Ryan Grantham used to be a working child actor with small roles in shows like Riverdale and Supernatural. Now his name comes up mostly because he is in prison for killing his mother. This article lays out what is actually confirmed about his life, his career, and the case, using court records and major news outlets rather than rumors.
Background
Ryan Grantham was born on November 30, 1998, in Squamish, British Columbia, a small town north of Vancouver, Canada. He started working as a child actor at around age nine, picking up small parts in TV movies and shows filmed in the Vancouver area, which is a major hub for North American film and television production. Some entertainment listings mention that he did commercial and child modeling work even earlier than that, though those very early jobs are less documented than his later credited roles.
Over the next decade, he built a modest but steady resume. He was not a headline star, but he showed up in productions that a lot of people recognize, including Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Riverdale, Supernatural, and iZombie. He also had a lead role in the 2012 Canadian film Becoming Redwood, where his character believes he can bring his parents back together by beating golfer Jack Nicklaus at a fictional recreation of the 1975 Masters. That film won the award for Most Popular Canadian Film at the Vancouver International Film Festival, and it earned an honorable mention from the festival’s Best Canadian Film jury the same year.
People search for Ryan Grantham today for a very different reason than they did a decade ago. In March 2020, he shot and killed his mother, Barbara Waite, in their family home. He was later convicted, and the case drew heavy news coverage because of his acting background and because of a separate, more extreme plan investigators say he had. That combination is why his name still generates search interest years later.
Latest Update
As of August 19, 2026, here is what is currently known: there is no new confirmed development in Ryan Grantham’s case since his September 2022 sentencing. He remains incarcerated in Canada, serving a life sentence with no eligibility for parole until he has served 14 years. No credible outlet has reported a parole hearing, a legal appeal outcome, or a change in his facility status as of this date.
⚠️ On rumors: Search interest in Ryan Grantham tends to spike whenever true-crime content, documentaries, or social media posts revisit the case. If you see a claim about a new escape, release, or update that is not linked to a named court document or a major news outlet, treat it as unconfirmed until a credible source reports it directly.
Full Profile
Family and Early Life
Grantham grew up in Squamish, British Columbia, with his mother, Barbara Waite, and a younger sister. His mother and sister reportedly supported his early interest in acting. His father’s identity and occupation have not been confirmed by any major news outlet, so that detail is listed as unconfirmed. His sister’s full name has appeared in a small number of lower-tier sources but has not been verified by a major outlet, so it is also treated as unconfirmed here.
Career Path
Grantham’s acting career ran from 2007 to 2019. He debuted in the TV movie The Secret of the Nutcracker in 2007, then picked up guest and supporting roles over the following years. His most widely recognized credits are Rodney James in the 2010 Diary of a Wimpy Kid film and Jeffery Augustine in a handful of Riverdale episodes. He also appeared in Supernatural, iZombie, and Falling Skies, and did some voice acting work, including a role in Marley & Me: The Puppy Years. He received a Leo Award nomination during his career, a regional honor for film and television work produced in British Columbia. His last confirmed screen credit was in 2019, before he enrolled at Simon Fraser University and stepped away from acting entirely.
Age
Grantham was born November 30, 1998. As of August 19, 2026, he is 27 years old.
Religion
A small number of lower-authority sources describe Grantham as having a Christian or Protestant upbringing. No major news outlet or court document has confirmed specific religious beliefs, so this detail is unconfirmed.
Spouse/Partner
There is no verified record of Grantham having a spouse or partner. Given that he has been incarcerated since April 2020, this is unlikely to change while his sentence continues, and no credible source has reported otherwise.
Net Worth
No verified net worth figure exists for Ryan Grantham. As a child and teen actor with mostly supporting roles, any earnings would have been modest, but no financial records or credible reporting give a specific number. This is unconfirmed.
Parents
His mother was Barbara Waite, who worked to support her children and was described in court as a devoted parent. She was 64 years old at the time of her death. His father has not been publicly named in verified reporting.
Height
No verified height figure has been published by a credible source. One court-adjacent news report described him as physically small, but no exact measurement is on record. This is unconfirmed.
Education
Grantham was enrolled at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia around 2020, alongside acting-focused schooling earlier in his life. Whether he completed any degree has not been confirmed by any credible source.
Hometown/State of Origin
Grantham is from Squamish, British Columbia, Canada, a town roughly an hour north of Vancouver.
Official Social Media
Grantham does not maintain an active, verified public social media presence, which is expected given his incarceration. No official verified account could be confirmed at the time of writing. For background information, his page on Wikipedia is the most regularly updated public reference.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| November 30, 1998 | Born in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada |
| 2007 | Acting debut in The Secret of the Nutcracker |
| 2010 | Appears in Diary of a Wimpy Kid as Rodney James |
| 2019 | Last screen credit, in Riverdale |
| March 31, 2020 | Shoots and kills his mother, Barbara Waite, at their Squamish home |
| April 1, 2020 | Turns himself in to Vancouver police; arrested |
| March 9, 2022 | Pleads guilty to second-degree murder |
| September 23, 2022 | Sentenced to life in prison, no parole eligibility for 14 years |
Reader Questions (FAQ)
Is Ryan Grantham still in prison?
Yes. As of August 19, 2026, he is serving a life sentence in a Canadian correctional facility, with no eligibility for parole until he has served 14 years. No credible source has reported a release, transfer, or parole hearing.
Why did Ryan Grantham kill his mother?
Court proceedings revealed Grantham was struggling with major depressive disorder and heavy cannabis use, and had spent months isolated and consuming violent content online before the murder. No single motive was confirmed in court beyond his own deteriorating mental state, which his defense presented as a mitigating factor.
Did Ryan Grantham try to kill Justin Trudeau?
Prosecutors said that after killing his mother, Grantham loaded his car with weapons and drove partway toward Ottawa with an alleged plan targeting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but he turned around before reaching Ottawa and eventually turned himself in to police instead of carrying out any further violence.
What shows was Ryan Grantham in?
He is best known for playing Rodney James in the 2010 Diary of a Wimpy Kid film and a supporting character in Riverdale. He also appeared in Supernatural, iZombie, and Falling Skies, plus the lead role in the 2012 film Becoming Redwood.
How old is Ryan Grantham now?
He was born on November 30, 1998, which makes him 27 years old as of August 19, 2026.
What was Ryan Grantham’s sentence?
He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, which carries an automatic life sentence in Canada. On September 23, 2022, a judge set his parole ineligibility at 14 years, meaning he cannot apply for parole before then.
Does Ryan Grantham have a Wikipedia page?
Yes, Ryan Grantham has an active Wikipedia page that covers his acting career and his criminal case, and it is regularly cited by news outlets as a reference point for his biography.
Wrap-Up
Ryan Grantham’s story splits cleanly into two very different chapters. The first is an ordinary child-actor career: small roles, steady work in the Vancouver production scene, and nothing that stood out as unusual. The second chapter is the one people search for now, and it is grim by any measure. He pleaded guilty to killing his mother in 2020, and court records point to serious untreated mental health struggles in the months leading up to it.
What makes this case different from a typical crime story is the alleged secondary plan involving Canada’s prime minister, which is part of why it drew national and international headlines rather than staying a local story. That detail, combined with his acting background, is likely the main reason search interest in his name has stayed steady years after his sentencing.
As of this writing, nothing about his situation has changed since September 2022. If a parole hearing, appeal, or other legal development happens in the future, credible outlets like CBC News, Global News, or Reuters would be the sources to check first, rather than social media claims or unsourced blog posts.
Smith Andrew is the Founder and Editor of BiographyCabal. He researches, writes, and edits accurate, engaging, and well-researched biographies of celebrities, entrepreneurs, athletes, influencers, politicians, and other notable public figures. Committed to factual reporting and quality storytelling, Smith ensures every article is reader-focused, informative, and based on reliable sources, helping readers discover the lives, careers, and achievements of influential people around the world.