SFX Awards: For Your Consideration #1

As we enter the final two weeks of voting for this year’s SFX Awards, the team reveal some of their own personal choices. Today, online editor Dave Golder champions Chuck ’s Yvonne Strahovski

For Your Consideration:

Chuck ’s Yvonne Strahovski

For: Best Actress

Yeah, yeah, okay, you’re probably thinking I’m one of those people who can’t separate “Best Actress” from “Sexiest Actress” but one of the reasons I’m championing Chuck’ s leading lady is because, as Simon put it in a recent episode of Misfits , “I feel sorry for beautiful girls. Sometimes people can’t see past their looks.”

Strahovski may be hot, but she’s also a very hot actress.

You scoff? Let me put it this way.

There is no way on Earth that a character like superspy Sarah would ever fall for a geek like Chuck. It’s a completely artificially constructed TV fairy story. But the Chuck/Sarah relationship is crucial to the show – it’s the beating heart and poetic soul of the show – and you totally buy into it. Why? Because Strahovski sells it.

Don’t get me wrong. Zachary Levi is great as Chuck, but he has a much easier role to perform as regards their relationship. It's much easier to believe the geek would fall for the beauty than the other way round. It‘s Strahovski who has to make you believe her love for Chuck is real, and she does it effortlessly, without ever falling into the trap of flipping backwards and forwards between tough bitch and simpering sweetheart. No, Strahovski gives an amazingly consistent performance, and her romantic side only comes out in subtle glances, moments of anguished conflict and the occasional heartfelt lovers tiff. Chuck would not have been the success it is without her. While a lot of the other characters in the show are (loveable) caricatures (be honest, as much as you love Casey, he’s little more than grunting and gun gags), Sarah is a far more fully-rounded, nuanced character, and a lot of that has been thanks to Strahovski.

But, okay, it also helps that she’s very sexy and also looks absolutely fantastic in the fight scenes. Really great. Athletic, energetic, stylish and convincing. I reckon she’s the best small screen kick-ass heroine since Emma Peel.

So… VOTE STRAHOVSKI! (You can vote for her in the Sexiest category too as well, if you like…)

The SFX Awards 2011 are open until 15 December. Cast your votes by clicking here .

The SFX Awards 2011 will be announced at the SFX Weekender 2 at a star studded ceremony. Buy your tickets to the SFX Weekender by calling our ticket hotline on 08700 110034 or visit www.sfxweekender.com for more details.

Dave Golder
Freelance Writer

Dave is a TV and film journalist who specializes in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He's written books about film posters and post-apocalypses, alongside writing for SFX Magazine for many years.