Michelle Ryan profile
Bionic Woman: Michelle Ryan profile
Published: Friday, 23 November 2007, 12:30PM
“I’ve had to do lots of training and trekking up mountains. They have really put me through it.”
When Michelle Ryan first burst onto our screens in the UK as Zoe, the youngest daughter of the chaotic Slater family in EastEnders, she quickly won admirers with her natural acting.
Given her chance, aged just 15, the girl from Enfield north London excelled in a number of high-profile storylines. Her catchphrase became “stop it, all of you”.
She soon attracted legions of male admirers.
Michelle is very much her own woman. She rejected offers to take off her clothes for the lads mags and left EastEnders because she “was bored” and had taken the character as far as she could go.
After her stint in Walford came to an end in 2005, Michelle moved into theatre and other TV work including a Miss Marple episode before she got her big screen chance in Brit flick Cashback.
She also stood out among the likes of Jimmy Carr and Hollywood vixen Carmen Electra in the Stephen Surjik-directed comedy I Want Candy in 2007 before landing two TV roles that got US executives interested..
Playing Maria Betram in ITV's adaptation of Mansfield Park and Katherine Reimer opposite James Nesbitt in Jekyll for the BBC, she displayed a more mature persona. Not bad for someone who hadn't yet turned 24.
It was only a matter of time before she grabbed a lead role and America’s NBC offered her the chance to headline as Jaime Sommers in their multi-million dollar action series that premiered in autumn 2007.
For Michelle, who was voted fourth in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in 2005, it was a big relief after losing out in auditions for Doctor Who in the UK and Eva Green's part in the Bond movie Casino Royale.
Bionic woman is far more slick and darker than the original that ran on ITV from 1976 to 1979. The original Jaime was an ex-tennis pro who suffered a sky diving accident. Actress Lindsay Wagner won the 1976 Emmy for her portrayal.
Michelle wasn’t born until 1984 so she caught the series on re-runs. “I can only remember thinking Lindsay was a very pretty lady,” said Michelle recently.
Describing her Michelle said: "She is a strong, feisty character. She has a vulnerability to her. Jaime is very warm, compassionate and has high morals. She always questions things. She will take a stand against things that aren’t right.”
The bionic woman premiere in the US was heralded by a major marketing campaign. Interviewed in the US Michelle said: “Because we’ve been filming in Vancouver we weren’t aware of the huge stuff going on here.
“I’m having the best time of my life and I’m learning all the time just like Jaime is. It feels like we’re in unison.”
"Accent-wise, the American accent is definitely something I had to work on. I’ve worked with a really good coach and I can switch into it now. The further we've gotten into the series, the easier and easier it becomes."
Unlike some soap actors Michelle has managed to reinvent her acting career. She explained: “I spent five years on EastEnders and I learned how the industry and press works, it was an apprenticeship. I also learned to enjoy every minute of it because you never know what’s around the corner.”
She is rarely in the newspapers and although she recently split from her boyfriend of three years, there was hardly a mention of it in the press. He is a semi-professional footballer who she met while at EastEnders. Michelle is now single and lives alone in Vancouver.