Born Jeri Lynn Zimmerman, she initially was billed as Jeri Lynn Ryan after her marriage to future politician Jack Ryan, but dropped her middle name prior to her "Voyager" job, convinced by a new manager that it would not grow with her. An Army brat until the age of 11, she graduated from Northwestern University before moving to L.A. and playing ingenues and nice girls. "Melrose Place" provided a departure for her with a two-episode guest spot as a lesbian actress who endured a staged marriage to a gay bridegroom.

"Dark Skies" advanced her career a step farther, but "Voyager" put her solidly in the public eye and turned her into a sexy icon for sci-fi fans, lithe and sensual in an ultra-tight suit that accentuated her considerable curves. Seven's emotional growth allowed Ryan to gradually expand the character's initially cool and taciturn demeanor by the time the series ended in 2001, and her acting range quickly earned her a second TV series role, joining the cast of Fox's high school drama "Boston Public," created by David E. Kelley, in its second season, playing teacher Ronnie Cooke until the show's swansong in 2004. In addition to her series credits, Ryan has also occasionally appeared in theatrical films such as "Dracula 2000" (2000) and "Down With Love" (2003), as well as telepics such as "In the Line of Duty: Ambush in Waco" (1993) and "Coed Call Girl" (1996).

Ryan's private life was dragged into national headlines in 2004 when her former husband Jack Ryan was running for Senator in Illinois and portions of their divorce documents were made public, including Jeri Ryan's allegations that her spouse attempted to cajole her into joining her at sex clubs in various cities around the globe. Her career endured the scandal, and in 2005 she joined the cast of Fox's youthful primetime soap "The O.C." in its third season, in a recurring role as recovering alcoholic Charlotte, a woman Kristen Cohen (Kelly Rowan) befriends in rehab who may be more than she appears.