James Ryan Haywood was born on December 6, 1980, in Columbus, Georgia. He is an American voice actor, YouTube personality, and former content creator best known for his nearly decade-long run at Rooster Teeth Productions.
His time at the company’s gaming division, Achievement Hunter, made him one of the most recognized faces in online gaming entertainment.
Who is Ryan Haywood?
Ryan Haywood built his reputation through gaming content, voice acting, and live-action appearances for Rooster Teeth.
He was one of the core cast members of Achievement Hunter, a gaming division that produced some of the most popular gaming content on YouTube throughout the 2010s. Fans knew him by his playful nicknames “The Mad King” and “Iron Ryan.”
His role at Rooster Teeth went far beyond just playing video games on camera. He served as an editor, animator, technical director, producer, and website manager during his years with the company.
That range of skills made him one of the most versatile members of the entire Rooster Teeth team.
Ryan also had a notable voice acting career alongside his on-screen work. He voiced characters in major Rooster Teeth animated series, including RWBY and Red vs. Blue. His character, Professor Peter Port in RWBY, became one of his most recognized voice roles.
His career came to an abrupt end in October 2020. Rooster Teeth fired him after he violated the company’s Code of Conduct, following allegations of sexual misconduct and grooming involving fans.
Early Life of Ryan Haywood
Ryan grew up as the youngest of three children in Columbus, Georgia. His mother is Debbie Hoover, and his father is David L. Edwards.
He has an older sister, Tanya Edwards, and an older brother, Ryan Edwards. He spent most of his childhood in the Columbus area before eventually relocating for work.
As a young person, Ryan showed an early passion for video games. He fell in love with gaming from a very young age. That passion would later become the foundation of his entire career.
During his high school years, Ryan reportedly worked as a professional male model, appearing in a magazine called Twist.
It was also in high school that he met his future wife, Laurie Higginbotham. The two were high school sweethearts long before either of them became publicly known figures.
Ryan Haywood Age
Ryan Haywood is 45 years old as of 2026, born on December 6, 1980.
He remains well-known in online entertainment communities despite his departure from public life after 2020.
Ryan Haywood Ethnicity and Nationality
Ryan Haywood is American by nationality. He was born and raised in Columbus, Georgia, and holds citizenship in the United States.
His specific ethnic background has not been publicly detailed in reliable sources.
Ryan Haywood Height and Weight
Ryan Haywood stands at 5 feet 8 inches, or approximately 1.72 meters tall. He weighs around 154 pounds, or roughly 70 kilograms.
His brown hair and brown eyes became familiar to millions of fans through his years of on-camera content at Achievement Hunter.
Ryan Haywood Education
Ryan attended Georgia Southern University before later enrolling at Georgia Tech University. He also studied in England, where he reportedly earned a degree in Computer Science, Web Design, and Computer Animation.
His strong technical background gave him a unique skill set when he eventually joined the digital media industry.
That combination of creative and technical training made him stand out early on. He arrived at Rooster Teeth already capable of editing, animating, and managing digital platforms. Few content creators at the time brought that level of behind-the-scenes expertise.
Before landing at Rooster Teeth, Ryan reportedly worked as a pool cleaner to support himself. He discovered the job opening at Rooster Teeth on Craigslist, applied, and relocated to Austin, Texas, after being hired.
His willingness to take that chance changed the course of his career entirely.
Ryan Haywood Career
Early Career at Rooster Teeth
Ryan joined Achievement Hunter in early 2011, initially working as an editor, crew member, and recurring on-camera host.
His first major responsibilities included managing the Rooster Teeth website and overseeing their Game Fails YouTube channel. He was the third main host to be brought into the Achievement Hunter core team, following Geoff Ramsey and Jack Pattillo.
That shift from behind-the-scenes work to on-camera talent happened gradually. Ryan’s technical skills made him invaluable in the production of content. Soon, his personality on camera began attracting a loyal following of his own.
During this early period, Ryan also served as a machinima animator and technical director for Red vs. Blue Season 10. He was working in multiple departments at once, handling animation, editing, and hosting duties.
That hustle earned him a full-time position and a permanent seat at the Achievement Hunter table.
Rise to Prominence
By 2014, Ryan had become one of the most dominant personalities at Achievement Hunter. His character “The Mad King” became a fan favorite through the massively popular Minecraft Let’s Plays.
Viewers were drawn to his strategic, often chaotic approach to gaming content, which gave him a distinct identity within the group.
His fame grew steadily alongside the Achievement Hunter brand. From 2013 to 2020, Achievement Hunter was producing weekly videos that regularly attracted hundreds of thousands of views. Ryan was central to much of that success.
He also expanded into voice acting in a meaningful way during this period. He voiced Professor Peter Port in RWBY, Lieutenant John Elizabeth Andersmith in multiple seasons of Red vs. Blue, and played “The Mad King” in the animated series X-Ray and Vav.
Additionally, he co-hosted the gaming podcasts Glitch Please and Off Topic, adding another dimension to his public profile.
Departure from Rooster Teeth
On October 6, 2020, Ryan announced his departure from Rooster Teeth via a since-deleted post on social media. The following day, Rooster Teeth confirmed they had parted ways with him after he breached the company’s Code of Conduct.
Multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and grooming emerged around the time of his departure. Several women came forward with accounts suggesting Ryan had manipulated female fans, with some allegations involving individuals who were reportedly minors at the time.
Rooster Teeth’s fellow employees, including Jack Pattillo and Michael Jones, publicly confirmed the validity of the allegations and stated they would work to remove his content from company platforms.
Because some of the alleged misconduct reportedly involved interactions through his Twitch audience, Twitch permanently banned Ryan Haywood from its platform on January 20, 2021. An attempt to return to the platform in early 2021 was unsuccessful.
Ryan Haywood Wife
Ryan Haywood is married to Dr. Laurie Higginbotham, a veterinarian. The two met as high school sweethearts in Georgia and wed in 2007.
Laurie reportedly attended the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 2007, and completed her internship at a veterinary specialty practice in Florida before moving to Texas.
Since Ryan’s departure from Rooster Teeth, the couple has kept their relationship largely out of the public eye. Reports from multiple sources suggest they remain together and continue to live in Austin, Texas.
Ryan has made no detailed public statements about his marriage since the controversy in October 2020.
Despite the intense scrutiny that followed the 2020 allegations, Laurie has not made any public statements. The family has chosen privacy over public engagement. That silence has been their most consistent response to the events that unfolded.
Ryan Haywood Children
Ryan and Laurie have two children together. Their son, Eli, was born in 2011, and their daughter, Olivia, was born in October 2013.
Ryan occasionally featured his children in his Twitch streams during his time at Rooster Teeth, and he was known for speaking fondly of his family in interviews and podcasts.
Since the controversy in 2020, Ryan has kept his children entirely out of the public spotlight. No additional public information about his children has been confirmed in reliable sources since that time.
His focus on protecting his family’s privacy has been consistent since his departure from Rooster Teeth.
Ryan Haywood Net Worth
Ryan Haywood’s estimated net worth is approximately $1 million as of 2026.
His income during his career came primarily from his salary and content creation work at Rooster Teeth, along with earnings from his Twitch streaming channel before his permanent ban in January 2021.
He also earned income through voice acting roles in Rooster Teeth animated productions including RWBY and Red vs. Blue.
His career trajectory was on a clear upward path before October 2020. The abrupt end of his employment and the subsequent Twitch ban eliminated his two primary income streams simultaneously.
Since then, Ryan has not publicly engaged with any known professional projects, and no new verified income sources have been reported.
Ryan Haywood Social Media
Ryan Haywood was active across multiple platforms during his years at Rooster Teeth. He maintained a presence on Twitter under the handle @RyanTheTwit, where he posted his initial departure statement in October 2020, which has since been deleted.
His Instagram account, @ryanthepic, was active during his time at Achievement Hunter but has seen no significant public activity since the controversy.
His Twitch channel was permanently banned on January 20, 2021, following the allegations that surfaced in October 2020.
As of 2026, Ryan Haywood does not appear to have an active public social media presence on any major platform. He has largely withdrawn from public-facing digital life since his departure from Rooster Teeth.
The Bottom Line
Ryan Haywood was a central figure in the rise of Achievement Hunter and digital gaming entertainment throughout the 2010s.
His combination of technical skills, voice acting talent, and on-camera charisma made him one of the most recognizable personalities at Rooster Teeth Productions during his nearly decade-long tenure with the company.
We hope you enjoyed reading about Ryan Haywood. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!