Liz Ryan ’81 (Producer & Assistant Director, NYPD BLUE, THE OFFICE, THE GREEN MILE)

By Cristina Slattery '97

Liz Ryan ’81 was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Directors Guild of America, and is proud to report her name sits on their website just above Steven Spielberg's!  She says that she overuses the phrases, "Wow,” and "that’s really interesting,” and this curiosity and enthusiasm have propelled her to the top of her profession as an Assistant Director of TV shows and films.  Her last film, GO FOR SISTERS, was shot in the deserts of Acton and Colexico, California, and Mexicali and Tijuana, Mexico and due out this fall, was directed by John Sayles.  Her TV credits include NYPD BLUE, FREAKS AND GEEKS, THE OFFICE, and THE REAL HUSBANDS OF HOLLYWOOD. 

She considers herself an optimist and has meditated for years.  Ryan notes that "for a woman, the greatest challenge of being a director is getting the job.”  She continues, stating that, "more often than not, we have to raise the money to make a movie ourselves.”  However, even if gender still may be an obstacle in Hollywood, Ryan has been overcoming obstacles since her youth and she continues to persevere to do work she loves.