Ryan Weaver

Ryan Weaver

Ryan Weaver is the secondary-turned-primary antagonist in the 1997 action-horror-disaster film Turbulence. He is portrayed in the role by villain actor Ray Liotta.

Character Summary

Weaver is a serial killer known as The Lonely Hearts Strangler, he started off with squirrels and birds then moved onto cats and girls. He gets arrested for a murder he claims he did not commit, and is transported on a plane to Loss Angeles to face trial. He is accompanied by four air marshals and another criminal who is also awaiting trial, but during the flight the criminal manages to break free and attacks the marshals.

During the resulting shootout, three of the four marshals (as well as the pilot and his co-pilot) are killed, and Weaver then frees himself before attempting to save the final marshal. He is too late though as the marshal and the criminal are both shot to death. Weaver is seemingly shocked and horrified by the situation.

One of the stewardesses on board the flight, named Teri Halloran, is forced to take control of the plane now that the pilots are dead, and discovers that they are heading towards an intense hurricane. Meanwhile, Weaver becomes incredibly drunk and reveals that he is apparently on a suicide mission with the intention of crashing the plane. He locks the passengers in the crew's cabin and rapes one of the stewardesses before fatally strangling her.

As Halloran tries to safely land the plane, Weaver sneaks into the avionics bay and alters the circuitry, causing the plane to nearly crash. However, Halloran eventually regains control of the plane and the hysterical Weaver breaks into the cockpit with the intention of killing her. After a brief struggle, Halloran reaches for one of the marshals' guns and shoots Weaver in the face, blowing out the back of his head.