Michelle Ryan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michelle Ryan
Ryan in 2009
Born	Michelle Ryan (1984-04-22) 22 April 1984 (age 41) Enfield, North London, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1999–present
Known for	Role of Zoe Slater in EastEnders (2000–2005)

Michelle Ryan, born on April 22, 1984, is an English actress. She is famous for playing Zoe Slater in the BBC show EastEnders from 2000 to 2005. Later, she starred in the American TV series Bionic Woman in 2007. You might also know her as the sorceress Nimueh in the BBC fantasy series Merlin (2008) or as Lady Christina de Souza in the Doctor Who episode "Planet of the Dead" (2009).

Early Life and School

Michelle Ryan was born in Enfield, London, on April 22, 1984.

She went to Chace Community School. From the age of 10, she was part of a local theatre group. This helped her get an early start in acting.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting with EastEnders (2000–2006)

Michelle Ryan was just 15 years old when she was chosen for the role of Zoe Slater in the popular show EastEnders. Her first appearance was in September 2000.

Her character, Zoe, had many exciting stories. One big storyline was when she found out that Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) was actually her mother, not her sister. She also helped cover up the murder of Den Watts (Leslie Grantham). Michelle left EastEnders in June 2005.

After leaving the show, Michelle acted in a play called Who's the Daddy?. She also had a small part in an episode of Agatha Christie's Marple in 2006. That same year, she appeared in an independent film called Cashback.

Big Roles in Bionic Woman and Jekyll (2007–2008)

In early 2007, Michelle played Maria in Mansfield Park for ITV. She also appeared as Lila in the film I Want Candy.

In February 2007, it was announced that Michelle would play the main character in Bionic Woman. This show was a new version of a 1970s series. It started airing in the United States in September 2007. For her role as Jaime Sommers, Michelle used an American accent. She even learned Krav Maga, a type of self-defense, for the action scenes.

Michelle also appeared in the BBC show Jekyll. This was a modern take on the classic story of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The show began in June 2007.

Fantasy and Sci-Fi Roles (2008–2011)

Michelle Ryan played the sorceress Nimueh in the BBC fantasy series Merlin. She appeared in several episodes of the first season.

In January 2009, the BBC announced Michelle would be in a Doctor Who special. She played Lady Christina de Souza in the episode "Planet of the Dead", which aired in April 2009.

She also filmed a romantic drama for ITV called Mister Eleven in 2008. In 2009, Michelle filmed 4.3.2.1., a crime thriller. She also starred in a play called The Talented Mr. Ripley in 2010.

In 2010, she finished filming the thriller Cleanskin. She also appeared in the comedy film Huge. In 2011, Michelle played Helena from A Midsummer Night's Dream for a BBC learning project.

Recent Work (2012–Present)

Michelle Ryan appeared in Cockneys vs Zombies, a comedy horror film. In this movie, a group of bank robbers fight against zombies. The film was released in September 2012.

In late 2012, Michelle toured with Will Young in a stage production of Cabaret. This show also played in London's West End.

Since 2018, Michelle has been playing her Doctor Who character, Lady Christina, again. She voices the character in a special Big Finish Productions audio drama series.

Other Activities

Michelle Ryan supports children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent. She is also involved with The Big Cat Sanctuary, which helps protect big cats. She supports The Total Green School Awards, which encourages schools to learn about the environment.

Filmography

Key

Denotes works that have not yet been released

Television Shows

Movies

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2006	Cashback	Suzy
2007	I Want Candy	Lila
2008	Flick	Sandra Martin
2010	4.3.2.1.	Kelly
	Huge	Cindy
2011	Cleanskin	Emma
	Love's Kitchen	Shauna
	Girl Walks into a Bar	Loretta
2012	Cockneys vs Zombies	Katy MacGuire
	The Man Inside	Alexia Sinclair
2015	Andron	Elanor
2017	The Last Photograph	Maryam
2019	Somnium	Joan Kepler	Short film
2023	Frankenstein: Legacy	Lady Charlotte	In post-production
2024	Dragged Up Dirty	Lisa Kendall	In post-production

Voice Acting

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Michelle Ryan para niños