Ryan Spahn

Ryan Spahn is a Drama Desk Award–winning American actor, known for his Off-Broadway work including Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Gloria, a 2016 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama, and for writing the play Inspired By True Events, which was part of the Obie Award–winning inaugural season of Out of the Box Theatrics.

Early life and education Spahn was born on June 18, 1980, grew up in Troy, Michigan, and attended Interlochen Arts Academy. He later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Juilliard School. Spahn is of Jewish, Irish, and Scottish descent.

Career Spahn began his on-screen career as a teenager on Star Trek: Voyager, portraying the Borg child "First" in the episode "Collective." He has also appeared in over twenty national commercials, including Snickers: "Get Dunked On by Patrick Ewing", Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Ford Focus, Levi's: "Make Them Your Own", and NY Lotto: "Fat Wallet".

As a filmmaker, he wrote and directed the feature film Nora Highland (2020), which premiered at NewFest, and was later distributed internationally by Revry.

Spahn has performed in original Off-Broadway casts that went on to receive nominations from the Lucille Lortel Awards, Drama Desk Awards, Drama League Awards, Outer Critics Circle Awards, Obie Awards, Off Broadway Alliance Awards, and the New York Drama Critics' Circle.

Filmography

Theater / Stage Year Title Venue / Company Role / Notes Ref 2026 An American Daughter Pershing Square Signature Center / La Femme Theatre Productions (Off-Broadway) Morrow McCarthy 2025 Richard II Red Bull Theater / Astor Place Theatre (Off-Broadway) Bagot / Welsh Captain 2025 Danger and Opportunity East Village Basement (Off-Broadway) Christian 2024 The Antiquities Playwrights Horizons (Off-Broadway) / Goodman Theatre Man 4 2024 Jordans The Public Theater (Off-Broadway) Ryan 2023 Merry Me New York Theatre Workshop (Off-Broadway) Pvt. Willy Memnon 2022 Good Enemy Audible Theater at Minetta Lane (Off-Broadway) White Boyfriend 2022 Jane Anger New Ohio Theatre (Off-Off-Broadway) / Shakespeare Theatre Company Francis 2020 Mr. Toole 59E59 Theaters (Off-Broadway) John Kennedy Toole 2020 How to Load a Musket 59E59 Theaters (Off-Broadway) Ensemble 2019 Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow MCC Theater (Off-Broadway) / Williamstown Theatre Festival Kulygin 2019 Still at Risk Theatre for the New City (Off-Off-Broadway) Byron 2018 Hamlet Shakespeare Theatre Company Rozencrantz 2018 Daniel's Husband Westside Theatre / Primary Stages (Off-Broadway) / Penguin Rep Theatre Daniel 2018 Summer and Smoke Classic Stage Company / Transport Group (Off-Broadway) Archie Kramer 2016 Exit Strategy Primary Stages (Off-Broadway) / Philadelphia Theatre Company Ricky 2015 Gloria Vineyard Theatre (Off-Broadway) / Goodman Theatre Dean 2014 Tribes Actors Theatre of Louisville Daniel

Film Year Title Role Notes Ref 2024 Parachute Hudson Feature film; premiered at SXSW Film Festival; directorial debut of Brittany Snow 2020 Shirley Drunk Cad Feature film; premiered at Sundance Film Festival; directed by Josephine Decker 2020 Nora Highland Writer / Director Feature film; premiered at NewFest 2017 Woven Wallace / Writer / Producer Feature film; premiered at the LA Film Festival 2014 Grantham & Rose Erik Henry / Writer / Producer Feature film; premiered at Cleveland International Film Festival 2013 He's Way More Famous Than You Ryan / Writer / Producer Feature film; co-written by Halley Feiffer and directed by Michael Urie; premiered at Slamdance Film Festival 1998 Polish Wedding Kid Feature film; directed by Theresa Connelly

Television Year Title Role Network / Platform Ref 2025 Sub/Liminal Ben Nebula 2025 Zero Day Leon Netflix 2024 Elsbeth Danny Beck CBS 2023 American Horror Story: Delicate Derek FX 2023 Succession Coop HBO 2022 Chicago P.D. Charlie Kalzenski NBC 2021 Modern Love Billy Amazon 2021 The Bite Joel Spectrum Originals 2019 The Blacklist Roger Price NBC 2010 Ugly Betty Gus ABC 2015–2017 Cocktails & Classics Producer / Consulting Producer / Creative Consultant Logo TV 2015 What's Your Emergency Sammy Halpern Web series 2004 Tanner on Tanner Ryan Sundance Channel; directed by Robert Altman 2000 Star Trek: Voyager Borg (teenage) UPN

Playwriting Inspired By True Events (2024) — premiered Off-Broadway via Out of the Box Theatrics; licensed and published by Concord Theatricals (formerly Samuel French). The play was developed in workshops with New York Stage and Film, Vineyard Theatre, and Ensemble Studio Theatre.

Publications and essays Spahn has written essays and commentary for American Theatre Magazine, Talkhouse, USA Today, and Metro Weekly.

He has maintained a decade-long correspondence and artistic friendship with playwright Adrienne Kennedy, which began after he performed in her work while at the Juilliard School. They wrote about their letter exchange in American Theatre Magazine in "The Landscape of Memory: Letters From Playwright Adrienne Kennedy". "For Michael" (Talkhouse) "Opinion: 'Trump-Biden Voter Conversation'" (USA Today), on audio journalism and representation in political discourse. He was previously in a relationship with actor Matt Dallas, discussed in his essay "For Michael." Spahn has also maintained a decades-long friendship with actor Tessa Thompson, whom he met early in his career.