Cathy Cahlin Ryan

An actress with a propensity for depicting ordinary women in the throes of uncommon stress, Cathy Cahlin Ryan began her television career with a brief appearance in 1994's "Roseanne: An Unauthorized Biography." After nearly a decade of performing exclusively on stage, she reemerged as the put-upon ex-wife of corrupt cop Vic Mackey on the acclaimed and morally ambiguous crime-drama "The Shield" (2002-2008). Ryan imbued Corrine Mackey's growing embroilment in her ex-husband's criminal affairs with realistic turmoil and misguided spousal trust.

Behind the scenes, however, her marriage and artistic partnership with "Shield" creator Shawn Ryan proved to be decidedly fruitful. In addition to again working with her producer husband on an episode of the David-Mamet-created military thriller "The Unit," the actress reunited with several of her "Shield" co-stars for a 2010 installment of Shawn Ryan's behavioral-forensics-driven series "Lie to Me." Cathy Cahlin Ryan also portrayed one-off roles on such shows as "Monk," "Numbers," and "Judging Amy." In 2008, she made a relatively rare feature-film appearance in Mamet's mixed-martial-arts drama "Redbelt."