Rebecca Ryan
{{short description|English actress (born 1991)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Rebecca Ryan 2022.jpg
| caption = Ryan at the British Soap Awards in 2022
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|4|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Manchester, England, United Kingdom
| education = St Monica's High School
| occupation = Actress
| years_active = 1999–present
| known_for = {{Plainlist|
}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Dan Acraman|2022}}
| website =
| awards =
}}
Rebecca Ryan (born 27 April 1991){{Cite web|url=http://www.holby.tv/rebecca-ryan/|title=Rebecca Ryan|website=holby.tv|date=21 November 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=12 January 2019}} is a British actress from Manchester, England, best known for her roles as Carly Hope in Emmerdale and Debbie Gallagher in the Channel 4 comedy-drama series Shameless (2004–2009). Ryan also appeared as Vicki MacDonald in the BBC One school-based drama series Waterloo Road (2009–2011), Gemma Dean in the BBC One medical drama Casualty (2017–2019) and from 2021 to 2022, she appeared in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street as Lydia Chambers.
Career
Ryan's Northern Irish mother Maranna was the first World Irish dancing champion. Inspired by her mother, Ryan took up Irish dancing lessons at age three, competed in numerous competitions and ranked third at age 12.{{cite web|title=Taste of a classic for Rebecca Ryan|url=http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/leisure/whats_on/11265821.Taste_of_a_classic_for_Rebecca_Ryan/|website=The Lancashire Telegraph|date=9 June 2014 |access-date=22 July 2016}} Ryan first followed her brother, Charlie Ryan, onto the stage at the age of six in a production of The Who's Tommy at Manchester Opera House.{{cite news|title=Rebecca Ryan|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/apr/09/rebecca-ryan-shameless-debbie-gallagher-taste-of-honey|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=20 March 2015|date=9 April 2014|last=Hickling|first=Alfred}} Ryan then starred as Debbie Gallagher in Shameless, which she began playing at the age of 11. Though she never had any formal training as an actor, she credits the time spent on the set of Shameless as a useful learning experience.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/leisure/the_big_interview/11259864.from-shameless-to-the-stage-for-actress-rebecca-ryan/|title=From Shameless to the stage for actress Rebecca Ryan|website=The Bolton News|date=5 June 2014 |language=en|access-date=12 January 2019}}
Ryan has appeared in various television series, including State of Play, Holby City and the CBBC series, Stupid!. In February 2006, she appeared in Emmerdale playing Bob Hope's (Tony Audenshaw) daughter, Carly Hope. She also appeared on Celebrity Big Brother 6 as part of a task. Ryan made her stage debut in Scarborough by Fiona Evans at London's Royal Court Theatre in 2008, and subsequently appeared in "Lost Monsters" at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool.{{cite web|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/shameless-star-rebecca-ryan-brings-a-taste-of-honey-to-edinburgh-1-2764114|title=Rebecca Ryan|website=The Scotsman|access-date=20 March 2015}} From 2009 to 2011, she appeared as pupil Vicki MacDonald in BBC One school-based drama series Waterloo Road. In January 2010, she played the part of Ellie McCall in a special five-part storyline in BBC daytime soap opera Doctors. In February 2011, Ryan appeared in Let's Dance for Comic Relief, with fellow Waterloo Road cast member, Philip Martin Brown. In May 2011, she played Maeve Summers in an episode of Casualty. She has also appeared as Grace in Monroe (2012), Erin Doyle in an episode of DCI Banks (2014) and Natalie Dixon in Doctors (2015).{{Cite web|date=10 December 2021|title=Who plays Lydia in Coronation Street? What else has Rebecca Ryan been in?|url=https://www.entertainmentdaily.co.uk/soaps/who-plays-lydia-in-coronation-street-what-else-has-rebecca-ryan-been-in/|access-date=20 January 2022|website=Entertainment Daily|language=en-GB}}
In May 2014, Ryan toured in the production of A Taste of Honey Derby Theatre. In February 2015, Ryan starred in the Derby Theatre's Solace of the Road playing the characters Holly and Solace.{{cite web |title=Rebecca Ryan to star in Derby Theatre's Spring 2015 production {{!}} Derby Theatre |url=https://www.derbytheatre.co.uk/rebecca-ryan-star-derby-theatres-spring-2015-production |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231160932/https://www.derbytheatre.co.uk/rebecca-ryan-star-derby-theatres-spring-2015-production |archive-date=2014-12-31 |website=derbytheatre.co.uk}} The Derby Telegraph reviewer, Susie Brighouse, said of her performance: "Rebecca Ryan perfects the complex art of acting by a subtle change of tone to clarify what Solace is thinking, as well as deftly changing between the personalities of Holly and Solace throughout the play."{{cite web|title=Solace of the Road|url=http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/REVIEW-Solace-Road-Derby-Theatre/story-26111753-detail/story.html|website=derbytelegraph.co.uk|publisher=The Derby Telegraph|access-date=29 April 2015}} Alfred Hickling of The Guardian wrote: "It's hard to think of an actor more capable of veering between the ages of 12 and 27 at any given moment [than Ryan.]"{{cite news|title=Solace of the Road Review|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/mar/04/solace-of-the-road-review-derby-theatre-siobhan-dowd-rebecca-ryan|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=29 April 2015|date=4 March 2015|last=Hickling|first=Alfred}} Ryan featured in the second run of Beryl, written by fellow Shameless actress Maxine Peake, at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in June and July 2015, followed by an autumn 2015 tour around England.{{cite web|title=Meet Rebecca Ryan playing Beryl Burton|url=http://www.backseatmafia.com/2015/06/25/meet-rebecca-ryan-playing-beryl-burton-at-west-yorkshire-playhouse|website=backseatmafia.com|publisher=Backseat Mafia|access-date=17 October 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630150154/http://www.backseatmafia.com/2015/06/25/meet-rebecca-ryan-playing-beryl-burton-at-west-yorkshire-playhouse/|archive-date=30 June 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://www.wyp.org.uk/latest_news/beryl-on-tour|title=Tour de Beryl|publisher=West Yorkshire Playhouse|date=8 July 2015|access-date=17 October 2015}} In 2017, Ryan began portraying hospital porter Gemma Dean in the BBC medical drama, Casualty. Ryan confirmed she had departed Casualty on 10 August 2019.{{cite news |last=Dainty |first=Sophie |title=Casualty airs Gem Dean's final scenes as Rebecca Ryan bows out of role |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/casualty/a28656809/casualty-catch-up-gem-dean-exit-rebecca-ryan/ |access-date=13 March 2022 |work=Digital Spy |publisher=(Hearst Communications) |date=10 August 2019}} In December 2021, she joined the cast of the ITV soap opera Coronation Street as Lydia Chambers. She confirmed that her exit would air in 2022 following the conclusion of Lydia's storyline.{{cite news |last=Seddon |first=Dan |title=Coronation Street star Rebecca Ryan addresses fan "hate" for schemer Lydia |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/a39404427/coronation-street-rebecca-ryan-fan-hate-lydia/ |access-date=13 March 2022 |work=Digital Spy |publisher=(Hearst Communications) |date=11 March 2022}}
Personal life
Ryan married her partner Dan Acraman on 24 September 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/a41418662/coronation-street-rebecca-ryan-marries-dan-acraman/|title=Former Coronation star Rebecca Ryan marries her partner Dan Acraman|last=Warner|first=Sam|date=28 September 2022|publisher=Digital Spy|access-date=30 September 2023}} Ryan gave birth to their first child, a daughter, in May 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsvplive.ie/news/celebs/coronation-streets-rebecca-ryan-welcomes-29875879/|title=Coronation Street's Rebecca Ryan welcomes first child with husband shows gorgeous name|last=Townsend|first=Michelle|date=3 May 2023|publisher=RSVPLive.ie|access-date=30 September 2023}} In January 2025, she announced she is pregnant with her second child.{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |date=2025-01-11 |title=Coronation Street star announces she's pregnant with second child |url=https://www.lancs.live/news/celebs-tv/coronation-street-star-rebecca-ryan-30761026.amp |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=Lancs Live |language=en}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable unsortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |
| 2001
| Kannibal | Victim 3 | Film; credited as Becky Ryan |
| 2002–2003
| Mary Loo | Recurring role; 14 episodes |
| 2003
| Karen Collins | TV mini-series; 3 episodes |
| 2004–2009
| Series regular; 65 episodes |
| 2005
| Amy Carter | Episode: "Ostrich Mode" |
| 2006
| 3 episodes |
| 2006
| Casualty | Leah Crawford | Episode: "Sons and Lovers" |
| 2007
| Stupid! | Judith Bibble | Episode: "Judith" |
| 2009
| Casualty | Kat Ashton | Episode: "Hostile Takeover" |
| 2009–2011
| Series regular; 40 episodes |
| 2010
| Doctors | Ellie McCall | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
| 2011
| Let's Dance for Sport Relief | Vicki MacDonald | Series 3: Episode 1 |
| 2011
| Casualty | Maeve Summers | Episode: "When the Bough Breaks" |
| 2012
| Monroe | Grace Bushnall | Series 2: Episode 5 |
| 2014
| Erin Doyle | Episode: "Bad Boy: Part 1" |
| 2015
| Doctors | Natalie Dixon | Episode: "The Kick Inside" |
| 2017–2019
| Casualty | Series regular; 53 episodes |
| 2019
| Gemma Dean | Episode: "Powerless" |
| 2020
| Doctors | Episode: "Castles in the Air"{{Cite episode|title=Castles in the Air|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000fk39|series=Doctors|series-link=Doctors (2000 TV series)|credits=Writer: Henrietta Hardy; Director: John Maidens; Producer: Dawn Coulson-Beckett|network=BBC|station=BBC One|airdate=21 February 2020}} |
| 2021–2022
| Series regular, 38 episodes |
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable"
! Year ! Award ! Category ! Result ! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| 2022
| Best Villain | {{nom}} | align="center" | {{cite news |last=Harp |first=Justin |title=Inside Soap Awards announces nominations and new category for 2022 event |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/a40642854/inside-soap-awards-2022-nominees-icon/ |access-date=19 July 2022 |work=Digital Spy |publisher=(Hearst Communications) |date=18 July 2022}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0752800}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Rebeccca}}
Category:British child actresses
Category:English people of Northern Ireland descent
Category:English television actresses
Category:English stage actresses
Category:English radio actresses
Category:English soap opera actresses
Category:Actresses from Manchester