Who Was Ryan Grantham in ‘Riverdale’? Where Viewers Have Seen Him Before
Riverdale fans were shocked to hear that a cast member, Ryan Grantham, found himself in serious legal trouble. So, who is Ryan Grantham, and who did he play in Riverdale? Here’s what to know about where fans have seen the actor before, plus more about his current legal situation.
Actor Ryan Grantham pleaded guilty to killing his mother in 2022
Riverdale cast member Ryan Grantham seemed to have an up-and-coming career in Hollywood. Unfortunately, the 24-year-old Canadian actor has officially been charged with murdering his mother. Fox News reports Grantham confessed to shooting his 64-year-old mother, Barbara Waite, in the back of the head. She was reportedly playing piano in her home at the time of the shooting, which took place on March 31, 2020.
Grantham pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges, though the initial charges were murder in the first degree. Two psychiatric reports presented by prosecutors suggested Grantham killed his mother so she wouldn’t witness other violent crimes he intended to commit in the future. He covered his mother’s body with a sheet and placed rosaries and candles by the piano. Grantham’s sister found the body on April 1, 2020.
“Mr. Grantham was seeking to save his mother from something he was going to do,” prosecutor Michaela Donnelly explained. “That is something different than altruism.”
“Barbara Waite loved her son very much, was an excellent parent, and in her mind had no reason to fear him,” the prosecutor continued.
The day after the shooting, Grantham allegedly packed his car with three guns, ammo, 12 Molotov cocktails, and supplies to sustain him while camping. He allegedly planned to kill Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but he later turned around. Finally, he turned himself in to the police.
Who was Ryan Grantham in ‘Riverdale’? What else did he act in?
So, who was Ryan Grantham in Riverdale? According to Distractify, he played a character named Jeffrey Augustine in season 4 episode 1, titled “Chapter Fifty-Eight: In Memoriam.” The fandom wiki explains Jeffrey ultimately killed Fred Andrews. Fred was helping a woman on the side of the road change her tire when Grantham’s character hit him with his father’s truck. Fred pushed the woman out of the way of the speeding car, saving her life and losing his own.
Riverdale fans know they’ve seen Grantham before, but the actor had roles in other shows and films. Ryan Grantham’s IMDb page shows he also had small roles in Supernatural and iZombie. In 2009, he played a recurring role as young Arkin in the TV miniseries Riese, and he had a role in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus that same year.
He also played a role in ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’
Ryan Grantham’s Riverdale role might be his most well-known, but he’s also credited for the hit film, Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He played Rodney James in the movie that came out in 2009.
According to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Wiki, fans may remember Rodney James for participating in The Wizard of Oz school play. He originally tries out for the Tin Man but ultimately attains the role of the Shrub due to too many children in the play. Rodney spends most of his time playing video games with the console he sneaks into his costume, and he later joins a larger tree scene in the play.
The movie stars Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley, Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley, Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, and Chloe Grace Moretz as Angie Steadman, just to name a few.
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