Lisa Ryder

Lisa Ryder (born 26 October 1970)³ is a Canadian actress, who portrayed the role of Beka Valentine on the science fiction television series Andromeda.⁴

Ryder was born in Edmonton, Alberta,³ and attended the University of Toronto,² where she began acting. She formed a local theatre group, Bald Ego Productions, in Toronto⁵ after graduation² and landed her first film and television roles in the mid-1990s. She starred in many theatre productions, including "Put Me Away," a one-woman show which she wrote.⁵ She gained a following as Detective Tracy Vetter on the final season of the vampire drama Forever Knight⁶ in 1995–1996 and was cast on the syndicated science-fiction series Andromeda in 2000; the series ended in 2005 after 110 episodes. In 2001, she was nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series.⁷ She also co-starred, as android Kay-Em 14, in the 2001 film Jason X.⁸⁹

Ryder guest-starred in Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict,² Total Recall 2070, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Wind at My Back and Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal. She also had a recurring role on The Newsroom. Her other movie roles include the critically acclaimed Canadian indie film Stolen Heart,¹⁰ the thriller Blackheart¹¹ and the short films Strands and Lemon. She also wrote, produced, and starred in the film SF Seeks, featuring Michael Shanks, Gordon Michael Woolvett, Keith Hamilton Cobb and Lexa Doig.¹² She appeared in a television advertisement for Cheer laundry detergent in the late 80s – early 90s.

In 2014, Ryder starred in the Canadian Stage co-production of Helen Lawrence.²¹³ In 2019, Ryder's play A Blow in the Face premiered with Nightwood Theatre and Bald Ego Theatre in Toronto, Ontario.⁵¹⁴ The play was inspired by her personal experiences with postpartum depression after the birth of her first child.¹⁵ In the premiere, Ryder played the roofer Cloudy.¹⁶