# Ryan Kelly (actor)

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{{Short description|British actor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ryan Kelly
| image = 
| imagesize = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = 
| birth_place = [Glasgow](/source/Glasgow), Scotland
| death_date = 
| death_place =
| education   = [Exhall Grange School](/source/Exhall_Grange_School)<br />[Royal National College for the Blind](/source/Royal_National_College_for_the_Blind)<br />[Bristol Old Vic Theatre School](/source/Bristol_Old_Vic_Theatre_School)
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 2000–present
| spouse =  {{marriage|Sonia Blakemore|2004}} 
| children = 1
}}
'''Ryan Kelly''' is a Scottish-born actor best known for playing the role of [Jack "Jazzer" McCreary](/source/Jazzer_McCreary) in the [BBC Radio 4](/source/BBC_Radio_4) soap ''[The Archers](/source/The_Archers)''. Kelly has played this role since 2000.

Kelly was born in [Glasgow](/source/Glasgow), but moved to the [Midlands](/source/Midlands) at the age of three. Born without eyes and, as a result, [blind](/source/blindness) from birth, he attended [Exhall Grange School](/source/Exhall_Grange_School) in [Coventry](/source/Coventry) and the [Royal National College for the Blind](/source/Royal_National_College_for_the_Blind) in [Hereford](/source/Hereford), where he studied drama.<ref name=CovTelegraph>{{cite news|url= http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/north-warwickshire-news/tm_objectid=14387432&method=full&siteid=50003&headline=archers--star-s-wedded-bliss-name_page.html|title= Archers' star's wedded bliss|work= Coventry Evening Telegraph|first= Steve|last= Evans|date= 2 July 2004|accessdate= 19 February 2010}}</ref> In 1997, he became the first totally blind student in the history of the [Bristol Old Vic Theatre School](/source/Bristol_Old_Vic_Theatre_School) gaining a place there over 3,000 other applicants.<ref name=Mercury>{{cite news|url= http://www.sundaymercury.net/entertainment-news/tv-news/2009/06/28/why-actor-ryan-kelly-has-been-leading-the-way-on-the-archers-66331-23996965/|title= Why actor Ryan Kelly has been leading the way on The Archers|publisher= Sunday Mercury|first= Roz|last= Lewis|date= 28 June 2009|accessdate= 19 February 2010}}</ref> In 2000 he was selected for the part of Jazzer in an open audition with eight sighted actors.

On 22 November 2011, Kelly was the inaugural recipient of the Tyzack Award at the Ability Media International awards. The award recognises writers, producers and performers who "transcend the stereotypical".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ouch/2011/11/archers_jazzer_wins_disability.html |title=Archers' Jazzer wins disability media award |publisher=BBC |date=23 November 2011 |accessdate=23 November 2011}}</ref>

Kelly married Sonia Blakemore in 2004.<ref name=CovTelegraph/> The couple first met while teenagers at school. The couple have one daughter.<ref name=Mercury/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/4Kml1VHt6K5HDRm8Z6kwTgc/jack-jazzer-mccreary Ryan Kelly's profile] at [BBC Online](/source/BBC_Online)
* [http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/article/all-jazzer All That Jazzer], Disability Now. Retrieved 10 March 2013.

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Ryan}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Living people
Category:Male actors from Glasgow
Category:Scottish male radio actors
Category:Scottish blind people
Category:Alumni of the Royal National College for the Blind
Category:Alumni of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
Category:People educated at Exhall Grange School

{{scotland-actor-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ryan Kelly (actor)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Kelly_(actor)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Kelly_(actor)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.