From Variety.com:

John P. Ryan, a manic-eyed character actor who appeared in Bob Rafelson films, died March 20 in Los Angeles of a stroke. He was 70.
Born in New York, he served in the military and was introduced to the film business by Jack Nicholson. He appeared with Nicholson in Rafelson's "Five Easy Pieces" and "The King of Marvin Gardens" as well as in Arthur Penn's "The Missouri Breaks." His other film credits include "Bound," "Hoffa," "Runaway Train," "The Cotton Club" and "The Right Stuff." In a career of playing villains, tough cops and military officers in films like "Delta Force 2," he played a more sympathetic character as father of the monster baby in the "It's Alive" series of horror films. He made dozens of appearances in TV series including "Kojak," "The Rockford Files," "Hart to Hart" and "Cagney and Lacey."

Ryan was a member of AMPAS and lifetime member of the Actor's Studio.

He is survived by two daughters.

Oh man, that is too bad. I just re-watched IT'S ALIVE and IT LIVES AGAIN recently and was captured by his odd performances. I also loved his work in CLASS OF 1999, FUTUREWORLD, RUNAWAY TRAIN and THREE O'CLOCK HIGH.

The first things I thought of with him were: DILLINGER (1973), IT'S ALIVE (1974) and FUTUREWORLD (1976). He's great in all of them. I haven't seen him in anything since COTTON CLUB (1984).

You've never seen DEATH WISH 4?! ;)

While not quite as awesome as the fourth DEATH WISH installment, Ryan gave a memorable performance in RUNAWAY TRAIN. If you're a fan of Ryan's you'll want to check it out.

What great performances in IT'S ALIVE and IT LIVES AGAIN. Hell, Ryan was even good in junk like DEATH WISH 4: THE CRACKDOWN. Looks like BOUND was his last film--a good one to go out on.

RIP, Mr. Ryan.

Ryan's amazing OTT intensity was a perfect balance for Michael Dudikoff's quiet hero in AVENGING FORCE, which is one of Cannon's all-time best action films and almost certainly the company's best not yet on DVD. As Glastenbury, the psycho leader of a Louisiana white supremacist group called The Pentangle, Ryan carries the film nearly as much as Dudikoff does, and he gives his much younger co-star a run for the money in the excitingly staged fight sequences. He's also one of the most vicious and hateful villains I've ever seen in an action movie.

As unusual as Ryan's acting style was, I thought he was very good in the IT'S ALIVE pictures, even though on paper he seems miscast. He isn't.

And he, of course, steals THREE O'CLOCK HIGH. "Don't fuck this up, Mitchell!"

Ryan gave incredible performances in IT'S ALIVE and IT LIVES AGAIN that only Michael Moriarty could equal in a Larry Cohen film.

he also had memorable roles in FIVE EASY PIECES and THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE.

When an actor can out-intense Jon Voight in RUNAWAY TRAIN, you know he's good. RIP John P. Ryan.

The only thing out-acting him in Jim McBride's wonderful BREATHLESS remake was the eyesore of a suit he wore in it. I hated him as a kid, and delighted in him as an adult. So long, Mr. Ryan.