Amy Ryan

Biography

Amy Beth Dziewiontkowski (born November 30, 1969), known professionally as Amy Ryan, is an American actress. She has been nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for her performance in Gone Baby Gone (2007) and is also known for her roles in the HBO series The Wire, playing Port Authority Officer Beadie Russell; In Treatment, playing psychiatrist Adele Brousse; and The Office, playing human resources representative Holly Flax.

Ryan was born in Queens, New York City. She is the daughter of Pam, a nurse, and John, a trucking business owner. Ryan is her mother's maiden name. She is of English, Irish, and Polish descent. Growing up in the 1970s, Ryan and her sister 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.

CritifyHub Reviews Featuring Amy Ryan

Fractured Bonds and Fatal Choices: The Unraveling Tapestry of Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead

on Before the Devil Knows You're Dead | Aug 01, 2025

Sidney Lumet’s Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007) is a masterclass in dissecting the corrosive weight of desperation, woven through a non-linear narrative that feels like a Greek tragedy collid... Read more

The Fragile Flight of Birdman: A Dance of Ego and Art

on Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) | Jul 14, 2025

Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) is a mesmerizing exploration of the human psyche, weaving a tightrope walk between self-destruction and redemption. The f... Read more