Yvonne Strahovski

Yvonne Strahovski Biography:
Yvonne Strahovski quickly emerged as one of Hollywood's most sought-after actresses as a feisty CIA super spy on "Chuck" (NBC, 2007- ). Already a celebrity in her native Australia, the action-packed series exposed Strahovski's natural talents and appeal to an American audience. She earned an equally loyal following of both men and women - some drawn by her sleek and sexy physique; others for her comedic and dramatic flair. In 2011, Strahovski played the sultry love interest of Jason Statham in the suspense thriller "The Killer Elite," a story of former British special forces members who are hunted down by assassins. Strahovski's impressive turn in the film boosted her career in Hollywood, and displayed a perfect blend of vulnerability and strength that could have only come from a truly talented and versatile actress.

Yvonne Strahovski

Yvonne Strzechowski was born on July 30, 1982 in Maroubra, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She inherited her creative streak from her parents (both of Polish descent) with her father being a former band member and her mother a painter and photographer. Strahovski's passion for acting led her to enroll at the renowned University of Western Sydney's Theatre Nepean, where she graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in Performance. Strahovski (whose stage name is the phonetic spelling of her real name) made her television debut on the action-adventure series "Double the Fist" (Australian Broadcasting Company, 2004-08), followed by a recurring role on the drama "Headland" (Channel 7, 2005-10). Strahovski had a minor role on "BlackJack: Dead Memory (Network 10, 2006) before she was cast as a federal agent on the Channel Nine drama series "Sea Patrol" (2007-10). In 2007, she auditioned for a lead role in the action/comedy series "Chuck," co-starring Zachary Levi as Chuck Bartowski, a 20-something computer expert who accidentally stumbles upon confidential government information and downloads it into his brain. After sending in her audition tape, the show's producers were so impressed with Strahovski that they asked her to fly to Los Angeles to read lines with Levi. Within a week, the talented actress nabbed the leading lady part.

Strahovski played a tough-as-nails secret agent named Sarah Walker who is hired to protect Chuck. It was a physically demanding role that required her to perform stunts like jumping off a clock tower and zip-lining down a power line, or engaging in hand-to-hand combat with mercenaries. As part of her cover, she pretended to be Chuck's girlfriend but as the show progressed, a real romance started brewing between the two characters. The role allowed Strahovski to not only challenge herself physically, but also develop her comedic skills as she frequently traded hilarious barbs with Levi. It also called for her to fight evil spies wearing countless skintight undercover outfits, which gave her instant sex symbol status and landed Strahovski spots on numerous "Sexiest Women" lists. In 2010, Strahovski's onscreen magnetism earned her a nomination at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards for Choice TV Actress: Action. The following year, Strahovski starred in the thriller "The Killer Elite" opposite Robert De Niro, Clive Owen and Statham, in which she played the love interest of Statham's character.
Source: yahoo.com