Deborah Ann Ryan (born May 13, 1993) is an American actress and singer. She started acting professionally onstage at the age of seven, and was later discovered during Disney Channel's nationwide search for new talent.
Ryan's work for Disney Channel includes starring roles in the series The Suite Life on Deck (2008–2011), the film 16 Wishes (2010), the series Jessie (2011–2015), and the film Radio Rebel (2012). She also appeared in the drama film What If... (2010) and the series Insatiable (2018–2019). She gained prominence in music by contributing vocals to the soundtracks of her Disney projects and later formed the band The Never Ending in 2013, with whom she released the EP One (2014).
Early life
Ryan was born in Huntsville, Alabama. She has a brother. Her mother is a teacher who was active in school plays. Her father's job as a civilian consultant to the U.S. military required the family to move to numerous places around Europe, and they lived in Germany until she was 10. She started performing in professional theaters at the age of seven on an American base in Germany. She attended a German public school and an American public school and was also homeschooled. They then returned to the U.S. and settled in Texas. She lived in Fort Hood. In a 2009 People Magazine interview, Ryan 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
Ryan began appearing in television commercials in her early teen years. In 2006 she made her television debut on the show Barney & Friends. Her first film role was in 2007 as a guest character in Barney: Let's Go to the Firehouse. She appeared in several commercials for iDog and various board games; she was in an iDog Dance commercial in 2008. She also had a major role in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature film The Longshots as Edith. She played one of the main characters, Bailey Pickett, on the Disney Channel Original Series, The Suite Life on Deck, 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 was the most-watched series premiere in Canada on the Family channel. It was 2008's #1 scripted television series for teens, beating the veteran series Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place in the ratings. It 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. Shot in Grand Rapids and Manistee, Michigan in July 2009, it was released in theaters on August 20, 2010. It was 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 to start on July 9, 2009 and end on July 14, but it was canceled due 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, which introduced her to more mature audiences. She watched numerous Brat Pack movies to prepare for the role.