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Amy Ryan
Amy Ryan-60157.jpg
Ryan at the premiere of Wolfs in 2024
Born
Amy Beth Dziewiontkowski

(1968-05-03) May 3, 1968 (age 56)
New York City, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1987–present
Spouse(s)
Eric Slovin
(m. 2011)
Children 1
Awards Full list

Amy Beth Dziewiontkowski (born May 3, 1968), known professionally as Amy Ryan, is an American actress. She began her professional stage career in 1987 and made her Broadway debut in 1993 as a replacement in the original production of Wendy Wasserstein's The Sisters Rosensweig. She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performances in Uncle Vanya (2000) and A Streetcar Named Desire (2005), and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Doubt: A Parable (2024).

For her breakthrough film role as a troubled single mother in the thriller Gone Baby Gone (2007), Ryan was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her other films include You Can Count on Me (2000), Capote (2005), Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007), Changeling (2008), Birdman (2014), Bridge of Spies (2015), The Infiltrator (2016), and Beau Is Afraid (2023).

On television, she played Beadie Russell in the HBO crime series The Wire (2002–2008) and Holly Flax in the NBC sitcom The Office (2008–2011), and has also featured in the HBO drama series In Treatment (2010), the Hulu mystery comedy series Only Murders in the Building (2021–2024), and the Apple TV+ mystery series Sugar (2024).

Early life

Ryan was born Amy Beth Dziewiontkowski in Flushing, Queens, in New York City, the daughter of Pamela (née Ryan), a nurse, and John Dziewiontkowski, a trucking business owner. She is of Polish, Irish, and English descent. Growing up in the 1970s, Ryan and her sister Laura delivered the Daily News by bike. At a young age, Ryan attended the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Center in upstate New York. At 17, she graduated from New York's High School of Performing Arts. Hired for the national tour of Biloxi Blues right out of high school, Ryan worked steadily off-Broadway for the next decade. She chose her mother's maiden name as her stage name.

Career

1987–2005: Broadway debut and early roles

Ryan made her off-Broadway debut in the Westside Theatre's 1987 production of A Shayna Maidel, playing the role of Hanna. The following year she was seen in the Second Stage Theatre Company's revival of The Rimers of Eldritch. Additional off-Broadway credits include As Bees In Honey Drown, Crimes of the Heart and Saved. She also worked in regional theater, where she originated roles in new plays by Neil LaBute, Arthur Miller and Neil Simon. On Broadway she has appeared as Tess in The Sisters Rosensweig, Natasha in the 1997 revival of The Three Sisters, and Peggy in the 2001–2002 revival of The Women.

Following a brief stint playing a runaway on As the World Turns, Ryan was cast in television series such as I'll Fly Away, After roles on ER and Chicago Hope, Ryan became a series regular on The Naked Truth as Téa Leoni's spoiled stepdaughter. In 1993, she made her first appearance on NBC's Law & Order, appearing in several episodes over the years.

Ryan was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play twice: in 2000, for her portrayal of Sonya Alexandrovna in Uncle Vanya, and in 2005, for her performance as Stella Kowalski opposite John C. Reilly in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Because of the deletion of the scene where she played Eric Stoltz's wife in Allison Anders's Grace of My Heart, Ryan made her 1999 film debut in Roberta. She then briefly appeared in You Can Count on Me, which starred Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo, and the mystery/thriller Keane. By 2001, director Sidney Lumet cast her in 100 Centre Street playing three different roles (Ellen, Paris and Rebecca). From 2003 to 2008 Ryan went on to feature prominently in HBO's crime drama series The Wire, playing Port Authority Officer Beadie Russell. Albert Brooks chose her to play his wife in Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World in 2005, and 2007 brought both Dan in Real Life and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. Her role as a star-struck sheriff's wife in Capote earned her positive reviews, but it was playing a hardened welfare mom in Ben Affleck's Gone Baby Gone that finally brought her national attention.

2006–2017: Breakthrough and acclaim

Amy Ryan 2007
Ryan in 2007

After being voted Best Supporting Actress for Gone Baby Gone by the National Board of Review, as well as the critics circles in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., Ryan's performance was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting role at the 80th Academy Awards.

Ryan appeared in Changeling (2008), directed by Clint Eastwood, and opposite Matt Damon in Paul Greengrass's Green Zone (2010). In September 2010, she completed filming a role in Philip Seymour Hoffman's directorial film debut, Jack Goes Boating, taking over the role of Connie originally played by Beth Cole in the stage version. Ryan received strong notices for her performance in Tom McCarthy's Win Win the next year, winning Best Supporting Actress awards from multiple regional critics groups. From 2008 to 2011 She appeared for a six-episode arc on The Office as dorky HR rep Holly Flax. She reprised her role on The Office in seasons 5 and 7. Ryan joined the cast of HBO's In Treatment for its third season in 2010, playing the therapist of Dr. Paul Weston.

Ryan was a part of the core ensemble of the 2014 Best Picture Academy Award winning film Birdman, sharing in the cast's Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture victory. In 2015, she starred as Mary Donovan opposite Tom Hanks in the film Bridge of Spies, and reunited with her In Treatment co-star Gabriel Byrne in Louder Than Bombs, the English-language debut of Joachim Trier. Early the next year, Ryan was cast as Tracy, her first on-screen leading role, in Abundant Acreage Available, a rural family drama from Junebug screenwriter Angus MacLachlan. Upon the film's premiere at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, Ryan drew universal acclaim for her performance, with The Wrap noting that she "holds the screen no matter what she's doing and who she's with" and Flavorwire raving that Ryan "sounds notes that are quietly dazzling in their complexity."

Ryan received some of the best reviews of her career for her leading role in the Roundabout Theater Company's 2016 production of Love, Love, Love. Ben Brantley of The New York Times praised her "smashing comic performance," The Hollywood Reporter called her work "emotionally vital," and The Associated Press raved that "Ryan is absolutely magnetic ... nailing her charming, unpredictable character with perfect comedic timing."

For her performance in Love, Love, Love, Ryan won the Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress, and was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play and the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance.

2018–present

In 2018, Ryan co-starred in Beautiful Boy for Amazon Studios, a dark family drama, with her The Office co-star Steve Carell, and Timothée Chalamet. She was then among the ensemble cast of 2019's Late Night, the Mindy Kaling-penned comedy about a female late-night talk show host (Emma Thompson); and Strange but True, a noir-thriller based on the novel by John Searles. In 2020, Ryan starred as Mari Gilbert, a real life woman searching for her missing daughter, in Netflix's mystery thriller Lost Girls.

In 2021, Amy Ryan played Jan Bellows, a main role, in the first season of Hulu series Only Murders in the Building co-starring with Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez. In 2023 she appeared in Ari Aster's A24 black comedy psychological horror film Beau Is Afraid starring Joaquin Phoenix. In the film she plays Grace, alongside Nathan Lane as Roger a couple who take in Beau for a brief period of time.

Personal life

Ryan married Eric Slovin in 2011. They have one daughter born in October 2009.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1999 Roberta Judy
2000 You Can Count on Me Rachel Louise Prescott
A Pork Chop for Larry Beth Short film
2004 Keane Lynn Bedik
2005 War of the Worlds Neighbor with Toddler
Capote Marie Dewey
Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World Emily Brooks
2006 Marvelous Queenie
2007 Gone Baby Gone Helene McCready
Neal Cassady Carolyn Cassady
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead Martha Hanson
Dan in Real Life Eileen Burns
2008 Changeling Carol Dexter
2009 The Missing Person Miss Charley Also executive producer
Bob Funk Ms. Wright
2010 Jack Goes Boating Connie
Green Zone Lawrie Dayne
2011 Win Win Jackie Flaherty
2013 Breathe In Megan Reynolds
Escape Plan Abigail Ross
Devil's Knot Margaret Lax
2014 Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Sylvia
2015 Don Verdean Carol
Louder Than Bombs Hannah
Goosebumps Gale Cooper
Bridge of Spies Mary McKenna Donovan
2016 Central Intelligence Agent Pamela Harris
The Infiltrator Bonni Tischler
Monster Trucks Cindy Coley
2017 Abundant Acreage Available Tracy Ledbetter
2018 Beautiful Boy Vicki Sheff
2019 Late Night Caroline Morton
Strange but True Charlene Chase
2020 Worth Camille Biros
Lost Girls Mari Gilbert
2023 Beau Is Afraid Grace
2024 Wolfs Margaret

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1990 As the World Turns Renee Unknown episodes
1991 Quantum Leap Libby McBain Episode: "... - June 20, 1980"
Brooklyn Bridge Young Sophie Episode: "Old Fools"
1992 Home Improvement Robin Episode: "Luck Be a Taylor Tonight"
I'll Fly Away Parkie Sasser 6 episodes
1993; 2006 Law & Order Amy / Valerie Messick 2 episodes
1995 Sirens April Ward Episode: "The Abduction"
ER Sister Elizabeth Episode: "Love Among the Ruins"
1995–1996 The Naked Truth Chloe Banks 20 episodes
1998 Chicago Hope Helen Sherwood Episode: "Liver, Hold the Mushrooms"
A Will of Their Own Carrie Baker Miniseries
1999 Homicide: Life on the Street Erika Cullen Episode: "A Case of Do or Die"
2000 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Lorraine Hansen Episode: "Bad Blood"
2001–2002 100 Centre Street Rebecca Rifkind / Ellen 7 episodes
2003; 2007 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Julie Turner / Edie Nelson 2 episodes
2003–2008 The Wire Beadie Russell 20 episodes
2004 Third Watch Dr. Jenny Hanson Episode: "Last Will and Testament"
2006 American Experience Luzena Wilson Episode: "The Gold Rush"
2006–2007 Kidnapped Maureen Campbell 2 episodes
2008 Independent Lens Anita Hoffman Episode: "Chicago 10"
2008–2011 The Office Holly Flax 17 episodes
2010 In Treatment Adele 8 episodes
2013 Clear History Wendy the Waitress Television film
2015–2017 Broad City Heidi Strand 2 episodes
2016–2019 High Maintenance Gigi 2 episodes
2018 Robot Chicken Lobster Lady / Psylocke / Liesl von Trapp Voice
Episode: "Shall I Visit the Dinosaurs?"
2020 I'll Be Gone in the Dark Michelle McNamara's Writings Read By Voice
6 episodes
2021–2022; 2024 Only Murders in the Building Jan Bellows Main role
2024 Sugar Melanie Matthews Main Role
Amy Ryan audio work
Year Title Role Notes
2019 The Horror of Dolores Roach Georgie Fiction podcast series
Episode: "The Single Greatest Threat to Our Survival"

Theatre

Year Title Role Venue Ref.
1988 The Rimers of Eldritch Lena Truitt Second Stage Theatre, Off-Broadway
1992 Hot Dog Hitman Doris / Mrs. Garcia West Bank Theatre, Off-Broadway
1993 The Sisters Rosensweig Tess Goode (replacement) Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway
1997 Three Sisters Natalya Ivanovna (replacement) Criterion Center Stage, Broadway
2000 Uncle Vanya Sonya Alexandrovna Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway
2001 Crimes of the Heart Meg Magrath Second Stage Theatre, Off-Broadway
The Women Peggy American Airlines Theatre, Broadway
2003 Dublin Carol Mary Atlantic Theatre Company, Off-Broadway
2005 A Streetcar Named Desire Stella Kowalski Studio 54, Broadway
On the Mountain Sarah Playwrights Horizons, Off-Broadway
2006 The 24 Hour Plays Susan American Airlines Theatre, Broadway
2012 Detroit Mary Playwright Horizons, Off-Broadway
2016 Love, Love, Love Sandra Roundabout Theatre Company, Off-Broadway
2024 Doubt Sister Aloysius Beauvier Todd Haimes Theatre, Broadway

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2007 Academy Award Best Supporting Actress Gone Baby Gone Nominated
2007 Golden Globe Award Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated
2007 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated
2014 Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture Birdman Won
2021 Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series Only Murders in the Building Nominated
2000 Tony Awards Best Featured Actress in a Play Uncle Vanya Nominated
2005 Best Featured Actress in a Play A Streetcar Named Desire Nominated
2024 Best Leading Actress in a Play Doubt: A Parable Nominated

See also

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