Claudia Black
An exotic looking brunette capable of projecting both strength and a sultry air, Australian actress Claudia Black earned a cult following with her co-starring role as Aeryn Sun, a commando pilot trained to keep her emotions in check, in "Farscape" (Sci-Fi Channel, 1999-2003). The Sydney-born performer was a finalist in the 1990 Globe Shakespeare competition and toured Europe as Portia in "The Merchant of Venice." Back home, she graced the stages in works as diverse as "Loose Ends" and "Little Women" (as the headstrong Jo) and became a constant presence on Australian television portraying Nurse Claire Bonacci on "A Country Practice" (1993-94) and a Greek lawyer in "City Life" (1996). She also drew attention for her turn as an hermaphrodite in a 1998 guest shot in the off-beat crime drama "Good Guys Bad Guys." While filming her supporting role as a transport passenger stranded on a strange planet in "Pitch Black" (2000), the actress was asked to help read actors auditioning for a new sci-fi series to be produced in Australia. Although the show's producers had intended to hire an American actress, the casting agent believed she would be perfect for the role. Black made a tape and was later invited to Sydney to audition for and landed the part of Aeryn Sun on "Farscape." The actress nicely projected the character's strength and toughness but also developed a very palpable sexual chemistry with co-star Ben Browder (as human astronaut John Crichton). As the show went on, Aeryn developed into a fascinating and highly watchable character and the actress garnered legions of fans. Following the end of that series, Black appeared on two seasons of "Stargate SG-1" (Showtime/Syfy 1997-2007) as Vala Mal Doran and steadily increased her voiceover work on television, film and video games. Following a recurring role in "The Originals" (CW 2013-), Black returned to series television in the thriller "Containment" (CW 2015-16).