Shootout

Amy Ryan

Academy Award nominee Amy Ryan has made her mark working with some of today’s top directors and talent in the industry. Between many high profile stage projects and television roles such as HBO’s The Wire, currently airing in its final season, Amy is still just getting started.

Ryan hit the big screen this past October in Miramax’s Gone Baby Gone. Directed by Ben Affleck, Amy co-stars with Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris in a breakout performance as a Boston mother whose child is kidnapped. The film has received rave reviews, particularly for Amy’s stand-out performance. Most notably, Amy received Academy Award, Golden Globe and SAG nominations for her performance, in the Best Supporting Actress categories. Additionally, this awards season, Amy has won Best Supporting Actress awards from the Broadcast Film Critics Association (Critic’s Choice Awards), New York Film Critics Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, National Board of Review, and the Boston, Washington DC, and San Francisco Film Critics Societies.

In addition to Gone Baby Gone, in Fall 2007, Amy appeared in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead with Ethan Hawke and directed by Sidney Lumet. Amy was a part of Best Ensemble awards for this film from the Gotham Awards, New York Film Critics Online and the Boston Society of Film Critics. The cast was also nominated for a Broadcast Film Critics Association.

Following these two acclaimed performances, Amy wrapped filming on Clint Eastwood’s The Changeling in which she stars opposite Angelina Jolie. The film is due out at the end of 2008. Amy is currently filming Paul Greengrass’s adaptation of the novel The Imperial Life in the Emerald City, opposite Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear.

Amy has also completed two independent films due out in 2008: Bob Funk by writer/director Craig Carlisle and THe Missing Person by writer Noah Buschel.

Through her steady film career, Amy has worked with some of today’s top directors in a number of extremely noted films such as KEANE directed by Lodge Kerrigan, Capote by Bennet Miller and War of the Worlds directed by Steven Spielberg. Amy also appeared in Dan in Real Life with Steve Carell, directed by Peter Hedges.

In addition to her film credits, Amy has been quite a success on the Broadway stage. In 2000, she was nominated for her first Tony for Best Featured Actress in the Broadway hit Uncle Vanya. A few years later, she astounded critics with a moving portrayal of the character Stella, and was nominated again for best featured Actress opposite John C. Reilly in A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by Ed Hall. Amy also starred in Neil LaBute’s play The Distance From Here in London’s West End.

Ryan’s television credits are extensive, with over 30 guest star performances and over eight series regular or recurring characters on primetime television shows. Most notably as “Beadie” on The Wire.

Amy Ryan has proven herself to be one of the most versatile young actresses working today by playing a variety of compelling characters on stage and screen. Ryan was raised in Queens, New York where she attended the High School of Performing Arts.