Ryan Michelle Bathe (born July 27, 1976 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an acclaimed American actress and producer whose versatile body of work spans television, film, and stage. A graduate of Stanford University and holding an MFA in Acting from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Bathe began her screen career in the early 2000s with guest roles on series such as ER, Half & Half, Girlfriends and Brothers & Sisters. She first garnered widespread attention as attorney Sara Holt on Boston Legal (2005–06), a performance that contributed to a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series with the cast.

Bathe continued to build a strong television résumé with roles in Retired at 35, Army Wives, Empire and This Is Us, where she appeared opposite her husband Sterling K. Brown in a memorable recurring arc. She later starred as Rachel Audubon on All Rise and earned acclaim as Ari Montgomery on the BET+ adaptation of First Wives Club (2019–22). In 2022, Bathe took on a lead role as Val Turner in NBC’s high-stakes thriller The Endgame, showcasing her range in dramatic storytelling.

In film, Bathe’s credits include One for the Money (2012) and the romantic drama Sylvie’s Love (2020), which earned recognition with a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Television Movie — a milestone she has spoken about as a career highlight. In 2023 she led the psychological thriller Boy in the Walls and was cast opposite Terry Crews in the CBS comedy pilot JumpStart, reflecting her continued momentum across genres. Her upcoming film slate as of 2026 includes roles in anticipated projects such as The Housemaid, Zootopia 2, Avatar: Fire and Ash and Return to Silent Hill.

Bathe has also expanded into production with her company Down on Maple Productions, nurturing underrepresented voices in the industry. Off-screen, she co-hosts the NAACP Image Award–nominated podcast We Don’t Always Agree with Sterling K. Brown. Most recently, she guest-starred in the hit Hulu series Paradise (Season 2) alongside Brown, further cementing her presence in high-profile television.