Michelle Ryan

Cast as the lead in "The Bionic Woman," (NBC, 2007), a decidedly darker and edgier re-imagining of the campy 1970s original action series, British actress Michelle Ryan was poised to become a stateside sensation after years of winning over hearts in the popular British soap opera, "EastEnders" (BBC, 1985-2005) and the thriller series, "Jekyll" (BBC One, 2006-07). A virtual unknown in the United States, Ryan was lucky to be picked by producers of the updated series, who supposedly passed on bona fide stars like Jennifer Aniston for the role. Meanwhile, Ryan found a welcome change of pace from soap operas to primetime television on a major American network - a nearly impossible transition for most actresses to make, particularly across the Atlantic.