Charlotte Ryan

Charlotte Ryan is a fictional character on the CBS television series The Unit. She is portrayed by Scottish actress Rebecca Pidgeon, the wife of playwright David Mamet, the creator of The Unit.

Not much is known about Charlotte. Her maiden name is Canning, and she is a Washington insider. At the end of Season 1, she marries Colonel Tom Ryan, commanding officer of the U.S. Army 1st Special Actions Group (official cover as the "303rd Logistical Studies Group"). During the post-wedding celebration, Charlotte was shot twice in the back when a Serbian war criminal discovered the Unit's headquarters and attacked Alpha Team. Later this makes Ryan worry about base security more than before, sometimes even involving wives of the unit operators.

In Season 2, Charlotte is on the brink of legal trouble when she runs another driver off the road while under the influence of drugs, a crime for which Tiffy Gerhardt takes the heat. Later she helps Tiffy to avoid going jail, but she never actually admits that the incident was about her.

In early Season 3, it is revealed that Charlotte has sold secret information about the unit so that rogue CIA agents are able to use it against members of the unit. This led to unit members being on the run, and Colonel Ryan examining his options. He uses Charlotte's connections to coerce those attacking the unit to back off. Once it is clear than the Unit is to be reinstated, Colonel Ryan decides to end his marriage, as he no longer trusts his wife.