1993-06-14 · Excelsior, Minnesota, U.S. · Male
Ryan Jerome McCartan (born June 14, 1993) is an American actor and singer. He is known for creating the role of Jason "J.D." Dean in the original off-Broadway cast of Heathers: The Musical. His Broadway credits include Fiyero Tigelaar in Wicked, Prince Hans in Frozen and Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby.
On screen, McCartan starred as Brad Majors in the 2016 Fox musical television film The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again. He also played the recurring role of Diggie Smalls on the Disney Channel sitcom Liv and Maddie (2013–2017).
Early life
McCartan was born on June 14, 1993, in Excelsior, Minnesota, and graduated from Minnetonka High School in 2011 where he had been part of the Minnetonka Theatre. His father, Conn McCartan, was the principal at Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, until his retirement in June 2023.
Career
McCartan began his career with a minor part in the stage version of High School Musical in 2007. In 2011 he starred in the titular role in Minnesota's first regional production of The Phantom of the Opera. That same year, he won Best Performance by an Actor at the Jimmy Awards, given out by The Broadway League to the top performers in high school musical productions.
McCartan originated the role of Jason Dean in the original off-Broadway cast of the musical Heathers, from March through August 2014. He previously played the role in the 2013 premiere of the musical in Los Angeles. In July 2013, McCartan began playing the recurring role of Diggie on the Disney Channel comedy Liv and Maddie. He remained on the show until its finale on March 24, 2017.
In 2015, he starred in the direct-to-video film R.L. Stine's Monsterville: Cabinet of Souls. In 2015, Dove Cameron and McCartan formed a pop duo called The Girl and the Dreamcatcher, and their first video was released in October 2015. The pair broke up in October 2016.
In 2016 McCartan was cast in the lead role of Brad Majors in the 2016 Fox musical television film The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again.
In mid-2018 he originated the lead role of Eddie Corbin in the new musical Mutt House at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. On September 11, 2018, McCartan made his Broadway debut as Fiyero in the musical Wicked. He remained with the show until May 12, 2019.
In August 2019 he played Lt. Cable in South Pacific at the Aspen Music Festival. Also in 2019, he starred as Mac in Roundabout Theatre Company's new musical Scotland PA. In November 2019 he made his solo show debut at Feinstein's/54 Below. In April 2020, he hosted the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS viewing of 25 Years of Disney Broadway.
He joined the cast of Frozen on Broadway as Hans in February 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Broadway theatres were closed in March. During 2022, he played Hans in the U.S. National tour of Frozen; his final performance was on September 4, 2022.
In October 2022, McCartan was cast as Kyle Reed in The Winchesters, a spin-off of Supernatural. In June 2023, McCartan starred as Tony in a production of West Side Story at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. In November 2023, he starred as Cletis in the off-Broadway production of Lone Star. In September 2024, he took on the titular role in Randy Newman's Faust at The Soraya in Los Angeles, California.
McCartan joined the cast of The Great Gatsby on Broadway in January 2025, replacing Jeremy Jordan in the title role. In May 2026, he was expected to star in West Side Story as Tony as a part of the Washington National Opera at the Lyric Baltimore and Music Center at Strathmore.
Personal life
McCartan began dating actress and singer Dove Cameron, his Liv & Maddie co-star, in August 2013. He officially announced that Cameron was his fiancée on April 14, 2016. The relationship ended in October 2016.
In October 2017, McCartan began dating Samantha Fekete, with whom he ran a YouTube channel called The Stage Door, previously known as Sam & Ryan. In September 2023, they ended their romantic relationship but planned to continue running The Stage Door together. They soon discontinued the channel.
In 2014, McCartan tweeted that he has had Type-1 diabetes since age six. In 2019, he stated in an interview that he had been sexually abused by a theatre mentor when he was 12.
McCartan has self-identified as either queer or bisexual.
Theatre credits
* Credits in bold indicate Broadway venues
Awards
In 2011, he received a Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor. In May 2025, he was nominated for a Broadway.com Audience Choice Award in the category of Favorite Replacement Actor for his performance in The Great Gatsby.