Ryan Phillippe biography, age, height, reese witherspoon kids, wife 2025

Biography of Ryan Phillippe

Ryan Phillippe is an American actor who shot to fame in the thriller "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and the drama "Cruel Intentions."

Childhood

Matthew Ryan Phillippe was born on December 10, 1974, in New Castle, Delaware. He has French ancestry. Besides the future actor, Ryan's parents, Richard and Susan, raised three daughters: Caitlin, Kirsten, and Lindsay.

The actor's family had no show business connections: his mother ran a home daycare, and his father worked as a chemical technician. Ryan stays close to his parents, despite having his own children for years now.

From a young age, Ryan suffered from depression. This wasn't typical teenage angst from growing up, but an actual medical diagnosis. He hoped to overcome it with age, but the persistent melancholy still affects him and creates ongoing challenges. He tries to manage it with exercise and meditation, but overall, he has come to terms with it:

I'd rather suffer from melancholy than be an insensitive jerk. Besides, I have a great sense of dark humor.

In his childhood, he attended a local Baptist school, where he became interested in soccer and basketball. During his teenage years, Ryan developed an interest in martial arts and even earned a black belt in karate.

When Ryan was 15, he unexpectedly developed a passion for acting. Then one day at a barber shop, a talent scout spotted him and offered him the chance to audition for acting roles in New York. At that time, luck wasn't on his side, and he didn't receive any offers. Still, Ryan decided to try modeling while holding onto his dream of becoming an actor. He enrolled in Barbizon University and waited for his opportunity.

The First Steps and Real Success

Philip made his screen debut in 1992 in the soap opera "One Life to Live." He was cast as Billy Douglas, an LGBTQ teenager. The dramatic series tackled important social issues like racism, inequality, and other pressing topics. The project ended in 1993. But for Ryan, this was just the beginning.

A shot from the TV series 'One Life to Live'

A year later, the actor appeared in two series: "Matlock" and "Due South." Though these weren't starring roles, audiences were getting to know Ryan Phillippe. After a few minor roles, he appeared in the thriller "Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare" (1995). This was followed by "White Squall" and "Crimson Tide."

Ryan Phillippe in the movie 'White Squall'

Real stardom was just around the corner. In 1996, Ryan Phillippe was offered a role in the thriller "I Know What You Did Last Summer." The film about teens trying to cover up an accidental murder became a massive hit, launching Ryan to overnight fame. Alongside him were Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Freddie Prinze Jr.

A shot from the movie 'I Know What You Did Last Summer'

The next breakthrough was the film "54." Ryan plays a young man who heads to New York looking for work. He lands a bartending gig, but gets sucked into the nightlife scene with no way out. Ryan was joined by Salma Hayek, Neve Campbell, and Mike Myers.

He later opened up about filming those intimate scenes. The actor admitted it was tough to stay focused during intimate scenes with cameras rolling, crew members bustling around, and constant noise breaking his concentration.

A year later, he starred in another hit film, "Playing by Heart." On set with him were Sean Connery, as well as Angelina Jolie and Gillian Anderson, known for "The X-Files."

A shot from the movie 'Playing by Heart'

Next came the iconic "Cruel Intentions," the film that made him a heartthrob for millions. He plays the gorgeous Sebastian, who's tasked with seducing the headmaster's innocent daughter Annette. He's doing it for his wealthy, manipulative stepsister, but ends up falling for his mark. Along with Ryan, Reese Witherspoon and Sarah Michelle Gellar starred in the film.

Ryan Phillippe at the premiere of the film 'Cruel Intentions'

Since Phillippe and Witherspoon were actually dating at the time, they said the love scenes came naturally - the chemistry was real.

Cruel Intentions - Sebastian meets Annette

Career Ups and Downs

With his star rising, Ryan started landing bigger and bigger projects. His next leading role was as Mr. Parker in the crime drama "The Way of the Gun," where he starred alongside Benicio Del Toro.

Ryan Phillippe in the movie 'The Way of the Gun'

He then scored more leading roles, playing programmer Milo Hoffman in "Antitrust" and hospital patient Simon Cable in the thriller "The I Inside." In the drama "Crash," he shared the screen with Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Esposito.

Ryan Phillippe on the set of the movie 'Crash'

In 2006, Ryan hit his stride again, starring in the anti-war drama Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers." The film earned Oscar nominations in multiple categories, plus a Golden Globe nod. Critics embraced the film, and Ryan once again showed his range as an actor.

A shot from the movie 'Flags of Our Fathers'

Next up was "Breach," where he starred alongside Laura Linney and Chris Cooper. In this spy thriller, Ryan played an undercover FBI agent. Ryan then appeared in "Franklyn" (2009) and "The Lincoln Lawyer" (2011). These would turn out to be Ryan's last major hits for quite some time.

Ryan Phillippe and Matthew McConaughey in 'The Lincoln Lawyer'

The next film, the action movie "Setup," where he starred with Bruce Willis, bombed at the box office—earning just over two million on a twenty million budget. The same thing happened to "Straight A's" (2012), "Reclaim" (2014), and "Catch Hell" (2014). In the last one, viewers joked that Ryan was basically playing himself—an actor whose career had hit the skids.

Ryan found his comeback with the series "Secrets and Lies," playing a man suspected of killing a boy after discovering the body in the woods.

"Shooter" was a hit with audiences, with Ryan not only playing lead character sniper Bob Lee Swagger—who investigates a conspiracy involving the American president—but also serving as producer. The series debuted in 2016 and ran for three seasons.

Ryan Phillippe on the set of the TV series 'Shooter'

In 2020, Ryan took another swing at action with "The 2nd" (which he also co-produced), but the film received a chilly reception. Fans wondered why a relatively young and well-known actor was suddenly doing B-movies. Perhaps the reason was chronic depression, which had plagued Ryan since childhood.

In 2021, the actor starred in the series "Big Sky." The same year, "MacGruber" premiered. Additionally, Ryan was involved in filming the comedy "Lady of the Manor" and the thriller "One Shot."

Ryan Phillippe in the movie 'Lady of the Manor'

Ryan Phillippe's Personal Life

The actor's undeniable charisma and striking good looks have sparked numerous high-profile celebrity romances. His romantic history includes actresses Nikki Reed, Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Seyfried, Ashley Greene, and Abbie Cornish, plus singer Rihanna.

His most significant relationship was with Reese Witherspoon, whom he met at her birthday party. The passionate romance between the two actors led to marriage. When they married, Ryan was 25 and Reese was 23 and six months pregnant. Their daughter, Ava Elizabeth, was born in September 1999, and their son, Deacon Phillippe, in 2003.

Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon in their youth

Their relationship was far from peaceful – while they appeared happy publicly, they constantly fought behind closed doors. Whether due to their young age or clashing personalities, they divorced in 2007.

In May 2010, Ryan began dating model Alexis Knapp, who later gave birth to his daughter. That relationship ended when Ryan started dating student Paulina Slagter.

They even got engaged, but she ended things in 2016. She also sued him for stalking. In 2017, another ex-girlfriend, Elsie Hewitt, took him to court, alleging he assaulted her and pushed her down the stairs. Ryan was ordered to stay at least 90 meters away from Elsie. They reached an amicable settlement in 2019.

Ryan Phillipe on Co-Parenting with Reese Witherspoon

He was later rumored to be dating blogger Bailey Dodge. He maintains a friendly relationship with ex-wife Reese Witherspoon and spends plenty of time with their kids.

Ryan Phillippe with children by Reese Witherspoon

Ryan has often spoken about his deep love for his children with Reese. He's supportive of Ava potentially pursuing acting and has shared stories about Deacon getting jealous of his on-screen kids.

Ryan Phillippe Now

In 2023, Phillippe starred in the historical drama "Miranda's Victim," followed by roles in the action film "Prey" and the thriller "Saint Clare" (both films released in 2024). Additionally, he secured the lead role in the racing series "Motorheads," scheduled for release in 2025.

An athletically built middle-aged man without a T-shirt is standing on the pier — Ryan Phillippe in 2024