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'{{Refimprove|date=April 2009}} {{infobox actor | name = Michelle Ryan | image = Michelle Ryan at the BAFTA's.jpg | caption = Michelle Ryan at the 2009 [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA Awards]] in London | birthname = Michelle Claire Ryan<ref>''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1984-2004.''Volume 12, Page 728</ref> | birthdate = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1984|4|22}} | birthplace = [[London Borough of Enfield|Enfield]], [[Greater London]], [[England]] | occupation = [[Actress]] }} '''Michelle Claire Ryan''' (born 22 April 1984) is an [[England|English]] [[actress]]. She was previously best known for portraying the role of [[Zoe Slater]] on the [[BBC]] soap opera ''[[EastEnders]]''. She has also starred in the 2007 television series remake [[Bionic Woman (2007 TV series)|''Bionic Woman'']]. More recently she has appeared as the wicked sorceress Nimueh in the 2008 BBC TV series ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]'', and as [[Christina de Souza|Lady Christina de Souza]] in an Easter 2009 episode of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. Ryan is engaged to semi-pro footballer [[Tommy Williams]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.michelleryanweb.co.uk/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=33&cntnt01dateformat=%25d%20%25b%20%25Y&cntnt01returnid=52|title=Michelle Ryan}}</ref> ==Early life and career== Michelle Ryan was born in [[London Borough of Enfield|Enfield]], [[Greater London]], and was a student at [[Chace Community School]]. Her father is a [[Fire Safety Officer]], while her mother works for [[Clinique]].<ref name=telegraphwho/> 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 affected an East End cockney accent, rather than speaking her usual [[Received Pronunciation]].<ref>''EastEnders Revealed''; ''Bionic Woman ("The Education of Jaime Sommers")''</ref> In 2005, she announced she was leaving ''EastEnders'' to concentrate on work in theatre and films.{{Fact|date=May 2007}} She has mused that her involvement with the show served as a dress rehearsal for working on ''Bionic Woman''. ==Primetime career and other works== Ryan got her first big break playing Sheylla Grands in the Series TV Show "Chosen Ones" in the 1st season and Zoe Slater in the [[BBC]] soap ''EastEnders''. 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]]. Ryan had a small role in an episode of ''[[Marple (TV series)|Marple]]'' which screened in February 2006, and also appeared in a small independent film the same year, ''[[Cashback (film)|Cashback]]'' In early 2007, Ryan was seen as Maria in a [[Mansfield Park (2007 TV drama)|new adaptation]] of [[Mansfield Park (novel)|Mansfield Park]] opposite Billie Piper for [[ITV]] and also as Lila in the film ''[[I Want Candy (film)|I Want Candy]]'', co-starring [[Carmen Electra]] and [[Mackenzie Crook]]. In February 2007, it was announced that she had been cast as the lead in the new drama ''Bionic Woman''.<ref>{{cite web | title = Ex-Eastender Zoe transformed into Bionic Woman | url = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=435916&in_page_id=1773 | accessdate = 2007-02-14 }}</ref> The series began airing in the United States on the broadcast network [[NBC]] in September 2007. Ryan affects an American accent for the role of [[Jaime Sommers (Bionic Woman)|Jaime Sommers]], except in the episode "The Education of Jaime Sommers" in which her character goes under cover as an English transfer student at a university; for this episode, she uses an Oxfordshire accent instead of her natural London accent. She has had professional dance training and attributes to it helping her with the physically demanding stunts required for the show.<ref name="comingsoon">[http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=37066 Ryan and Eick on NBC's ''Bionic Woman'']</ref> She also learnt [[Krav Maga]] and [[sign language]] for the part. Ryan stated the show's cancellation came about because it kept changing direction, and stated it led to her being less ambitious about her career. "I'm more go-with-the-flow now," she said.<ref name=telegraphwho>{{cite news|author=Andrew Pettie|title=Michelle Ryan on joining Doctor Who|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=2009-04-09|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/5119761/Interview-Michelle-Ryan-on-joining-Doctor-Who.html|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref> On [[Red Nose Day 2007]], Ryan appeared in a brand new ''[[Mr. Bean]]'' [[Red Nose Day 2007#Sketches|sketch written and recorded]] for [[Comic Relief (charity)|Comic Relief]]. In May 2007, Ryan revealed she had auditioned the previous year for the role of [[Vesper Lynd]] in ''[[Casino Royale (2006 film)|Casino Royale]]'', eventually given to [[Eva Green]].<ref>{{ cite web| title = Sky Showbiz | url = http://showbiz.sky.com/showbiz/article/0,,50001-1264976,00.html | accessdate = 2007-05-27 }}</ref> In late 2007 she appeared in ''[[Flick (film)|Flick]]'', a [[Independent Cinema in the United Kingdom|Welsh independent film]] co-starring [[Faye Dunaway]] and [[Leslie Phillips]]. Prior to ''Bionic Woman'', she appeared in ''[[Jekyll (TV series)|Jekyll]]'' for the BBC, a modern day version of ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]'' starring [[James Nesbitt]]. It began its six-episode run on 16 June 2007 and was released on DVD in the United States on 18 September 2007, one week prior to her debut in ''Bionic Woman''. She has also appeared as the [[sorceress]] [[Nimueh]] in the BBC drama series ''Merlin''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/07_july/23/merlin.shtml|title=Merlin's Secrets Revealed|publisher=[[bbc.co.uk]]|date=2008-07-23|accessdate=2008-07-23}}</ref> Ryan is signed to Independent Models in [[London]], and is also a patron of children's [[cancer]] [[Charitable organization|charity]] [[CLIC Sargent]]. In January 2009, the BBC announced that Ryan had been cast as [[Christina de Souza|Lady Christina de Souza]] in the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' [[Easter]] special episode "[[Planet of the Dead]]", which was broadcast on April 11, 2009. She had been rumoured for a part beforehand, and is open to reprising the role in future, although "At the moment, when it comes to acting, I'm a bit of a commitment-phobe."<ref name=telegraphwho/> ==Selected Filmography== ===Television=== {| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;" |-style="background:#B0C4DE;" ! Year ! Film ! Role ! Notes |- |rowspan="3"| 2000 || ''[[The Worst Witch (TV series)|The Worst Witch]]'' || Dolores || Episode: "Fair Is Foul & Fouls Are Fair" |- | ''[[Burnside (TV series)|Burnside]]'' || School Friend || Episodes: "Exposed: Part 1" and "Exposed: Part 2" |- | ''EastEnders'' || Zoe Slater || 2000–2005<br/>454 episodes |- |rowspan="2"| 2003 || ''EastEnders: Slaters in Detention'' || Zoe Slater || DVD special |- | ''[[Comic Relief|Comic Relief 2003: The Big Hair Do]]'' || Zoe Slater || ''EastEnders'' sketch |- | 2006 || ''Marple'' || Rose Water || Episode: "[[By the Pricking of My Thumbs#Film, TV or theatrical adaptations|By the Pricking of My Thumbs]]" |- |rowspan="4"| 2007 || ''Red Nose Day'' || Kate || "[[List of Mr. Bean episodes#Mr. Bean's Wedding|Mr. Bean's Wedding]]" segment |- | ''Mansfield Park'' || Maria Bertram || |- | ''[[Jekyll (TV series)|Jekyll]]'' || Katherine Reimer || |- | ''[[Bionic Woman (2007 TV series)|Bionic Woman]]'' || Jaime Sommers || Lead role |- | 2008 || ''Merlin'' || Nimueh || Episodes: "[[The Mark of Nimueh]]", "[[The Poisoned Chalice]]", "[[Excalibur (Merlin)|Excalibur]]", "[[Le Morte d'Arthur (Merlin)|Le Morte d'Arthur]]" |- | 2009 || ''[[Doctor Who]]'' || [[Lady Christina de Souza]] || Episode: "[[Planet of the Dead]]" |- | || ''[[Mr Eleven]]'' || Saz Paley || ''Awaiting broadcast'' |} === Film === {| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;" |-style="background:#B0C4DE;" ! Year ! Film ! Role ! Notes |- | 2006 || ''Cashback'' || Suzy || Film debut |- | 2007 || ''I Want Candy'' || Lila || |- | 2008 || ''Flick'' || Sandra Martin |} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0752740|name=Michelle Ryan}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Michelle}} [[Category:1984 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:English soap opera actors]] [[Category:English television actors]] [[Category:People from Enfield]] [[bg:Мишел Райън]] [[de:Michelle Ryan]] [[es:Michelle Ryan]] [[eu:Michelle Ryan]] [[fr:Michelle Ryan]] [[it:Michelle Ryan]] [[pt:Michelle Ryan]] [[fi:Michelle Ryan]]'