |Recurring role |- |1997 |''Boy Meets World'' |Gary |"Chick Like Me" |- |1997 |''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' |Mitch |"Out of Mind, Out of Sight" |- |2001 |''Walker, Texas Ranger'' |Harley |"Reel Rangers" |- |2001 |''{{sortname|The|Big House|nolink=1}}'' |Jon Jackson |TV film |- |2001–02 |''Dawson's Creek'' |Eric |Recurring role |- |2002 |''American Family'' |Sgt. Williams |"The Forgotten War" |- |2003 |''CSI: Miami'' |David Kendall |"Death Grip" |- |2007 |''CSI: NY'' |Jackson Rudnick |"The Lying Game" |- |2008 |''Dirt'' |Paul Trisko |"Ties That (Don't) Bind" |- |2008 |''Numbers'' |Pat Drummond |"Charlie Don't Surf" |- |2008 |''NCIS'' |Metro Det. Justin Kemp |"Silent Night" |- |2010 |''Backyard Wedding''<ref>[https://www.hallmarkfamily.com/cast/ryan-bittle ''Backyard Wedding''], hallmarkfamily.com. Accessed June 19, 2024.</ref> |Jeffrey Blake |TV film |- |2010 |''Life Unexpected'' |Steve |"Honeymoon Interrupted" |- |2010 |''All My Children'' |Logan |2 episodes |- |2011 |''Femme Fatales'' |Archie Beecham |"Speed Date" |- |2011 |''Bones'' |Brock Vorback |"The Prince in the Plastic" |- |2011 |''Annie Claus Is Coming to Town'' |Dean |TV film |- |2012 |''Operation Cupcake'' |Thad Christopher |TV film |- |2012 |''{{sortname|The|Closer}}'' |Charlie |"Hostile Witness" |- |2012 |''{{sortname|The|New Normal|The New Normal (TV series)}}'' |Mitch Madison |"Unplugged" |- |2013 |''Shameless'' |Steven Redel |"A Long Way from Home" |- |2013 |''All My Children'' |JR Chandler |Recurring role |- |2014 |''{{sortname|A|Christmas Mystery|nolink=1}}'' |Andrew Steele |TV film |- |2014 |''Love by the Book'' |Landon Crest |TV film |- |2017 |''Lucifer'' |Mr. Taylor |"Deceptive Little Parasite" |- |2018–2019 |''Hawaii Five-0'' |John McGarrett |Guest role; two episodes |}
== References == <!--- See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes on how to create references using <ref></ref> tags which will then appear here automatically --> {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{IMDb name|0084547}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bittle, Ryan}} Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:People from La Crescenta-Montrose, California Category:American male film actors Category:American male water polo players Category:Aviators from California Category:American male television actors Category:Pasadena City College alumni