Michelle Ryan

Posted November 12, 200618 yr

Michelle Claire Ryan (born 22 April 1984) is an English actress, best known for playing the role of Zoe Slater on the popular BBC1 Soap Opera EastEnders. She will be starring in the upcoming NBC television show Bionic Woman.

Ryan was born in Enfield, Greater London. A member of a local theatre group since she was 10, she was picked for her role in EastEnders when she was 15 and first appeared on the show in September 2000; for the part, she affect an East End cockney accent, rather than speaking her usual Received Pronunciation. In 2005 she announced she was leaving EastEnders to concentrate on work in theatre and films.

During summer 2005, Ryan appeared in a run of Who's the Daddy? at the King's Head Theatre. The play by Toby Young and Lloyd Evans is based on the David Blunkett paternity case.

According to the British newspaper The Sun, Ryan auditioned to replace Billie Piper as the Doctor's companion in Doctor Who; however, Freema Agyeman was ultimately chosen for the role. Ryan had a small role in an episode of Marple which screened in February 2006, and also appeared in a small independent film the same year, Cashback.

Michelle Ryan as Katherine Reimer in Jekyll.In spring 2007, Ryan was seen as Maria in a new adaptation of Mansfield Park opposite Billie Piper's Fanny for the ITV network and also as Lila in the film I Want Candy, co-starring Carmen Electra and Mackenzie Crook. In February 2007, an announcement was made saying she had been cast as the lead in the new drama pilot Bionic Woman. Producers say the series will be a "re-imagination" of the 1970s series of the same name. It was confirmed on May 14, 2007, that the show had been picked up for the 2007-08 season. As indicated by the official NBC trailer for the series, Ryan affects an American accent for the role.

On Red Nose Day 2007, Ryan appeared in a brand new Mr. Bean sketch written and recorded for Comic Relief. She will shortly be seen in Flick a new Welsh independent film co-starring Faye Dunaway and Leslie Phillips.

In May 2007, Ryan mentioned in an interview that she had auditioned for the role of Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale eventually given to Eva Green the previous year. Her latest television project is appearing in Jekyll for the BBC, a modern day version of Dr Jekyll And Mr. Hyde starring James Nesbitt. It began its six-episode run on the 16th of June.

Trivia

Ryan has been among FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in 2002, 2004, 2005 (fourth, her highest ranking), and 2007.

Her favourite film is The Last of the Mohicans.

She is 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) tall.

Source:Wikipedia