Debby Ryan Biography

Deborah Ann Ryan (born May 13, 1993) is an American actress and singer. Ryan started acting in professional theatres at the age of seven; in 2007 she appeared in the Barney & Friends straight-to-DVD film Barney: Let's Go to the Firehouse and then was discovered in a nationwide search by Disney. She is also known for appearing in the 2008 feature film The Longshots as Edith. From 2008 to 2011, she starred as Bailey Pickett in The Suite Life on Deck. In 2010, she starred in the film 16 Wishes, which was the most watched cable program on the day of its premiere on the Disney Channel. 16 Wishes introduced Ryan to new audiences; the movie received high viewership in the adults demographic (18-34). Soon after that, Ryan starred in the independent theatrical film, What If..., which premiered on August 20, 2010.

From 2011-2015 Ryan starred as the titular nanny on the Disney Channel original series Jessie; she also directed an episode of the series that aired on May 15, 2015. She starred in the 2012 Disney Channel Original Movie Radio Rebel, in which she portrayed Tara Adams, a shy high school student who adopts the radio persona of Radio Rebel.

In 2013, she formed the band The Never Ending. Beginning in July 2015, Ryan performed with The Never Ending as an opening act on the North American leg of Fifth Harmony's Reflection Tour.

Early life

Ryan was born in Huntsville, Alabama. Her father was in the military, so she moved to numerous places in Europe. She lived in Germany until she was 10 and can speak both English and German. She started performing in professional theaters at the age of seven on an American base in Germany. She returned to the United States in 2003 and was raised in Texas. In a 2009 People Magazine interview, she described herself as a "nerd" in school. She was bullied in middle school for being a mascot and a member of the school's chess club.

Career

2006-10: The Suite Life on Deck

Ryan began appearing in various television commercials in her early teenage years. In 2006 she made her television debut on the show Barney and Friends. Ryan's first film role was in 2007 as a guest character in Barney: Let's Go to the Firehouse, she played the role of a teenager. She appeared in several commercials for iDog and various board games; she was in an iDog Dance commercial in 2008. Ryan also had a major role in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature film The Longshots as Edith. Ryan played one of the main characters, Bailey Pickett, on the Disney Channel Original Series, The Suite Life on Deck, which is a sequel to the hit Disney Channel series, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. The series's pilot aired on September 26, 2008 in the United States and it became the most watched series premiere in Canada on the Family channel. The character is a very intelligent girl who boarded the ship to leave the fictional town of Kettlecorn, Kansas, where she lived on a farm, because she hated the fact that the town is so small. The series was 2008's number one top scripted television series for teens, beating the veteran series Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place in the ratings. The series was also 2009's top rated scripted series, outpacing other teenage shows.

In 2009, Ryan landed a starring role in the independent feature film, What If..., alongside Kevin Sorbo and Kristy Swanson. The film was shot in Grand Rapids and Manistee, Michigan in July 2009 and was released in theaters on August 20, 2010. The film is produced by Pure Flix Entertainment and centers on a Christian family. In October 2009, Ryan hosted the first Tween Girl Summit Music Festival. "Tween girls are drawn to talented performers who emanate the joy of life, and we are so happy to have teen favorite Debby Ryan as the first host of The Tween Summit Music Festival," said Denise Restauri, founder of The Tween Summit, AllyKatzz.com and AK Tweens. Ryan was set to headline the "Terrific Teen Tour", a concert series which co-headlined Mitchel Musso, Jasmine Richards and Savannah Outen, that would start on July 9, 2009 and end on July 14 but the tour was canceled owing to schedule conflicts. The tour would have been Ryan's debut as a live musician. In 2010, she starred in the young adult film 16 Wishes. In addition, the movie introduced Ryan to new audiences, such as the contemporary adult audience since the movie received high viewership in the adults demographic. Ryan noted that to prepare for her role in 16 Wishes, she watched numerous Brat Pack movies.

2011-15: Jessie and music

On March 25, 2011 Ryan starred in The Suite Life Movie, based on the show she had starred in. On March 29, she released the promotional single "Made of Matches", theme of Discovery Family television show R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour. The Suite Life of Zack & Cody finished its run on May 6, 2011. On July 6, she released her debut solo single, the alternative hip hop song We Ended Right, featuring Chad Hively & Chase Ryan. The song was released from her own label, the Ryan River Studio, founded with her brother, Chase Ryan. Also in 2011, it was announced that Ryan landed her own Disney Channel series called Jessie, which debuted in September 2011. The show follows a girl who moves from Texas to New York City to become a star but becomes a nanny instead for a family with four children. Jessie is a show she also helped create, relating that she wanted her character to relate to herself. Ryan directed the season three episode "Coffee Talk," making her the youngest female to ever direct a Disney Channel production. Additionally, in a shift towards a more mature role, she guest starred in an episode of the show Private Practice as a recovering drug addict.

On February 17, 2012, she starred in another Disney Channel movie entitled Radio Rebel as Tara, a very shy teenage who dreads speaking to anyone in her school, but in the privacy of her bedroom, she incorporates the most famous radio persona of the internet under the nickname 'Radio Rebel'. She released a cover version of "We Got the Beat", by The Go-Go's, as the promotional single for the film on February 21. On August 31, 2012 she voiced the character Spike in the Tinker Bell film Secret of the Wings. Also in 2012, she formed the indie band The Never Ending with guitarist Kyle Moore and drummer Johnny Franco. Ryan commented that her musical style includes folk, indie pop and country. She cited as musical influences for their debut work The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, April Smith and the Great Picture Show and Tom Petty. In 2013, Ryan starred in the film Kristin's Christmas Past as Haddie. She recorded an appearance in the film Muppets Most Wanted, released in March 21, 2014, as Savana, but the scene was deleted. The scene was later reinstated in the Blu-ray release's extended version. On June 1, Ryan and The Never Ending released their debut single, "Mulholland Drive", with a premiere on the Billboard website. Their debut EP One was released on June 24, featuring album art with a circus-theme. She also appeared in the show TV series Mighty Med as Jade and was guest mentor in the fifth season of Fashion Police. On April 17, 2015, an episode of Girl Meets World premiered featuring Ryan as Aubrey Macavoy. On June 23, 2015, The Never Ending debuted their new single, titled "Secondhand".

2016-present: Focus on acting

In 2016 Ryan was cast in the NBC police series The Mysteries of Laura in season two as Lucy Diamond, Laura's drugged and trouble-making younger paternal half-sister and the half-aunt of Nicholas and Harrison. At the same time, Ryan was confirmed in the cast of comedy series Sing It!. The show debuted on May 25, 2016 at YouTube Red, a paid service of streaming original series and movies, similar to Netflix. Ryan played Holli Holiday, a famous and egocentric singer, who uses the fictional talent show Sing It! to self-promote. The character was inspired by Paula Abdul. On August 22, Ryan was confirmed to join the VH1 drama series Daytime Divas, based on the book Satan's Sisters by former The View host Star Jones. The series debuted on June 5, 2017. She will play Maddie Finn, an ex-host of The Lunch Hour and rival of Kibby, who wants to return to the show. In June 2017, Ryan announced via her Instagram that Netflix had ordered Insatiable to series, after previously being passed on by The CW.

Personal life

Ryan is a Christian. She plays several instruments, including the guitar, piano, and keyboard. Ryan was in a relationship with Twenty One Pilots drummer Josh Dun from May 2013 to September 2014. In a March 10, 2015 Teen Vogue interview, she revealed that her relationship with Dun was good but she had been in an abusive relationship with someone else. She described that relationship as professional rather than romantic, but said "it was such emotional manipulation to the point where it became physical." In the interview, she stated that she decided to partner with Mary Kay and Love is Respect for their anti-domestic-violence campaign "Don't Look Away." Ryan is quoted as saying, "The second someone puts their hand on you, a boundary has been crossed."

In April 2016, Ryan was arrested for driving under the influence. Initially, she was charged with felony DUI, but it was later reduced to two misdemeanors. She was released after posting $100,000 bail. On June 30, 2016, she pleaded no contest to reckless driving and was sentenced to three years of probation, community service, and a DUI program.

Artistry

In a 2009 People Magazine interview, Ryan stated that her Suite Life co-star, Brenda Song, is her acting idol. In a March 2009 interview, Ryan revealed she also looks up to Meryl Streep, calling Streep "so profoundly thought-provoking and life-changing". She has said that her other role models include Anne Hathaway, Rachel McAdams, and Tobey Maguire. When asked about musical tastes, she said, "I love jazz! I love singing it. I also love country! My brother loves rock; he also has this chill Jason Mraz-like style. So basically, my answer is: jazz-country-rock-alternative? I have no idea! But I honestly would love to make country music".

Other ventures

Philanthropy

Ryan was involved in Disney's Friends for Change. She was featured in a commercial on Disney Channel. The charity helps explain how kids can help preserve the planet and invites them to go to the Friends for Change website to register and pledge, offering them the chance to help choose how Disney will invest $1 million in environmental programs. Ryan took part in Disney's Friends for Change Games, which featured over 30 Disney Channel and Disney XD stars competing in fun and physical challenges inspired by good actions for the environment. The stars were broken up into teams and each team played on behalf of an environmental charity. Ryan had been taking part as Captain of the Blue Team playing to benefit Ocean Conservancy.

In May 2012, Ryan traveled to Udaipur, India, as part of Disney's Friends for Change's partnership with international charity Free The Children. The trip was hosted by Me to We, a social enterprise and partner of Free The Children. During her visit she volunteered to help build a new school in Lai Gow and met with local community members to learn about their culture. Her experience was filmed and aired between programs on Disney Channel starting on June 28, 2012.

Fashion

In July 2012, Ryan started work on a clothing line for 2013. She said she was in the beginning stages of building herself a fashion brand and revealed that she has been looking into designers and interviewing brands she might like to work with.

Filmography

Television roles

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2006	Barney and Friends	Debby	Recurring role (Season 10)
2008	Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream	Herself	Episode: "Hello Hollywood"
2008-11	The Suite Life on Deck	Bailey Pickett	Main role; 62 episodes
2009	Wizards of Waverly Place		Episode: "Cast Away (To Another Show)"
2009	Hannah Montana		Episode: "Super(stitious) Girl"
2010	16 Wishes	Abigail "Abby" Jensen	Television film
2011	The Suite Life Movie	Bailey Pickett
	R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series	Stefani Howard	Episode: "Wrong Number"
	PrankStars	Herself	Episode: "Something to Chew On"
	Private Practice	Hayley	Episode: "The Breaking Point"
2011-15	Jessie	Jessie Prescott	Lead role; 98 episodes
2012	Zeke and Luther	Courtney Mills	Episode: "There's No Business Like Bro Business"
	The Glades	Christa Johnson	Episode: "Fountain of Youth"
	Radio Rebel	Tara Adams	Television film
	Austin & Ally	Jessie Prescott	Episode: "Austin & Jessie & Ally All Star New Year"
2013	We Day	Host	7th edition
	Good Luck Charlie	Jessie Prescott	Episode: "Good Luck Jessie: NYC Christmas"
	Kristin's Christmas Past	Haddie	Television film
2014	Mighty Med	Jade / Remix	Episode: "Guitar Superhero"
	Ultimate Spider-Man	Jessie Prescott	Voice; episode: "Halloween Night at the Museum"
	Fashion Police	Guest mentor	Episode: "Debby Ryan and Jamie Chung"
2015	Girl Meets World	Aubrey	Episode: "Girl Meets Demolition"
	Goldie & Bear	Thumbelina	Voice; episode: "Thumbulina's Wild Ride"
2015-16	The Mysteries of Laura	Lucy Diamond	Recurring role (season 2)
2016	Sing It!	Holli Holiday	Main role; 10 episodes
2017	Daytime Divas	Maddie Finn	Episodes: "Lunch Is on Us" and "Shut It Down"
2018	The Talk	Herself	Guest Co-host
2018	Insatiable	Patty	Lead role

Film roles

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2007	Barney: Let's Go to the Firehouse	Teenage Girl
2008	The Longshots	Edith Smith
2010	What If...	Kimberly "Kim" Walker
2012	Secret of the Wings	Spike	Voice role
2014	Muppets Most Wanted	Savana
2017	Rip Tide	Cora
2018	Cover Versions	Maple
	Every Day	Jolene
	Life of the Party	Jennifer
	Grace	Nicole	Post-production

Discography

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions

Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Album
		SK
"We Ended Right" (featuring Chad Hively and Chase Ryan)	2011	147	Radio Rebel

Promotional singles

Single	Year	Album
"Made Of Matches"	2011
"We Got the Beat"	2012	Radio Rebel

Other appearances

Song	Year	Other(s) artist(s)	Album
"Hakuna Matata"	2010	rowspan="6"	Disneymania 7
"A Wish Comes True Everyday"		16 Wishes
"Open Eyes"
"Hey, Jessie"	2012	Make Your Mark: Ultimate Playlist
"Deck the Halls"		Disney Channel Holiday Playlist
"Favorite Time of Year"	2013	Holidays Unwrapped
"Face 2 Face"		Ross Lynch	Austin & Ally: Turn It Up
"Best Year"	2014		Disney Channel: Play It Loud

Music videos

Song	Year	Director	Notes
"A Wish Comes True Every Day"	2010	Peter DeLuise
"Open Eyes"
"Deck the Halls"
"Made of Matches"	2011	Neill Fearnley
"We Got the Beat"	2012	Peter Howitt
"Ever Enough"	2013	Mark Staubach	A Rocket To The Moon's music video

Production and songwriting credits

Production and songwriting
Title	Year	Artist(s)	Album	Notes
"Feel My Heart"	2009	Chase Ryan	Feel My Heart	Co-producer
"Saying Goodbye"
"Still Need You"
"Forecast"
"Dream This Town"
"Open Eyes"	2010	Debby Ryan	16 Wishes	Songwriter
"Made Of Matches"				Songwriter, Producer
"Innocent Love"		Chase Ryan	Innocent Love	Co-producer
"We Ended Right"	2011	Debby Ryan, Chase Ryan and Cad Hively	Radio Rebel	Songwriter, Co-producer
"Mulholland Drive	2014	The Never Ending	One	Co-producer
"Ruthless"
"Before I Go Upstairs"
"Call Me Up"
"When the Dark Falls"
"Best Year"		Debby Ryan	Disney Channel: Play It Loud

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Category	Work	Result
2008	Celebrity Love Awards	Favorite Actress	The Suite Life on Deck
2009		Favorite Actress
	Poptastic Awards	Favorite Television Actress
		Female Newcomer
2010	Celebrity Love Awards	Favorite Actress
	Hollywood Teen TV Awards	Teen Pick Actress: Comedy
	Body Peace Award	Outstanding Advocate
	Nickelodeon UK Kids' Choice Awards	Best Television Actress
2011	Young Artist Award	Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special Leading or Supporting Young Actress	16 Wishes
2012	Popstar Awards	TV Actress	Jessie
		Female Style Idol	Herself
	Teen Icon Awards	"Iconic Heart"
2014	Kids' Choice Awards	Favorite TV Actress	Jessie
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Actress: Comedy
2015	Kids' Choice Awards	Favorite TV Actress