Who needs an Oscar? Amy Ryan already is a winner

By Bob Tourtellotte

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - She may be one of this year's most unlikely Oscar nominees, and because of that, Amy Ryan believes she already is a winner even if she fails to take home the coveted award as best supporting actress in "Gone Baby Gone."

Ryan has found recognition on Broadway, but mainly in supporting roles. Her screen work has been mostly in low-budget independent films and guest-starring TV roles. She got a big Hollywood break in Steven Spielberg's 2005 film "War of the Worlds" -- playing "neighbor with a toddler."

That was two years ago, and now the native New Yorker with a bright personality has earned a share of the spotlight at the upcoming Oscars, the world's top film honors, to be given out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on February 24.

Since winning high praise and various award nominations for her relatively small role as a neglectful single mother in "Gone Baby Gone," Ryan said Hollywood has at last come calling.

"No matter what happens Oscar night, I've already won the prizes, and those are the doors that have opened," Ryan told Reuters. "It's working with directors like Paul Greengrass and Clint Eastwood. That's the real award, one you can hold onto."

She said the fast changes to her career have surprised her, and she still fears that when the Oscars are over, she will go back to old routines of auditioning daily for casting directors and waiting patiently to learn if she landed a job.

But given her background -- Ryan scored nominations for Broadway's top honors, the Tonys, in 2000 and 2005 -- Hollywood watchers believe the actress' star should only soar higher.

"It takes some getting used to, but trust me I'm very happy to get used to it," Ryan said of her new status. Then, with a laugh, she added, "I adapt easily. I promise."