Why Lawrie From Green Zone Looks So Familiar
From a financial standpoint, the James Cameron-directed "Avatar" is one of the biggest movies of all time. The film's profits are approaching a total of $3 billion. "Avatar" was able to secure such a large degree of financial success in spite of the fact its star was a relatively unknown quantity upon its release. In fact, "Avatar" was supposed to be lead actor Sam Worthington's breakout Hollywood role.
That said, some of the film's producers were skeptical of Worthington at first, and asked that Cameron meet with a couple of higher-profile performers before Worthington. One of those actors was Matt Damon, who promptly turned down the role due to the fact he was scheduled to film a thriller titled "Green Zone" at the time.
In "Green Zone," Damon portrays a fictionalized version of US Army Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller. He is charged with investigating the US government claim that the Iraqi government is harboring weapons of mass destruction, a falsehood used to justify military aggression in Iraq. Also investigating the presence of WMDs in Iraq is a Wall Street Journal writer named Lawrie Dayne. The actor who portrays Lawrie in "Green Zone" may look familiar from a number of high-profile roles in classics of TV and film alike.
Amy Ryan was officer Beadie Russell on The Wire
Amy Ryan first appears in David Simon's Baltimore crime drama "The Wire" in its second season, which aired in 2003. Each season of "The Wire" essentially foregrounds a different setting and group of characters, and the second arc takes place primarily at one of Baltimore's shipping docks. Beadie Russell, portrayed by Ryan, is a port authority officer. She becomes embroiled in the criminal drama when she discovers 13 dead bodies in a shipping crate at the port under her jurisdiction. The discovery of those bodies is something of an inciting incident for the balance of the ensuing season-long story arc.
Beadie returns in subsequent seasons of "The Wire," though in a much smaller capacity. In Seasons 3-5, Beadie's primarily role is as the partner of Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West). McNulty is no saint, so Beadie still experiences her fair share of moral dilemmas when dealing with McNulty's transgressions, but she's seldom depicted returning to her police work as the series continues.
Ryan was up for an Oscar in Gone Baby Gone
"Gone Baby Gone," released in 2007, was the directorial debut of none other than Hollywood mainstay Ben Affleck, prior to his work as the director of the Best Picture Oscar award-winning "Argo." The film takes place in Boston and chronicles the attempts of a private investigator named Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) to track down a missing four-year-old girl. Amy Ryan portrays the girl's mother, Helene, whose ties to drug trafficking may have something to do with her daughter's disappearance.
As it turns out, the film's ending reveals that the reason for the disappearance of Helene's daughter was significantly more complicated than a routine conflict among drug smugglers. For her turn as a flawed mother in search of her missing daughter, Amy Ryan was nominated for both Golden Globe and Oscar awards for Best Supporting Actress, in addition to prizes at a number of other award shows.
Amy Ryan was Holly Flax in The Office
One of Ryan's most recognizable roles is on "The Office" as Dunder-Mifflin HR representative Holly Flax. Holly first appears in the series' fourth season as a replacement for Toby (Paul Lieberstein), her HR predecessor at the Scranton branch of Dunder-Mifflin. Michael Scott (Steve Carell) falls for Holly early during her tenure, and he continues to court her affection throughout much of Season 4 and the beginning of the series' fifth season. which leads to Michael and Holly officially becoming a couple.
Though the two soon run into their fair share of speedbumps over the course of their relationship, they get a happy ending when Michael leaves Scranton to live a married life with Holly in Colorado. In the series finale, Michael reveals that he and Holly have four children. Given that it's the realization of a longtime dream for him, Michael raising a family with Holly ranks as the best ending for any of the principle characters in "Office" history.
Ryan portrayed Riggan's ex-wife in Birdman
Director Alejandro González Iñárritu made a name for himself upon his directorial debut, "Amores Perros," which is comprised of three loosely connected narratives. He followed that film up with "21 Grams" and "Babel," which also feature interconnected stories. "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" was Iñárritu's second feature following the conclusion of the spiritual trilogy that kicked off his ongoing body of work.
Michael Keaton stars in "Birdman" as an actor in the twilight years of his performing career, known primarily for a starring role in a blockbuster superhero film years prior. Amy Ryan portrays his ex-wife, Sylvia, with whom he has a daughter, Sam (Emma Stone). Riggan still sees his wife due to their shared role in raising their daughter. Their failed relationship is an ongoing contributor to the film's drama, which revolves around Riggan's psyche and self-perceived character flaws.
"Birdman" was the recipient of the Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, which encompasses Ryan's turn as Sylvia in "Birdman," marking it a standout role in her career.