She was born in Enfield, Greater London. A member of a local theatre group since she was 10, Ryan was picked for her role in EastEnders when she was 15 and first appeared on the show in September 2000. In 2005 she announced[citation needed] she was leaving EastEnders to concentrate on work in theatre and films.
In 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.
Since leaving Eastenders Ryan has appeared in an episode of Marple which screened in February 2006, the independent film Cashback, and Jekyll for the BBC, a modern day version of Dr Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, starring James Nesbitt.
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. In spring 2007, Ryan was seen in a new adaptation of Mansfield Park opposite Billie Piper for the ITV network and as Lila in the film I Want Candy co-starring Carmen Electra and Mackenzie Crook.
In February 2007, it was announced that Ryan 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. 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.
--Wikipedia
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