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Ryan McPartlin

Ryan McPartlin

LA-based actor | ‘Captain Awesome’ Woodcomb on ‘Chuck’ | Class of 1998

Me time is tough to come by where Ryan McPartlin lives now.

But back in the mid '90s, long before the Lou Tepper-era walk-on tight end got his big acting break and moved to Los Angeles, it’s the part of campus life he cherished most.

“When I think back to my time at the University of Illinois, my favorite memories are when I would find myself alone on campus," says the 1998 speech communication grad, who most recently played an ex-Navy SEAL and CIA medic in the movie 'Hunter Killer.'

“As much as I loved being around the students and faculty, it was in those quiet moments strolling the Quad, walking through Lincoln Hall or taking in Memorial Stadium, where I could hear the voices of the past while dreaming of the future.

“Every time I go back to Urbana-Champaign, I reconnect with those voices and dreams.”