Ryan Monolopolus is a multi-talented narrative director and SAG-AFTRA performer with a diverse range of expertise in genres such as action, drama, surrealism, and comedy.
Born in Buffalo, New York, Ryan's passion for filmmaking began in his childhood, which eventually led to an international career in the industry. He has created productions in various locations, including Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, and Berlin, and is a member of the RiTE collective.
Throughout his career, Ryan has directed and produced several notable works, including the Spanish thriller "Muerte" (2022),the sci-fi film "GROBB" (2019),the civil war epic "Shenandoah" (2017),and the award-winning short film "Friends to the End" (2017). He often writes the scripts for the projects he directs and specializes in Virtual Production, motion control robotics, puppetry, and tech-enabled filmmaking.
In 2010, Ryan released his first feature documentary, "Recovery" (2014),which focused on traumatic brain injury and received worldwide distribution. Since then, he has directed and produced numerous film projects, episodic series, and shorts. His commercial work has been internationally broadcast, with clients such as Reebok, Mercy Flight, Act on Climate, World.org, and the PGA Tour.
Ryan's short film, "Before Christmas" (2013),won six awards at the Holiday 48 Hour Film Festival in New York, where he was awarded Best Director. In 2016, he co-created the TV series "64 Over 8" (2016),which streamed on Amazon Studios and won the best of show award at the 2016 Indie Film Loop. In 2017, Ryan was nominated for the rising star award at the Georgia Entertainment Gala for his directing work.
As a lifelong martial artist, Ryan has competed on the United States Sports Martial Arts team, winning several World Titles. He merged his passion for martial arts with his filmmaking skills by launching On Camera Combatives in 2015, a training program and international network that teaches fight movement for film. This led him to a career in stunts, where he has performed on some of the highest-grossing films and TV shows of all time, including "The Walking Dead," "Spider-Man: No Way Home," "She-Hulk," and more.
