Fran Ryan

Fran Ryan was an American character actress who worked in television and film. Born in Los Angeles in 1916, she began performing at age six at Oakland's Henry Duffy Theatre, attended Stanford University for three years, and entertained troops with the USO during World War II. After stage work in California and Chicago, she made her television debut in a 1966 episode of Batman and later appeared in a 1972 Columbo episode. Her first supporting TV role was Aggie Thompson on The Doris Day Show, and she took over as Doris Ziffel on Green Acres from 1969 to 1971. She played Miss Hannah on Gunsmoke and returned to the role in the 1987 TV movie Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge. Other TV work included Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, and voice roles in cartoons. Her films included Big Wednesday (1978), The Long Riders (1980), Stripes (1981), Pale Rider (1985), and Chances Are (1989). She died in 2000.