Summer Glau

Summer Glau

Summer Glau at the 2012 Comic-Con in San Diego.
Born Summer Lyn Glau
(1981-07-24) July 24, 1981
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 2002–present
Spouse(s) Val Morrison
Children 1

Summer Lyn Glau (/ˈɡlaʊ/; born July 24, 1981) is an American actress best known for her roles in science fiction and fantasy television series; as River Tam in Firefly (2002) and its continuation film Serenity (2005), as Tess Doerner in The 4400 (2005–2007), as Cameron in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009), as Bennett Halverson in Dollhouse (2009–2010), as Skylar Adams in Alphas (2011–2012) and as Isabel Rochev/Ravager in Arrow (2013–2014).

Early life

Glau was born in San Antonio, Texas, where she grew up with her two younger sisters Kaitlin and Christie. She is of Scots-Irish and German ancestry.[1] Her mother is a school teacher and her father a general contractor.[2]

Glau received a scholarship to a ballet company and was home-schooled from grades 3 to 12 to accommodate her ballet training.[3] Glau was classically trained as a ballet dancer and studied tango and flamenco. After a broken toe ended her dancing career,[3] Glau moved to Los Angeles in 2002 to pursue an acting career.

Career

Glau at CollectorMania 2007

Glau's first television credit was a guest role as a ballerina on the 2002 episode "Waiting in the Wings" of the television series Angel. There she caught the eye of director Joss Whedon, who later cast her in his critically acclaimed but short-lived TV series Firefly as River Tam, a role she reprised for the show's feature film sequel, Serenity. Glau previously auditioned for the role of a Power Ranger in Power Rangers Wild Force before meeting Whedon.[4]

Glau appeared on the episode "Love Conquers Al" of the TV series Cold Case. She had a small role in the film Sleepover, in which she played a high school senior named Shelly. She also appeared in the CSI episode "What's Eating Gilbert Grissom?", and the second season of The Unit, portraying Crystal Burns, the girlfriend of Jeremy Erhart. In 2006, Glau played Tess Doerner, a paranoid schizophrenic returnee in the second season premiere of The 4400 (episode "Wake-Up Call"), and became a recurring character from season 3 onwards. She also starred in the science fiction film Mammoth. Glau was cast in the ABC Family TV movie The Initiation of Sarah.

In Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, a series that debuted January 13, 2008, Glau played the role of Cameron Phillips, a Terminator infiltration unit sent back to protect John Connor and Sarah Connor from Skynet.[5] The seventh episode of the series, "The Demon Hand", included several scenes in which Glau (in character as Cameron) dances ballet. Glau also guest starred as herself in the 2009 episode "The Terminator Decoupling" from the second season of the CBS situation comedy The Big Bang Theory.[6]

On August 26, 2009, it was confirmed after much speculation that Glau would be joining the cast of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse for at least two episodes in the early part of the show's second season. She portrayed Bennett, the programmer for a rival Dollhouse.[7] On March 12, 2010, it was announced that she would be joining the cast of NBC's The Cape in a leading role.[8] In June 2010, she was confirmed as the female lead in the horror comedy film Knights of Badassdom.[9] On July 11, 2011, Glau was cast on Alphas as Skylar Adams, a recurring alpha and mother to Zoe Adams, and a former acquaintance of Dr. Rosen and Nina.[10] Glau voiced Kara Zor-El in the DC Comics original animated movie Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.[11]

Personal life

Glau has been involved in a number of charities, such as B.C. Women's Hospital & Health Centre[12] Glau is an animal lover and has shown support to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles,[13] where she hand-painted a decorative pet bowl that was later sold on eBay to raise funds. She became a vegetarian in 1995, but in 2005 stated, "by the end of shooting [Serenity] I was eating steaks."[14] Glau has trained in multiple forms of martial arts, including kung fu and kickboxing.[14][15][16]

Glau is married to actor Val Morrison. In January 2015, Glau gave birth to a girl, Milena.[17]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2004 Sleepover Ticket girl
2005 Serenity River Tam
2006 Mammoth Jack Abernathy Television film
2006 Initiation of Sarah, TheThe Initiation of Sarah Lindsey Goodwin Television film
2010 Superman/Batman: Apocalypse Kara Zor-El/Supergirl (voice) Direct-to-video
2010 Deadly Honeymoon Lindsey Ross Forrest Television film
2011 Legend of Hell's Gate: An American Conspiracy, TheThe Legend of Hell's Gate: An American Conspiracy Maggie Moon
2012 Help for the Holidays Christine Prancer Television film
2013 Inside the Box Sophie Short film
2013 Knights of Badassdom[18] Gwen

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2002 Angel Prima Ballerina Episode: "Waiting in the Wings"
2002–2003 Firefly River Tam 14 episodes
2003 Cold Case Paige Pratt Episode: "Love Conquers Al"
2004 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Mandy Cooper Episode: "What's Eating Gilbert Grissom?"
2005–2007 4400, TheThe 4400 Tess Doerner 8 episodes
2006–2007 Unit, TheThe Unit Crystal Burns 7 episodes
2008–2009 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Cameron/Allison Young 31 episodes
2009 Big Bang Theory, TheThe Big Bang Theory Herself Episode: "The Terminator Decoupling"
2009–2010 Dollhouse Bennett Halverson 4 episodes
2010 Chuck Greta Episode: "Chuck Versus the Fear of Death"
2011 Cape, TheThe Cape Jamie Fleming / Orwell 10 episodes
2011–2012 Alphas Skylar Adams 4 episodes
2012 Grey's Anatomy Nurse Emily Kovach 2 episodes
2012 Scent of the Missing Sedona Pilot
2013 Hawaii Five-0 Maggie Hoapili Episode: "Kekoa"
2013[19] NTSF:SD:SUV:: Olivia Frampton Episode: "Comic-Con Air"
2013–2014 Arrow[20] Isabel Rochev/Ravager 9 episodes
2014 Peter Panzerfaust[21] Wendy (voice)
2014 Sequestered Anna Brandt 12 episodes
2016 Castle Kendall Frost Episode: "The G.D.S."

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Production Result
2005 SFX Award Best Actress Serenity Won
2006 SyFy Genre Awards Best Actress/Movie Serenity Nominated[22]
2006 Saturn Award Best Supporting Actress Serenity Won[23]
2008 Saturn Award Best Supporting Actress on Television Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Won (tied with Elizabeth Mitchell)[24]
2008 Scream Award Best Actress in a Science Fiction Movie or TV Show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Nominated[25]
2008 Teen Choice Award Choice TV Actress: Action Adventure Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Nominated
2008 Teen Choice Award Choice TV Breakout Female Star Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Nominated
2009 Saturn Award Best Supporting Actress on Television Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Nominated
2009 Teen Choice Award Choice TV Actress: Action/Adventure Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Nominated

References

  1. ↑ "Summer Glau – About her career – Summer-glau.net Interview". whedon.info. April 16, 2007. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Summer Glau Biography". Film Reference. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Robinson, Tasha (February 24, 2008). "Summer Glau Interview". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  4. ↑ Huvane, Chris. "Hot Summer". GQ. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  5. ↑ Goldman, Eric (February 8, 2007). "Serenity Comes to Sarah Connor". IGN. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  6. ↑ Johnston, Rich (June 11, 2010). "SCOOP! Summer Glau Plays A LARPer In Joe Lynch’s Knights Of Badassdom". Bleedingcool.com. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  7. ↑ Official - Summer Glau joins Dollhouse season two! at the Wayback Machine (archived August 30, 2009)
  8. ↑ Porter, Rick (March 12, 2010). "Summer Glau joins NBC's 'The Cape'". Zap2it. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  9. ↑ "'Terminator' Hottie Summer Glau Battles Heavy Metal Demons in 'Knights of Badassdom'!". Bloody-disgusting.com. June 11, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Alphas – 1×07 – Catch and Release". summer-glau.net. August 2, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  11. ↑ Sands, Rich (June 28, 2010). "First Look: Summer Glau Takes Off As Supergirl". TV Guide. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  12. ↑ Online Auction – Bears that Care at the Wayback Machine (archived March 10, 2007)
  13. ↑ "Supported Causes". summer-glau.net. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  14. 1 2 "Dance of the telepathic space assassin". Daily Telegraph. London. October 1, 2005. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  15. ↑ Murray, Rebecca. "Summer Glau Talks About 'Serenity'". About.com. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Summer Glau: Serenity's psychic reveals all". Empire. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Summer and Val Welcome Baby Girl!". summer-glau.com. January 26, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  18. ↑ Movie held hostage: 'Knights of Badassdom' at the Wayback Machine (archived March 24, 2013)
  19. ↑ "NTSF:SD:SUV – 3.01 Sneak Peek And Synopsis". summer-glau.net. July 25, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  20. ↑ Ng, Philiana (July 10, 2013). "'Arrow' Recruits Summer Glau for Major Season 2 Role". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  21. ↑ PETER PANZERFAUST IS ON THE MOVE at the Wayback Machine (archived April 30, 2013)
  22. ↑ "Firefly, Harry Potter Sweep Genre Awards". Airlock Alpha. October 1, 2006. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Past Saturn Awards: Film Awards: Best Supporting Actress". Saturn Awards. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Past Saturn Awards: Television Awards: Best Supporting Actress". Saturn Awards. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  25. ↑ "Scream Awards 2008 Nominees". movieguys.org. October 15, 2008. Retrieved July 7, 2013.

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