Meghan Ory

**Meghan Ory** is a Canadian television and film actress. She is best known for her role as Red Riding Hood/Ruby on the ABC fantasy series *Once Upon a Time* and also starred in the short-lived CBS drama *Intelligence* as Riley Neal. Ory currently stars in the Hallmark family drama *Chesapeake Shores* as Abby O'Brien.

## Career

Her first professional acting role came in 1999 in the Fox Family Channel television movie, *The Darklings*, opposite Suzanne Somers and Timothy Busfield. A guest appearance on the television series *The Crow: Stairway to Heaven* followed, before she landed her first regular TV role on the Fox Family series *Higher Ground* in 2000, along with Hayden Christensen and A.J. Cook. After appearing on the MTV series *2ge+her* (2000), Ory joined the cast of the Canadian television series *Vampire High* in 2001.

She continued working in television with guest appearances on *The Outer Limits*, *Dark Angel]]*, *Glory Days*, and *Maybe It’s Me*. She appeared in the TV movies *Lucky 7* and *National Lampoon's Thanksgiving Family Reunion* in 2003, as well as the TV series *Smallville*, *Life As We Know It*, and *The Collector*, and *Family Reunion* in 2004. Also in 2004, Ory made her feature film debut in *Decoys*, directed by Matthew Hastings, whom she had previously worked with on *Higher Ground* and *Vampire High*.

In 2006, Ory appeared in UPN series *South Beach*, and the Hallmark mini-series *Merlin's Apprentice*, alongside Sam Neill and Miranda Richardson. She also appeared in the feature film *John Tucker Must Die* and the made-for-TV film *Her Sister's Keeper*. In 2007, Ory appeared in *Blonde and Blonder* with Pamela Anderson and Denise Richards, and the television film *Nightmare*. In 2008, Ory appeared in the television series *Flash Gordon* episode "Thicker Than Water". In 2009, Ory appeared in the television series *Knight Rider (2008)* episode 17 (Season 1) "I love the Knight Life" as Megan Connelly. She portrayed Claire Thompson in the horror-thriller film *Dark House*. She also appeared as a guest star of Canadian TV Series Sanctuary as Laura. In 2010, Ory appeared in the Keystone Light beer commercial "Rescue of Beer".

Beginning fall 2011, Ory starred as Red Riding Hood/Ruby on the ABC fantasy series *Once Upon a Time*. She was in most of the episodes of the first season and was promoted to the main cast in the second season of the series. She left the cast at the end of the second season, to focus on her new show *Intelligence*, but made guest appearances in four episodes during the third season. Ory also returned to the show during its fifth season for three episodes.

In March 2013, Ory was cast as the female lead opposite Josh Holloway in the CBS drama pilot *Intelligence*, which co-stars Marg Helgenberger. The show was cancelled after one season due to poor ratings.

In the 2016 Hallmark original series *Chesapeake Shores*, she stars as a divorced career woman with two young daughters who returns to her hometown.

## Personal life

In 2008, she married John Reardon, with whom she worked on *Merlin's Apprentice*. In May 2018, Ory announced that they had welcomed their first child, a son. In July 2019, Ory announced that she was expecting their second child, a daughter, as stated in an interview. In October 2019, Ory announced that they had welcomed their second child.

## Trivia

* Recipient of the Fine Arts Award for Acting from the Royal Oak School in 1996.
* Remains good friends with Higher Ground (2000) co-stars Jewel Staite and A.J. Cook.
* In May 2018, Ory announced that she had welcomed her first child with husband John Reardon.
* Her first role was in the TV movie The Darklings with Suzanne Somers.
* She appeared in a commercial for Keystone Light in 2010.
* She played Jill in John Tucker Must Die, starring Jesse Metcalfe.