Jeri Lynn Zimmerman, born on February 22, 1968, in Munich, West Germany, is the daughter of Gerhard Florian Zimmerman, a Master Sergeant in the United States Army, and his wife Sharon, a social worker. Growing up, Jeri and her older brother Mark moved frequently due to their father's military career, residing on various bases in Kansas, Maryland, Hawaii, Georgia, and Texas.
At the age of 11, her father retired from the Army, and the family settled in Paducah, Kentucky. After graduating from Lone Oak High School in 1986, Jeri attended Northwestern University in Chicago as a National Merit Scholar. During her time at Northwestern, she participated in several beauty contests, including the sixth annual Miss Northwestern Alpha Delta Phi Pageant in 1989, which she won.
Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Theatre, Jeri moved to Los Angeles, California, and began her career in television and film. Her early roles included appearances on popular series such as Matlock in 1986, Melrose Place in 1992, and Star Trek: Voyager in 1995. She also appeared in several television films, including Nightmare in Columbia County in 1991, NBC's In the Line of Duty: Ambush in Waco in 1993, Co-ed Call Girl in 1996, The Sentinel in 1996, Men Cry Bullets in 1998, Dracula 2000 in 2000, The Last Man in 2000, and Down with Love in 2003.
Today, Jeri Ryan resides in an area of Los Angeles, California, with her husband, chef Christophe Eme, and their two children, son Alex and daughter Gisele.
