Early life

Ryan was born Amy Beth Dziewiontkowski in Flushing, Queens, New York City, to 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

Theatre

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.

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.

Television

Following a brief stint playing a runaway on As the World Turns, Ryan was cast in television series such as I'll Fly Away, in which she played a high school temptress, and Brooklyn Bridge, where she played Marion Ross's character in flashbacks. 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.

By 2001, director Sidney Lumet cast her in 100 Centre Street playing three different roles (Ellen, Paris and Rebecca). Ryan went on to feature prominently in the second season of HBO's The Wire, playing Port Authority Officer Beadie Russell. 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, playing the therapist of Dr. Paul Weston.

Film

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. 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.

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 is set to star in Paramount's live-action and animated film, Monster Trucks.

In 2015, Ryan starred as Tom Hanks' wife in the film Bridge of Spies.

Personal life

Ryan married Eric Slovin in 2011. They have one daughter, Georgia Gracie (born October 15, 2009).

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1999	Roberta	Judy
2000	You Can Count on Me	Rachel Louise Prescott
2000	A Pork Chop for Larry	Beth	Short film
2004	Keane	Lynn Bedik
2005	War of the Worlds	Neighbor with Toddler
2005	Capote	Marie Dewey
2005	Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World	Emily Brooks
2006	Marvelous	Queenie
2007	Gone Baby Gone	Helene McCready	Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Supporting Actress Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Iowa Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Nominated—National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated—Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
2007	Neal Cassady	Carolyn Cassady
2007	Before the Devil Knows You're Dead	Martha Hanson	Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
2007	Dan in Real Life	Eileen Burns
2008	Changeling	Carol Dexter
2009	The Missing Person	Miss Charley	Also executive producer
2010	Jack Goes Boating	Connie	Nominated—Comedy Film Award for Best Leading Actress
2010	Green Zone	Lawrie Dayne
2011	Win Win	Jackie Flaherty	Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Indiana Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
2013	Breathe In	Megan Reynolds
2013	Escape Plan	Abigail Ross
2013	Devil's Knot	Margaret Lax
2014	Birdman	Sylvia	Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Ensemble Boston Online Film Critics Association Awards for Best Ensemble Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble New York Film Critics Online Award for Best Ensemble Cast North Texas Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Cast Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Acting Ensemble San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Film Ensemble Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards for Best Acting Ensemble Nominated—Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cast Nominated—Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Nominated—Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast Nominated—Georgia Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Nominated—Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble
2015	Don Verdean	Carol
2015	Louder Than Bombs	Hannah
2015	Bridge of Spies	Mary McKenna Donovan
2015	Goosebumps	Gale Cooper
2016	The Infiltrator	Bonni Tischler	Post-production
2016	Monster Trucks		Post-production
2016	Central Intelligence		Post-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1990	As the World Turns	Reene
1991	Quantum Leap	Libby McBain	Episode: "Raped - June 20, 1980"
1991	Brooklyn Bridge	Young Sophie	Episode: "Old Fools"
1992	Home Improvement	Robin	Episode: "Luck Be a Taylor Tonight"
1992	I'll Fly Away	Parkie Sasser	6 episodes
1993; 2006	Law & Order	Amy / Valerie Messick	2 episodes
1995	Sirens	April Ward	Episode: "The Abduction"
1995	ER	Sister	Episode: "Love Among the Ruins"
1995-1996	The Naked Truth	Chloe Banks	20 episodes
1998	Chicago Hope	Helen Sherwood	Episode: "Liver, Hold the Mushrooms"
1998	A Will of Their Own	Carrie Baker	Miniseries
1999	Homicide: Life on the Street	Helen Sherwood	Episode: "Liver, Hold the Mushrooms"
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	Broad City	Oliver's Mother	Episode: "Kirk Steele"

[ Source: Wikipedia ]