Talia Ryder (born August 16, 2002) is an American stage and film actress. She made her feature film debut as Skylar in

Eliza Hittman Eliza Hittman (born December 9, 1979) is an American screenwriter, film director, and producer from New York City. She has won multiple awards for her film '' Never Rarely Sometimes Always'', which include the New York Film Critics Circle Award ...

's critically acclaimed independent drama film '' Never Rarely Sometimes Always'' (2020) earning her nominations for a

Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in ...

and Critics' Choice Movie Award. She has since had leading roles in the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

romantic drama '' Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between'' (2022), and the

surrealist Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

road film A road movie is a genre of film in which the main characters leave home on a road trip, typically altering the perspective from their everyday lives. Road movies often depict travel in the hinterlands, with the films exploring the theme of alie ...

The Sweet East ''The Sweet East'' is a 2023 American satirical surrealist road film directed by Sean Price Williams in his directorial debut from a screenplay by Nick Pinkerton. It stars Talia Ryder, Earl Cave, Simon Rex, Ayo Edebiri, Jeremy O. Harris, Jac ...

'' (2023). Ryder is also known for her supporting roles in the

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

drama ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a Musical theatre, musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a Book (musical theatre), book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo an ...

'' (2021), the teen comedy '' Do Revenge'' (2022), and the comedy-drama '' Dumb Money'' (2023). On stage, she acted in the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

musical ''

Matilda the Musical ''Roald Dahl's Matilda'', also known simply as ''Matilda'' and ''Matilda the Musical'', is a musical with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and a book by Dennis Kelly. It is based on the 1988 novel '' Matilda'' by Roald Dahl. The musical's narr ...

'' (2015–2016) and the

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

play '' How to Defend Yourself'' (2023).

Early life and education

Ryder's younger sister Mimi has a career as a musical actress with a title role in ''

''. Talia graduated from high school in 2020.

Career

Ryder was 12 years old when she and her family went to see the

musical ''

'' based on the

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...

's 1988 children's book of the same name. She and her sister Mimi were inspired to audition for the show, and she was ultimately cast as Hortensia, a role which started her professional acting career. Her family moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

where she performed the role from 2015 to 2016. Ryder has said that her background was mostly in dance, but she started developing her skills in stage acting. In 2016, Ryder along with a cast of 75 kids took part in the short film ''Broadway Kids Against Bullying: I Have a Voice'', directed by Jason Milstein, and its

charity single A charity record, charity album, or charity single is a recording with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity. In 1956, The Lord's Taverners released a 78 rpm disc which contained six tracks donated by popular artis ...

composed by

Frank Wildhorn Frank Wildhorn (born November 29, 1958) is an American composer of both musicals and popular songs. His musical ''Jekyll & Hyde (musical), Jekyll & Hyde'' ran for four years on Broadway. He also wrote the hit song "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" for ...

, to support Nobully.org. In 2019, she was cast as Autumn's cousin Skylar in

's indie drama film '' Never Rarely Sometimes Always'', where the two girls travel to New York City so that Autumn ( Sidney Flanigan) can get an abortion without parental consent. The film premiered at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

and was later released in the theatre and on video on demand shortly afterwards in March 2020. For her performance Ryder received nominations for the

Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female The Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female was an award presented annually by Independent Spirit Awards, Film Independent. It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an absolutely outstanding performance in a supporting acto ...

and the

Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer The Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer (Actor/Actress) is one of the awards given to people working in the film industry by the Critics Choice Association (CCA), formerly Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA). It has been aw ...

. In 2019, she was also cast as part of the Jets Chorus in

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...

's film adaptation of '' West Side Story.'' In 2021, she had a starring role in

Olivia Rodrigo Olivia Isabel Rodrigo (born February 20, 2003) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She began her career as a child, appearing in commercials and the direct-to-video film '' An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success'' (2015). She rose ...

's music video for " Deja Vu". In 2022, Ryder had a starring role as Clare in the film '' Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between'' and played Gabbi Broussard in the hit Netflix movie '' Do Revenge''. In 2023 she had a leading role in the

comedy film ''

'' directed by

Sean Price Williams Sean Price Williams is an American cinematographer and film director. Williams is known for his work as a cinematographer, frequently collaborating with Alex Ross Perry and the Safdie Brothers. He made his directorial feature film debut with '' T ...

. Catherine Bray of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote, "Talia Ryder, lead actor in ''The Sweet East'', is a star. There’s something of

Kristen Stewart Kristen Jaymes Stewart (born April 9, 1990) is an American actress and director. She has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and a César Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe ...

about her, not merely in terms of physical resemblance, but more in her gift for not just acting but reacting." That same year she acted in Liliana Padilla's

play '' How to Defend Yourself'' at the

New York Theatre Workshop __NOTOC__ New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) is an Off-Broadway theater noted for its productions of new works. Located at 79 East 4th Street between Second Avenue and Bowery in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, it h ...

. Tim Teeman of ''

The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...

'' described the production as being "Profound, funny, and shocking" adding that "one hopes tgraduates to a bigger stage—truly, it should go to Broadway". Also in 2023 she had a supporting role in the comedy film '' Dumb Money'' directed by

Craig Gillespie Craig Gillespie (born 1 September 1967) is an Australian-American film director, film, television director, television, music video director, music video, and commercial director. He is best known for directing the films ''Lars and the Real Gir ...

. In 2024 she had a supporting role as a drug addict in the comedy-drama '' Little Death'' starring

David Schwimmer David Lawrence Schwimmer (born November 2, 1966) is an American actor, director, and producer. He gained worldwide recognition for portraying Ross Geller in the sitcom '' Friends'', for which he received a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Pri ...

which premiered at the

. Critic Lovia Gyarkye of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' wrote of her performance, "Ryder, who has consistently proven her ability to carry a film with ''Never Rarely Sometimes Always'' and ''The Sweet East'', predictably shines here." Esther Zuckerman of '' IndieWire'' noted that "Schwimmer is outshined by Ryder" and added that she never plays into the troupes of playing an addict but rather, "Ryder probes into er character'svulnerabilities, so when we realize the extent of her reliance on substances, it’s heartbreaking rather than obvious". She starred as

ballet dancer A ballet dancer is a person who practices the Art (skill), art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. B ...

Joy Womack in the 2023 James Napier Robertson-directed drama film '' Joika'' acting opposite

Diane Kruger Diane Kruger (; Heidkrüger; ; born 15 July 1976) is a German actress. Early in her career, she gained worldwide recognition and received the Trophée Chopard from the Cannes Film Festival. Kruger became known for her roles in films such as ...

. In 2024, she was cast in Ethan Coen's comedic film ''Honey, Don't!'', which filmed in

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

. In 2025 she performed in the

Anne Imhof Anne Imhof (born 1978 in Giessen, Germany) is a German visual artist, choreographer, and performance artist who lives and works between Frankfurt and Paris. She is best known for her endurance art, although she cites painting as central to her pr ...

directed ''Doom: House of Hope'', a modern day political interpretation of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's tragedy ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'' at the

Park Avenue Armory The Park Avenue Armory, also known as the 7th Regiment Armory, is a historic armory for the U.S. Army National Guard at 643 Park Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. Designed in the Gothic Revival style ...

. Alex Greenberger of ''

ARTnews ''ARTnews'' is an American art magazine, based in New York City. It covers visual arts from ancient to contemporary times. It is the oldest and most widely distributed art magazine in the world. ''ARTnews'' has a readership of 180,000 in 124 co ...

'' panned the production calling it "glib, dull, and hopeless" adding, "I left ''Doom'' yearning for art with a pulse". Greenberger noted Ryder writing, "the talented actress Talia Ryder, intoned the

Jeremih Jeremy Phillip Felton (born July 17, 1987), known professionally as Jeremih ( ), is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer. He embarked on a musical career after meeting record producer Mick Schultz in 2008, and signed a recording contract wi ...

song "

Paradise In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...

" live."

Acting credits

Films

Theater

Music videos

Accolades

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ryder, Talia 2002 births Living people American child actresses 21st-century American actresses American musical theatre actresses American film actresses Actresses from Buffalo, New York