About Ryan Kelly
Ryan Kelly was a British actor.
Ryan Kelly is a Scottish-born actor best known for playing the role of Jack "Jazzer" McCreary in the BBC Radio 4 soap The Archers. Kelly has played this role since 2000.
Kelly was born in Glasgow, but moved to the Midlands at the age of three. Born without eyes and, as a result, blind from birth, he attended Exhall Grange School in Coventry and the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford, where he studied drama. In 1997, he became the first totally blind student in the history of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School gaining a place there over 3,000 other applicants. 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".
Kelly married Sonia Blakemore in 2004. The couple first met while teenagers at school. The couple have one daughter.
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Important facts
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ryan Kelly?
British actor
When was Ryan Kelly born?
Ryan Kelly was born in Glasgow.
What was Ryan Kelly's occupation?
Ryan Kelly was an actor.
What nationality was Ryan Kelly?
Ryan Kelly was British.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Ryan Kelly (actor)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ryan Kelly. https://biography.guide/ryan-kelly-actor/
MLA: "Ryan Kelly." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ryan-kelly-actor/.
Chicago: "Ryan Kelly." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ryan-kelly-actor/.
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