Katee Sackhoff

After picking up numerous bit parts on the small screen and in feature films, actress Katee Sackhoff hit pay dirt when she was cast as Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the revamped version of "Battlestar Galactica" (Syfy, 2004-09). Despite an initial outcry from devotees of the original 1970s-era series over the gender reassignment of the character, Sackhoff eventually became a fanboy favorite and one of the show's most popular characters. Prior to "Battlestar," Sackhoff generally played stereotypical blonde roles in a variety of made-for-television movies, including her debut in the telepic "Fifteen and Pregnant" (1998) and feature films like "My First Mister" (2001) and "Halloween: Resurrection" (2002). But it was her spirited performance as the conflicted and complex Starbuck that made her a pop-culture icon. After "Battlestar" wound down, Sackhoff joined the cast of "24" (Fox, 2001-10) during its final season, earning critical acclaim post-Starbuck. That promise was fulfilled when the actress joined the cast of the hit mystery series "Longmire" (A&E, 2012-14; Netflix, 2015- ), a show that broke ratings records for the cable network in its first season. Possessing a unique ability to play characters as strong as they were vulnerable, Sackhoff continually impressed critics and audiences alike with each new role.