Ryan, a multifaceted writer, was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and currently resides between Los Angeles and Vancouver.
Notable achievements include being a winner of the prestigious ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship and an Austin Film Festival Semifinalist for his historical drama, "Jacaranda".
Throughout his career, Ryan has demonstrated his versatility by writing in a wide range of genres and formats, including feature films, episodic television, and even a novella.
Recent credits showcase his impressive range, with writing credits for two feature-length dramas based on books by renowned authors Bob Woodward and Kressman Taylor, respectively.
In addition, Ryan co-wrote and produced the feature film "Volition" with his brother, Tony Dean Smith, who also directed the film.
Ryan's work also includes writing a feature-length comedy for Original Film, as well as contributing to the animated feature film "Next Gen" for Netflix.
Moreover, he has served as Senior Story Editor/Writer for Netflix's "ReBoot: The Guardian Code", Supervising-Producer/Writer on Netflix/YTV's "Some Assembly Required", and Senior Executive Story Editor/Writer on Disney/YTV's "Mr. Young".
With an impressive total of over 150 episodes of television written, Ryan has received three Leo Awards for his outstanding work.
Ryan holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Screenwriting and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative Religion, Literature and the Arts, with a minor in Theater.
