Petrea Burchard

Though character actress Petrea Burchard has had a diverse career that encompasses performances in film, television and theater, she is best known for voicing the besotted space pirate Ryoko Hakubi in the English-language version of the Japanese anime series "Tenchi Muyô! ." She initially pursued her acting ambitions through learning the comedy ropes from Chicago's heralded improvisational troupe Second City, and studying Shakespeare at the Chicago Shakespeare Repertory as well as at the Royal Shakespeare Company at the British/American Drama Academy. After years on stage, she made the leap to film with a bit part on the Arthur Penn-directed reunion dramedy "Four Friends." Over the next decade, Burchard scored only two onscreen roles, a one-off on the detective drama "Hunter" and a featured extra role in the Robert Zemeckis-directed frenemies comedy "Death Becomes Her." Then in 1992, she won the part of Ryoko on "Tenchi Muyô! Ryô Ôki," a role she has reprised over the years in various incarnations of the manga-inspired franchise, including: "Tenchi Muyô! In Love," "Shin Tenchi Muyô," and "Tenchi Muyô! Manatsu no Eve." Beyond that, her television career has been mostly relegated to one-offs and featured extra work on a variety of shows including the soap opera "The Young and the Restless," the serial killer drama "Dexter," and the buddy sitcom "How I Met Your Mother." When she's not on set or in rehearsal, Burchard is often penning a new entry for her ongoing column "Act As If" for NowCasting.com.