Reeves, who described Ryan as a "go-getter" who was "shrewd" and a "charmer", found his seduction storyline with Victoria hard to "play out", considering her age. In October 2001, the actor announced his exit from "The Young and the Restless", stating that it was to pursue other projects. The producers kept quiet about the storyline surrounding his exit, although confirmed that he would depart "in a big way". Within the story, Ryan prepared to remarry Victoria but Tricia, his ex-wife, attempted to shoot her and Ryan took two bullets and died from the injury. Throughout his time on the soap opera, Reeves became popular with fans as one of the genre's leading men, garnering multiple awards and nominations.