Summer Glau Biography 

American actress and dancer Summer Glau was thrust into the limelight in 2002 when she landed her first major role on Firefly. A cult icon from then on, she can currently be seen on the new sci-fi series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles as Cameron Phillips.

Summer Lyn Glau was born July 24, 1981 in San Antonio, Texas. She is of Scottish and Irish descent.

Before Glau ever stepped in front of the camera to pursue her acting career, she was trained in many various kinds of dance. Specifically, she learned ballet, tango, and flamenco. She was officially a professional dancer from the age of twelve on.

She made the move to Los Angeles, California in 2002 in order to appear in her first onscreen project—one episode of the fantasy series Angel. She appeared beside series regulars David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter.

It was here that Angel creator Joss Whedon first saw Glau. He was so impressed with her that he immediately cast her in his new television series Firefly.

Playing the mysterious River Tam, Glau enjoyed the success and exposure affiliated with the popular program. She became a cult favorite along with fellow costars Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, and Adam Baldwin.

Unfortunately for the cast and the dedicated fans, the show was axed after fourteen episodes. Distraught fans protested enough that a full length film entitled Serenity was given the green light. Written and directed by Whedon, Glau was able to reprise her role for the 2005 film.

Landing on her feet, Glau wasted no time finding another series. To that end, she played Tess Doerner for eight episodes of The 4400. Her role spanned from 2005 to 2007, appearing during this time beside Joel Gretsch, Jacqueline McKenzie, and others.

When that project ran its course, she found recurring work with the well-received drama The Unit. Playing Crystal Burns from 2006 to 2007, she shared the screen with Dennis Haysbert, Regina Taylor, Scott Foley, and Robert Patrick.

Finding work recently, Glau signed up to appear in the televised series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, and Brian Austin Green costar.

For her continued work in the sci-fi genre, Glau was recognized with a Saturn Award in 2006 for Serenity. She was subsequently nominated for another Saturn Award in 2008 for Terminator.

In her personal life, Glau has been romantically linked to fellow actor Daniel Wisler.