Ryan Jerome McCartan is an American actor, singer, and public speaker. He portrayed the character Diggie Smalls in the Disney Channel Original Comedy Series, Liv and Maddie.
Ryan McCartan is a recent Minnetonka High School graduate from Excelsior, Minnesota and a Triple Threat Award-winning participant in Hennepin Theatre Trust’s SpotLight Musical Theatre Program, and was named Best Actor at the June 27, 2011, National High School Musical Theater Awards held at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway in New York City. McCartan was one of two students to receive a Jimmy Award, the top honor in the program. He performed Jason Robert Brown’s “Someone to Fall Back On” as his solo. Shauni Ruetz of Rochester, NY was named Best Actress. McCartan and Ruetz received $10,000 scholarship awards and consideration for other professional advancement opportunities. He also was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He is one of 20 high school students nationally to receive the award, and one of only two winners in the theater. It is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an artistically talented graduating senior. The selection was based on academic, civic and artistic achievement. His sister Allison is also an actor and recently toured the US with the musical version of Shrek. He briefly attended the University of Minnesota's Guthrie BFA Program before moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting. He has been cast by Disney Channel to play Diggie Smalls in the show Liv and Maddie.
In August 2013, McCartan began dating co-star Dove Cameron. They got engaged in April 2016, after being together for almost 3 years. However, they split up in October 2016, which Ryan confirmed via Twitter.
Ryan stars in a new film called The Standoff with I Didn't Do It star Olivia Holt, again probably preventing him to not work on Liv and Maddie Season 4, although he will probably be making a couple of guest appearances such as the Christmas episode.[4]
He also performed Flynn Rider and a dancer in the Disneyland show, Mickey and the Magical Map.
Ryan kissed Laverne Cox in the movie, Rocky Horror Picture Show.[5]
He ships Rocky and Brad from Rocky Horror Picture Show.[6]
Ryan lived with Dove until they split up in 2016, and he confirmed on October 25th that he had moved into a new house.[7]
