Biography
Date of Birth
10 December 1974, New Castle, Delaware, USA
Birth Name
Matthew Ryan Phillippe
Height
5' 8" (1.73 m)
Mini Biography
Ryan Phillippe was born on September 10, 1974 in New Castle, Delaware, to Susan (Thomas), a nurse, and Richard Phillippe, a chemical technician. He has three sisters, Kirsten, Lindsay, and Katelyn, and attended New Castle Baptist Academy. Ryan's acting career began with the soap opera One Life to Live (1968). It was no small role. His character, Billy Douglas, was US daytime television's first gay teenager. Billy struggled with coming out issues and the town's anti-gay reactions. After several other television appearances and he began appearing in movies of his own, Nowhere (1997), White Squall (1996) I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), Cruel Intentions (1999), Crash (2005), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), and Stop-Loss (2008).
Trivia
Has three sisters: Kirsten, Lindsay and Katelyn.
Black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
His parents' names are Susan (Thomas) and Richard Phillippe. Richard is a chemical technician and Susan is a nurse working in pre- and post-natal care.
Was considered for a role in The Patriot (2000), but lost out to Heath Ledger.
Turned down the role of Anakin Skywalker, because of the age difference between Natalie Portman and himself.
He's a huge fan of Frank Sinatra, for both his music and as an interesting character in history. As a tribute he named his bulldog after the singer.
Hobbies: photography, cartooning, and writing.
He played baseball and soccer in highschool.
He was the Yearbook Editor in his senior year.
Ex-brother-in-law of John D. Witherspoon.
Ran a production company, Lucid Films, with Siegel, David E. and fellow actors Seth Green and Breckin Meyer.
Graduated from New Castle Baptist Academy, now New Castle Christian Academy in New Castle, Delaware.
Packed on 25 pounds of muscle and stopped shaving for 3 months for his role as Parker in The Way of the Gun (2000).
Son, Deacon Reese, was named for his distant relative, Charles Louis "Deacon" Phillipe, who pitched and won the first World Series game ever, in 1903, beating Cy Young, as well as for Hall of Fame football player Deacon Jones. (Reported on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992), 18 May 2005).
Is a fan of Philadelphia sports teams (Phillies, Eagles, Flyers, 76ers), having grown up in northern Delaware.
Was considered for the role of "Harvey Dent" in The Dark Knight (2008).
Is a huge fan of Howard Stern and cut school to attend the landmark "funeral" of rival Philadelphia DJ John DeBella in the early '90s. Through appearances on the show, he has become friendly with sidekick Artie Lange and staff-member J.D. Harmeyer (known for his socially awkward, "nerdy" personality and lifestyle).
Made his feature film debut in Crimson Tide (1995).
He and ex-wife Reese Witherspoon officially separated in October 2006.
Was in a relationship with Abbie Cornish, having met on the set of Stop-Loss (2008) (August 2006-February 2010).
Was in a relationship with Amanda Seyfried (October 2010-May 2011).
He named his five favorite films as Cool Hand Luke (1967), The Sand Pebbles (1966), The Graduate (1967), Fargo (1996) and Raging Bull (1980).
He is of mostly English ancestry, with more distant German and Scottish, roots. His surname can be traced back to his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Johannes Adam Phillippi, an ethnic German who was born in Volksberg, Alsace.
Engaged to Paulina Slagter from December 25, 2015: Christmas Day 2015 to November 4, 2016.
Resides in Los Angeles, California.
Has 3 children: daughter, Ava Phillippe (b. September 9, 1999) & son, Deacon Phillippe (b. October 23, 2003) with ex-wife, Reese Witherspoon and daughter, Kai Phillippe-Knapp (b. July 1, 2011) with ex-girlfriend, Alexis Knapp.
Fractured his leg in UTV accident resulting in the season 2 of "Shooter" to be reduced from 10 episodes to 8.
Declined the Nicholas Brody role offer for Homeland (2011) ultimately taken by Damian Lewis.
He pronounces his surname "Fill-lip-pay", which he prefers, he does not like the "Fill-leep" or "Fill-lip-pee" pronunciations.
Quotes
(On working and being with Reese Witherspoon on the film Cruel Intentions (1999)): It was great. I'm the luckiest guy in the world. Not only personally but professionally. She was an asset to the movie and we begged her to do it. She didn't have as colorful a role as Sarah's and mine, but she did an amazing job. Really elevated the piece.
(On starting a family with Reese): "It just makes so many other things insignificant. It is the most incredible thing that has happened to me, and I feel so lucky to have found the person I want to be with, and to be prepared and enthusiastic."
(About his daughter, Ava): She is a relief from all the stress in my life; everyday she does something new and it is so amazing.
Music is my greatest love. If I could play an instrument I would be a musician.
I have good taste, that's the one thing I'm cocky about.
I secretly sing Frank Sinatra songs in the shower.
Things like my baby and my wife are a lot more important to me than being in one of the top ten grossing movies of all time.
I have a huge CD collection. Music is an obsession of mine.
I think who Reese is sort of radiates and emanates. She's incredibly conscientious, kind and good to people. She has a perspective that extends far beyond her own personal gain, and I think that's an impressive thing.
Where you raise your children isn't as important as how you raise your children. I think it's what you talk to them about, what you expose them to, what you make them mindful of. And you've got to do that anywhere you live. LA can be a very open and accepting creative environment. But it is important, because there is this odd separation here, it is important to make your kids mindful of other people and other people's plight. I grew up with no money. My kids will grow up with a lot of money and so it's really important to me, and it will always be a part of my parenting, to keep them conscientious and connected socially to other people.
I'm such a supporter of women, work-related. I'm happy for my wife and I'm ecstatic that she makes more than most men in Hollywood. The first writer I hired for a movie I'm producing was a black woman. She did an amazing job. It's like I just think that seeing women get passed over, being so intimately involved with so many women throughout my life - my sisters, my mother and that sort of thing - it's shaped me and given me a sensitivity and understanding that I don't think a lot of men necessarily have.
(On filming the Iraqi war film Stop-Loss (2008) in Morocco): You felt like a monster. We were there in full gear, with these assault rifles, on what's akin to their Christmas. We were barging into peoples' actual homes to shoot those scenes. I felt incredibly uncomfortable and ashamed at the time.
I was pretty close to getting Star Wars, they wanted me to play Anakin. I think I'm okay with having missed out on that.
My skin is so thick at this point. I've been in the entertainment industry for 23 years so there's nothing anyone can say that I haven't heard or thought myself. You just keep moving, you know? That noise is so quiet at this stage of my life. What can people say that hasn't been said, and what does it really matter? Who am I trying to really prove anything to at this point in my life? Myself, my kids, my family...
I'm very feminist, man. I was raised by four women, my dad worked the 4 P.M. to midnight shift, so I was basically raised by four women. I'm so pro, pro female.
I'm way funnier than people know me to be. And it's a dark humor, like a gallows humor.
