Michelle Ryan

“Most of my cousins are boys, so I'm used to being around boys.”

“Doing the same thing day in, day out. It's just so boring. I like to jump from different things.”

“'Bionic Woman' really enriched my career. It was a big, amazing thing to do.”

“I like to hang out with my friends, go to the theatre, watch DVDs, read, play with my niece.”

“I was shy and really into my school work and my drama. Then I joined 'EastEnders' at 16, and it was work, work, work. You become very isolated. I rarely went out and so didn't get to meet anyone.”

“Sometimes in life, random things can blind-side you.”

“I adore water, so it would be a real adventure to visit the Amazon before they chop down all the trees.”

“If I wear make-up, then people recognise me, but the rest of the time, no one really bothers.”

“I just don't know anything about jazz, really. I've never really listened to it, but I'd definitely like to discover more about it.”

“I just believe that sometimes in life you're like a shark - you have to keep moving through water; otherwise, you'll die.”

“I really like Billie Holiday's husky voice, and I'd definitely like to find out more about her.”

“I've never been a social bunny. I thrive on work.”

“Working on new projects gives you the opportunity to learn and absorb new things.”

“For me, once I've worked on something and it's finished, it's like an ex-boyfriend: you don't go back to them.”

“When you fight on set, you try to not hurt anybody.”

“I was bullied. I was a bit of a geek. Good-looking guys were off-limits. I didn't start dating until I was 18.”

“Obviously I'm not a violent person; I don't like violence, but I would definitely go into defending myself if the situation arose.”

“I've always loved the guitar. You see Jimi Hendrix playing the guitar with his teeth, and OK, you know you're never going to be able to do that, but I always wanted to play an instrument of some sort.”

“Soaps are a great springboard for any actor but if you want to be taken seriously, you have to be careful.”

“'Bionic Woman' changed direction too much from episode to episode, which I think is why it lost momentum.”