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Why the Beard?

A confidential source has spilled the beans on Paul Ryan, speaker of the House.  The Honorable Mr. Ryan was being considered for a recurring part in a television series that failed to get to the pilot stage.  A number of scripts were written and given the okay without large rewrites.  Typically, a pilot will go through a number of rewrites considering who is in charge of the production company at any given time.  Hollywood, whether cinema or small screen or should we say large screen, has a revolving door when it comes to production heads.

The roll was to be Ryan playing himself.  The potential show runner and co-creator was a college classmate of Ryan's.  She was aware of Ryan's having been bitten by the acting bug, but exigencies sent him down the path which ultimately led to Congress.  The story and subsequent script was not written explicitly for Ryan, however, the co-creator had a light bulb moment when one of the early staff noted a similarity to the Speaker and the role.

We'll never know what might have happened, in a way, for this specific project.  The rumor is that Ryan will not seek re-election in 2018.  Some have groused, since he will be receiving the Speaker's pension, he will become a fixture in Southern California, starting with cameos, then moving up the food chain.  Not all were convinced of his suitability.  One older wag contrasted it to the Reagan slogan when he ran against Governor Edmund G. 'Pat' Brown, "Why not an actor?  We've had a clown for all these years."

Politics aside, it would be interesting, at least from a novelty stand point.  He could actually be another Fred Thompson.

By line: Cecil Humphries
Research: Angel Sandoval

Editor's Note: An update given to Sandoval after initial publication indicates one problem that arose revolved around difficulty in getting Ryan a Canadian work permit.  This in itself wouldn't have stopped the go ahead.  Vancouver was strongly promoted at later stages as the potential production location.