At 21, she won the 1989 Mrs New Zealand competition. At 18, she went on her ' overseas experience', travelling through Europe and Australia with her future husband, Garth Lawless. She attended Marist College, Auckland, and began studies at Auckland University in languages. Her first musical was at age 10 and began acting in secondary school. She has described her family as 'this big, sprawling Irish Catholic family', and while filming in Ireland for the Discovery Channel in 2004, told Ireland on Sunday that her father's family originated in Quilty, County Clare. She is the fifth of six siblings (four brothers and one sister).
Lucille Frances 'Lucy' Ryan was born in the Auckland suburb of Mount Albert to teacher Julie Ryan (nee Haynes) and Mount Albert's mayor, banker Frank Ryan.
