Amy Ryan

Amy Ryan began her professional acting career in theater, making her off-Broadway debut in the 1987 production of A Shayna Maidel as Hanna. In 1988, she appeared in The Rimers of Eldritch as Lena Truitt at Second Stage Theatre. Her additional off-Broadway credits include Hot Dog Hitman as Doris and Mrs. Garcia in 1992, Crimes of the Heart as Meg Magrath in 2001, Dublin Carol as Mary in 2003, On the Mountain as Sarah in 2005, and Detroit as Mary in 2012. She also originated roles in new regional theater works by Neil LaBute, Arthur Miller and Neil Simon.

Ryan made her Broadway debut as Tess Goode in The Sisters Rosensweig in 1993. She subsequently played Natalya Ivanovna in the 1997 Broadway revival of Three Sisters, Sonya Alexandrovna in Uncle Vanya in 2000, Peggy in The Women in 2001, and Stella Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire in 2005. She also appeared in The 24 Hour Plays as Susan in 2006. For Uncle Vanya and A Streetcar Named Desire, she received Tony Award nominations for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play.

Her screen career began with television appearances, including As the World Turns as Renee in 1990, Quantum Leap as Libby McBain and Brooklyn Bridge as Young Sophie in 1991, Home Improvement as Robin and I'll Fly Away as Parkie Sasser in 1992, and Law & Order as Amy in 1993. Her television credits continued with Sirens and ER in 1995, The Naked Truth as Chloe Banks from 1995 to 1996, Chicago Hope and A Will of Their Own in 1998, Homicide: Life on the Street in 1999, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2000.

Ryan appeared in 100 Centre Street from 2001 to 2002 as Rebecca Rifkind and Ellen. She played Julie Turner and Edie Nelson in Law & Order: Criminal Intent in 2003 and 2007, and Beadie Russell in The Wire from 2003 to 2008. Her other television credits include Third Watch in 2004, American Experience in 2006, Kidnapped from 2006 to 2007, Independent Lens in 2008, The Office as Holly Flax from 2008 to 2011, and In Treatment as Adele in 2010. She later appeared in Clear History in 2013, Broad City from 2015 to 2017, and High Maintenance from 2016 to 2019.

Ryan made her film debut in Roberta in 1999 as Judy. Her subsequent film credits include You Can Count on Me as Rachel Louise Prescott and the short film A Pork Chop for Larry as Beth in 2000; Keane as Lynn Bedik in 2004; War of the Worlds as Neighbor with Toddler, Capote as Marie Dewey, and Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World as Emily Brooks in 2005; Marvelous as Queenie in 2006; and Gone Baby Gone as Helene McCready, Neal Cassady as Carolyn Cassady, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead as Martha Hanson, and Dan in Real Life as Eileen Burns in 2007.

Her film work continued with Changeling as Carol Dexter in 2008; The Missing Person as Miss Charley and Bob Funk as Ms. Wright in 2009; Jack Goes Boating as Connie and Green Zone as Lawrie Dayne in 2010; Win Win as Jackie Flaherty in 2011; and Breathe In as Megan Reynolds, Escape Plan as Abigail Ross, and Devil's Knot as Margaret Lax in 2013. In 2014, she appeared in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) as Sylvia. Her 2015 film credits include Don Verdean as Carol, Louder Than Bombs as Hannah, Goosebumps as Gale Cooper, and Bridge of Spies as Mary McKenna Donovan. In 2016, she appeared in Central Intelligence as Agent Pamela Harris, The Infiltrator as Bonni Tischler, and Monster Trucks as Cindy Coley.

In 2016, Ryan returned to the stage in Love, Love, Love as Sandra at Roundabout Theatre Company. She won the Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress for the production and received nominations for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play and the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance. In 2024, she returned to Broadway as Sister Aloysius Beauvier in Doubt at the Todd Haimes Theatre.

Ryan's later film credits include Abundant Acreage Available as Tracy Ledbetter in 2017, Beautiful Boy as Vicki Sheff in 2018, Late Night as Caroline Morton and Strange but True as Charlene Chase in 2019, Worth as Camille Biros and Lost Girls as Mari Gilbert in 2020, Beau Is Afraid as Grace in 2023, and Wolfs as Margaret/Pam in 2024. Her completed 2026 film credit is A Statement.

Her later television work includes Robot Chicken in 2018, in which she voiced Lobster Lady, Psylocke and Liesl von Trapp; I'll Be Gone in the Dark in 2020, for which she voiced Michelle McNamara's writings; Only Murders in the Building as Jan Bellows from 2021 to 2022 and again in 2024; Sugar as Melanie Matthews in 2024; and Rick and Morty as the voice of Marjorie in 2026.

Ryan's audio work includes the 2019 fiction podcast series The Horror of Dolores Roach, in which she played Georgie in the episode "The Single Greatest Threat to Our Survival."