Feb 22, 1968

Munich, Germany

Ryan was born Jeri Lynn Zimmerman in 1968 in Munich, Germany to
American parents. Her family moved to the USA, where Ryan became Miss Illinois in 1989 and was a
preliminary swimsuit winner at the Miss America Pageant.
Ryan graduated from Northwestern in 1990 with a BA in Theatre. After college, she pursued acting full-time in Los Angeles. She made
her acting debut in Who's the Boss? followed by guest-
starring roles in TV shows like Melrose Place, Matlock, and The
Sentinel as we... ... (read more...) ll as TV movies such as Co-Ed Call Girl. Her big break
came when she won a regular role on the TV show Dark Skies. The show was cancelled
after one season, but the role had drawn the attention of the science-
fiction community.
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In 1997, Ryan was cast to play Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Voyager. The
role drew her instant fame and her wardrobe made her a sex symbol
among some science-fiction fans. It also drew criticism from some
fans who felt that character was created to add sexuality to the
show. However, her appearance
also coincided with higher ratings and more positive critical reviews
of Voyager. After Voyager ended in 2001, Ryan joined the cast of Boston Public in
the role of Ronnie Cooke, a frustrated lawyer who quits to become a
high school teacher. The show's producer, David E. Kelley, wrote the
role specifically for her. The show was cancelled in 2004.

Ryan has recently appeared in movies such as Down With Love. She also
had a recurring role on The OC and guest-starred
on David E. Kelley's Boston Legal in 2006.

Ryan stars in the new CBS legal drama Shark; she plays Los Angeles
District Attorney Jessica Devlin.