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With the return of Cole Howard after decades back in The Young and the Restless, it is time to revisit the period of his past along with his significant adversary, Ryan McNeil. While Ryan died years ago, he played an important role in Victoria’s life alongside Cole. However, unlike Cole, who returned after a long estrangement, Ryan will never come back into the show.
The Young and the Restless has been successfully running for almost five decades and has seen the arrival and exit of various characters in the story throughout these years. The show, set in the fictional Genoa City, follows the families of the Brooks, Fosters, Neumans, Winters and Baldwin-Fishers. There are various other characters that revolve around the main family lines. The series is airing on CBS for its 2023-24 run.
Disclaimer: This article contains the author’s personal opinions.
Who is Ryan and is he still alive in The Young and the Restless?
Ryan McNeil, a fictional character from The Young and the Restless, was a vital part of the plot in the 1990s. Portrayed by Scott Reeves, Ryan was a businessman aiming to climb to the top of the success ladder. He joined the show in 1991 and came into focus due to his involvement with the Neuman successor, Victoria.
Initially criticized for the age gap between the two, the audience quickly caught up with Ryan and Victoria’s romance. However, Ryan became involved in other relationships with Nina Webster, played by Tricia Cast, and Tricia Dennison, played by Sabryn Genet. Reeves described his character as an ambitious go-getter who would not hesitate to use someone to achieve his goals.
However, after a decade of presence in The Young and the Restless, the character met a tragic end that served as a form of redemption. He died while trying to save Victoria Neuman from the gunshots fired at her by Tricia.
According to the storyline, Victoria and Ryan had met each other in the Neuman Enterprises when Ryan was 19 and Victoria was 15. They fell for each other at that young age and eloped to marry, much to the disapproval of the company’s head and Victoria’s father, Victor Neuman. However, Victoria refused to consummate the marriage due to fear of intimacy.
Feeling frustrated with his marriage, Ryan became involved with Nina Webster, leading to Victoria divorcing him. A divorced Ryan moved in with Nina and her son Phillip Chancellor IV. However, their relationship dwindled as Nina became interested in Cole Howard, had a breakdown when Cole rejected her, and tried to shoot herself.
Unfortunately, Ryan, who was present in the struggle with Nina, was arrested but later declared innocent. Ryan proceeded to have his third romantic involvement with Tricia Dennison and married her. Tricia, who was jealous of Ryan’s relationship with Phillip, tried to have a baby but had a miscarriage followed by a divorce.
The plot of The Young and the Restless showed a mentally unstable Tricia running down Tony Viscardi, who was in a relationship with her sister Megan. Following this incident, Tricia and the Dennison family relocated to London. However, six months later, she returns to ask Ryan to take her back.
With a steady relationship with Victoria and an upcoming marriage, Ryan refused Tricia. While he averted her attempted suicide, Victor took her into his household to keep her away from Victoria and Ryan.
However, Tricia took Victoria’s place at the altar after locking Victoria in a closet. She pointed a gun at Ryan, trying to force him to marry her. Victoria, freed by Victor, entered the chapel, and Tricia fired at her. Ryan jumped in front of Victoria to take the bullets himself and died of the wounds from the gunshot.
Was Nina married to Ryan on The Young and the Restless?
Ryan was very much married to Nina after being divorced by Victoria. While he had married Nina out of obligation, he eventually started to like her and her son. Though he wanted the marriage to work, Nina went after a reluctant Cole Howard, only to be rejected.
Her breakdown after Cole’s rejections pushed Ryan towards a more disastrous relationship with Tricia. He tried to stop Nina from committing suicide and got arrested for the shot she fired on herself. However, after the truth about Nina trying to commit suicide and Ryan trying to stop her came to light, he was acquitted.
However, by that time, the relationship had crumbled, and Ryan and Nina divorced, as per the plot of The Young and the Restless.
Who played Ryan on The Young and the Restless?
Ryan McNeil was successfully played by actor Scott Reeves. Despite being young when he joined the cast of The Young and the Restless, Reeves received nominations and awards in the Daytime Emmy Awards and Soap Opera Digest Awards.
A family man himself, Reeves claimed to struggle to portray the caddish character of Ryan McNeil. Acclaimed both by viewers and peers, Reeves left The Young and the Restless after his character died. While it was a storyline-dictated exit, Reeves claimed planning to pursue other projects.
The actor was seen on various other shows and projects such as Nashville, General Hospital, Finding Carter, GCB, The Resident and many more.
