Bionic Woman Michelle gets a Hollywood makeover

Ryan, who made her name in the long-running British soap playing character Zoe Slater has clearly stepped up a fashion gear or two in advance of her debut in the 're-imagination' of cult 70s show The Bionic Woman.

In keeping with her new Hollywood lifestyle, Michelle now cuts a sleek, glossy figure, opting for a demure and sophisticated black dress, and dropping her previous dependence on fake tan.

Now the British actress has swopped her former dowdy look for one more befitting an actress tipped for US television stardom.

Having landed a primetime slot for new show The Bionic Woman, Michelle is no doubt aware that she has to dress for success.

In the 70s classic which has been remade for modern audiences, Ryan plays tennis pro Jamie Sommers, whose body is rebuilt using bionic wizardry after she suffers a near-fatal skydiving accident.

The 22-year-old actress so impressed TV bosses in a pilot episode that it is now being made into a series to be broadcast on Wednesday nights in the coveted 9pm slot.

She told website Access Hollywood : "I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie, so I kind of enjoyed it all."

"I know, the title 'Bionic Woman' - everybody has these iconic images, but I think with this series, what they want to do is make it very real...So Jamie Sommers is the girl next door, and she has had sort of a tragic younger life."

The new series is a 're-imagining' of the original which was a spin-off from cult hit The Six Million Dollar Man, and ran from 1976 to 1978 with actress Lindsay Wagner.

The gorgeous Michelle, who has been quietly carving out an acting career in Los Angeles, including a part in a movie with star Carmen Electra, has clearly undergone a re-imagination of her own.

And she definitely looks a million dollars!

Glamorous Michelle has given a sleek, glossy look befitting an actress tipped for major television stardom in the US. Her former dowdy look left a lot to be desired