Deborah Ann "Debby" Ryan is an American actress, director, and singer. Her agent gave her the opportunities to be on the Suite Life on Deck. Ryan is best known for her work as Bailey Pickett in the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life on Deck. The Suite Life on Deck established Ryan as a Teen idol and became the most watched children's show on television since its premiere in October 2008. Ryan started acting in professional theaters 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.
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 and one of the most watched movies on television. In addition, 16 Wishes introduced Ryan to new audiences, such as the contemporary adult audiences since the movie received high viewership in the adult's demo (18-34). Ryan starred in the independent theatrical film, What If..., which premiered on August 20, 2010. In 2012 Ryan starred in the movie Radio Rebel.
Early life[]
Ryan was born in Huntsville, Alabama on May 13, 1993. Her father was in the military, so she often moved to different places in Europe. She lived in Germany until she was 10 and can now speak German and English. She started performing in professional theaters at the age of 7 on an American base in Germany. She found she loved acting.
She returned to the United States at the age of 10 in 2003 and was raised in Texas. She dreamed of acting full-time. In a 2009 People Magazine interview, she described herself as a "nerd" in school. Ryan was bullied in middle school for being a mascot and in the school's chess club.
Ryan has an older brother, Chase (who is older than her by approximately two years). He is a guitarist and vocalist. In a March 2009 interview, Ryan said her older brother is one of her role models.
Acting career[]
2006–07: Early work and The Longshots[]
Ryan began appearing in various television commercials in her early teenage years. She appeared in several commercials for iDog and various board games; she was in an iDog Dance commercial in 2008. 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. Ryan also had a supporting role in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature film, The Longshots, alongside teen actress Keke Palmer and Ice Cube. Ryan played Edith, a teenage mean girl, in the feature film.