Jack Siegfried Ryder (born 21 September 1981) is anEnglishactor, best known for playingJamie Mitchell in theBBC Onesoap operaEastEnders from 1998 to 2002. He has subsequently established himself as a film and theatre director.

Ryder was born inWoolwich, London, in 1981.^[1] His father isJack Hues (real name Jeremy Allan Ryder), the founder of 1980sNew Wave bandWang Chung.

Upon leavingEastEnders in 2002, Ryder, then aged 21, performed asJustin Timberlake onCelebrity Stars in Their Eyes (which he won), appeared in thepantomimeSleeping Beauty at theMarlowe Theatre inCanterbury and was cast in a recurring role onFive'sFamily Affairs which he pulled out of when he learned that the series was soon to be axed. In 2004, he played a role in theITV crime dramaMIT: Murder Investigation Team and appeared in a play broadcast onBBC Radio 4.

In 2006, Ryder starred in theBritish filmPopcorn which was released in the spring of 2007. Ryder was due to become a regular character in the then-newITV1 daytime seriesThe Royal Today, a contemporary spin-off ofThe Royal, but he subsequently withdrew from playing the role.^[2]

In 2007, aged 26, Ryder appeared in the playThe Safari Party byTim Firth and inKenneth Branagh's production ofThe Play What I Wrote which toured the UK extensively.

In spring 2008, he was in Christopher Luscombe's production ofAlan Bennett's playSingle Spies playing oppositeNigel Havers. Then Ryder playedRomeo inMichael Bogdanov's production ofRomeo and Juliet withSara Lloyd-Gregory as Juliet.

In October 2008, Ryder joinedThe Archers as Ryan.

From 2009, Ryder played the photographer Laurence in the West End production ofCalendar Girls at the Noël Coward Theatre, where he was also the assistant director. He currently continues as associate director ofCalendar Girls, responsible for all theatre productions world-wide.</ref name = "otherthings"

In December 2010, Ryder wrote and directed his first short film, an adaptation of Mary Grace Dembeck's short storyAct of Memory starringClaire Skinner,Owen Teale andAnna Massey which was shot on location in London and went on to be screened at the Cannes film festival in 2011.^[3]

In 2012, Ryder provided the English voiceover for Zael, the main protagonist in the video gameThe Last Story.

2013 saw Ryder become associate director of the stage playThe Full Monty bySimon Beaufoy, which opened at the Lyceum Theatre Sheffield.^[3]

In 2014, Ryder directed his second short filmDOG and in July 2015 directed his first red button episode ofCasualty for the BBC.^{[citation needed]}

Ryder continued his relationship withThe Full Monty as the director of the new touring production starring Gary Lucy which toured the UK through the autumn of 2015 into 2017.^[4]

Ryder returned to acting and played a new character Gareth in Kay Mellors' BBC dramaIn the Club which aired in May 2016.^[5]

In 2017, Ryder became the assistant director to Tim Firth on his and Gary Barlow's new musical "The Girls," opening at the Phoenix Theatre in London's West End on 21 February. As a result of his work on "The Girls" and his success on "The Full Monty" Gary Barlow and Take That asked Ryder to become the codirector with Kim Gavin on their new musical "The Band" which opened in September 2017.^[6]

In November 2018, it was announced that Ryder would join the cast ofHolby City as a new Consultant General Surgeon named Evan Crowhurst.^[7][8] He made his debut in the episode "A Simple Lie".^[9]

On 28 May 2020, Ryder published Jack’s Secret Summer with Hachette Children's Group. Jack’s Secret Summer is Ryder's first book, as well as his début children's novel.

Ryder married formerHear’Say singer turned actressKym Marsh inSt Albans, on 10 August 2002 and, after settling inSt Albans, the couple had early difficulties and split for a short while before reconciling. In light of Marsh wanting regular roles in North West-produced dramas and to be closer to her family, the couple moved toManchester in 2004. Marsh has 2 children by a previous relationship but Ryder took them on as his own. It was announced on 20 March 2008 that Marsh and Ryder had decided to separate and they subsequently divorced in 2009.^[10]

Ryder now lives in London and France. He is a supporter ofNewcastle United F.C.^[11] On 28 May 2020, he announced that he and his girlfriend were expecting their first child.^[12][13] Their daughter was born the following year.

• Jack Ryder atIMDb