Summer Glau

What a beautiful actress. I first saw her, in the TV Series, Firefly, as River Tam. The Series ran from 2002 to 2003 for 14 Episodes. Her emerging character, from telepathic, traumatized, helplessness to kick ass fighter was great. Unfortunately, the TV series was cancelled. On Sept. 30, 2005, Serenity, the movie, was released, based on Firefly. Summer reprised her character, River Tam. We saw her Ballet training used to great effect. I saw her back on TV, in the Series, The Unit. A recurring role as Crystal Burns, from Episode 2, Aired, Sept. 26, 2006, and Episodes 5, 12,14,15 and 19, Aired, April 3, 2007. She was great playing the spendthrift girlfriend, of a contract soldier, who is not willing to look after him when he comes home, badly burned. I'm really enjoying, her present role, as Cameron Phillips, a reprogrammed Terminator, sent to protect John Connor, in the TV series, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Playing a machine without feelings. Deadpan delivery. Again, her ballet training is immensely helpful with the difficult fight scenes as well as the discipline, in how she moves. I will continue to enjoy watching her.

things that i like about summer glau

1. she is in one of my top three shows currently on TV, T:SCC.

2. She was in my favorite show of all time: firefly.

3. She likes sci-fi.

4. She is musical--she dance-- and not only is she musical, she also incorporates her skill into the shows she is starring in, In firefly she danced in a hoedown style dance while Mal and Jane fought. In terminator she closed an episode by dancing a ballet to Chopin's Polonaise in C# minor---- a personal favorite piece of mine. And she uses her musicality to turn her fight scenes into a beautiful melee of violence and grace.

5. I touched on this already when i mentioned her fight scenes, she fights regularily, which from a petite girl like summer, is incredible. I take pride in declaring that summer could most likely beat me up on any given day.

6. Yes, she is gorgeous. 7. She isn't full of herself.

8. She is chosen for difficult roles, cameron is a "scary robot" who is designed to be able to infiltrate and destroy, and yet, she seems to almost be able to feel, to have emotions. How summer can go into a scene knowing she needs to show emotion, and at the same time be incapable of having emotion, and portray this role so well, amazes me.

9. I've run out, so i'll say this again, she's gorgeous.

I think she is very pretty, and it really shocked me that she was 27, while she plays a 17 year old on Terminator. I honestly thought, before i saw her profile that she was that age or maybe a little older, but she looks great for he age and i think will age beautifully. I actually saw her in the unit before she was in Terminator and when i saw her for the season premier in Terminator i was like 'oh my god, that's that home-wrecker from The Unit'. Well it obviously she is not anything like her character on that show, and i think that she portrays Cameron very well, and having no emotions for me, I think would be very hard.

One of the best reasons why I watch "Terminator:the Sarah Conner Chronicles" is because of Summer Gleu. I like her a lot. she's not onl;y grogous, but she is very smart. She appeared on "Access Hollywood" about a month ago and seh's nothing like the character on "the Terminator." Her character is fun to watch. I hope she gets a Emmy nomination for her role. she's the best thing about the writers strike ridden season. I'm looking forward to see her again next season. She'll be back. And when she does. I'll be there cheering. to me, every day is Summer Time!

She is so talented, she played river in firefly nailed it, she played a cyborg protecting mankinds messaih and kicked metal butt doing it, cant wait to see her in future TSCC episode and what her career has in store for this special person...Her talent for acting surpasses anyone i know of date...Honestly there a few actors and actresses that she can bring to the table, shes unique yet beautiful, she envokes the right emotions in every scene form firefly up till the season finale of TSCC



Everyone wants to see summer play a normal human fighting in the resistence for season 3 of the terminator so get on your thinking caps and do whatever you can do to ensure there will be a season 3...

The richness of talent that this young actress has displayed in TSCC alone is well beyond her years. Her portrayal of Cameron is not only consistant, it is totally believable. Within that role she has been able to display her ability to own incredible emotionally charged scenes, in episode such as "Allison from Palmdale" and "Samson and Delilah".



Prior to her role in TSCC she of course played River in Firefly. Again a character that allowed Summer to display her fantastic range and ability. The character for the most part is a fragile shell of a person who has been, to a large extent, broken by scientists for military gain. Within those confines Summer was able to completely and convincingly portray this character. She was also totally belivable in the action sequences of Serenity. No mean feat given her rather small stature.



A brilliant actress who must surely have a very promissing career ahead of her.

I really like her as an actress, and the characters she played really fit her. The exotic psychic in Firefly (River Tam); The ruthless terminator in Sarah Connor Chronicles (Cameron). In both roles she's creepy (in a good way), a bit crazy (okay let's cut out that "a bit") and in a few words just perfect. Her non-sense dialogues in Firefly and occasional burst of action are simply lovely, as well as her typical terminator mentality in T. S. C. C. as well. She may be young, but she really knows what she does when acting, follow her, you won't regret.

I missed the Firefly episodes when they originally aired...

yet I did see the coming attractions for the film Serenity, still I failed to get a chance to see the movie too. Well, I remembered the interesting trailer when I finally got to a video store (I miss Suncoast) and asked my friend working there if the film was worth my while. I was thinking of buying the DVD - and the clincher was when he said it was "right up my alley".



Most of this took place because of Summer Glau - and Joss Whedon's predilection for creating projects that contain startling teenage dynamos. Her post-Gothic whirling dervish in the trailer stuck in my mind. My pal was correct. I loved the film and purchased the Firefly series a month later. Most of the Firefly cast is super and I've really liked a couple of the stars for years, but Glau is singular. I can picture a few actors who could portray the other roles as well if not better than the present cast. It's not so with River Tam. I can't imagine anyone touching that part now that I've seen Glau performing it.



Her acting, presence and appearance fill the needs of the character so well. There is a hypnotic component that falls into place in certain scenes. Whedon developed this vision so well his directors and cameramen capture it in nearly every episode. Sometimes it occurs for a fleeting moment (as in Objects in Space, River drifting to Mal while they're in their spacesuits) or for a sustained segment (like her conversation with Badger in Shindig). It's not just the intriguing darkness, the stealthy movements, her expressive eyes or those captivating feet - it's the rare magic of viewing a performer in a role that, most probably, will become her signature performance.

Summer Glau is from San Antonio. She is the oldest of three daughters. Her father and mother work as a general contractor and a school teacher, respectively. When she was younger, she was a professional ballet dancer. Her ballet training schedule required her to be home-schooled by her mother from Grades 3 to 12. She secretly wanted to become an actress.



Later on, she began to do some acting because of an injury she had that forced her to take a break from dancing. She started out slowly in the acting business. She was in a range of commercials and theatre productions.



However, she was finally noticed by Joss Whedon after being in an episode of Angel. Joss ended up casting her for the role of River Tam, in his new series Firefly.



She also appeared as a guest in episodes of Cold Case and CSI and made a short appearance in the movie Sleepover, before reprising the role of River Tam in the Firefly sequel-movie Serenity.



After that she made recurring guests in both The Unit and The 4400 and leads in the movie The Initiation of Sarah and made-for-television movie Mammoth.



She can be seen in the new series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

One of the best reasons why I watch "Terminator:the Sarah Conner Chronicles" is because of Summer Gleu. I like her a lot. she's not onl;y grogous, but she is very smart. She appeared on "Access Hollywood" about a month ago and seh's nothing like the character on "the Terminator." Her character is fun to watch. I hope she gets a Emmy nomination for her role. she's the best thing about the writers strike ridden season. I'm looking forward to see her again next season. She'll be back. And when she does. I'll be there cheering. to me, every day is Summer Time!

I first noticed Summer Glau when I was watching the immensley under-rated science fiction/western show "Firefly". While her role was important, it ws one in an ensemble cast. What has made her stand out is her technique to communicate with her eyes, her expressions, and her body language. Her acting is captivating and mesmorizing. She is one of the most underappreciated and talented actresses I have ever seen.



Take her latest endeavor in "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronciles". She plays a terminator, a cyborg being sent to the past to protect the future leader of humanity. While she is disguised as a high school student, she seems perfectly normal, unlike other cyborgs who have been sent. When she gets into Terminator mode, however, she keeps her face perfectly expressionless. Her eyes show much determination, and her intensity is there. Since her identity has been revealed, her actions are much more akin to Arnold's portrayal in T2, trying to fit in, understanding human behaviour. This brings in alot of similarities to her Firefly character, but she still pulls it off while making it seem fresh.



Finally, there is her amazing athleticism that comes from years of dance training. To see her in action sequences is a thing of beauty, and even though she is easy on the eyes, she is definitely not one to pick a fight with.

She is so good in the scifi genre. An actress with the range of playing insanity like an art. From the helpless, crazy, insane, kill you with her brain, teenager assasin in Firefly to the 4400 skitzoid nobody does it better. An attractive young women who's roles will only get better. Summer Glau is now a favorite of mine to watch. Straight jackets are needed as props for her acting roles. With every show she is in the writing seems superb. So I will watch whatever comes her way in the future. Very underappreciated has an actress. The scifi channel should sign her for long term contract. If Carrie ever gets remade bingo heres your gal. Morbid and creeptifing I have no problem with.

Summer Glau, who began her entertainment career as a ballerina, is best known for her work with Joss Whedon. He used her in an episode of the show Angel as, of all things, a ghostly ballerina. Whedon decided her rigid physical training and delicate beauty could be put to further use in his next project; Firefly. As the character River Tam, she captured a cult audience with her fragile portrayal of a damaged psychic girl. It wasn't until the film adaptation of the cancelled series, entitled Serenity, that we viewers got to see the full potential of Ms. Glau's action abilities. Since then, Summer Glau has appeared in such movies as Mammoth and The Initiation of Sarah. (While both films were a bit silly, in both cases it was her inclusion that made them watchable) It has been Ms. Glau's guest apperances in episode TV that has been showcasing her continuing abilities. Perhaps slightly typecasted as Tess Doerner in The 4400, none the less, her take on the former mental patient with the ability to control minds has helped to breath new life into the series. Possibly trying to get away from the roles as merely the insane, Summer Glau's most recent appearence on The Unit portrayed her a the beloved of a young military man. As proof of her popularity, the scene from the episode when she strolls about in a bikini was available on the internet shortly after. Indeed, her more recent publicity photos have shown a more mature young woman looking ready to make her mark in the industry.

River tam is played excellently by Summer glau. she is so flexible, she was the best person to play "a weapon" as she was known as in serenity. she has enormous grace, and her acting in serenity chokes me up- the part wher she says that the memory is not hers- i don't understand how she could've done that so well. i was amazed.this girl is something special, and she ought to be recognised by all.



River Tam is a psychic. she was basically kidnapped by the alliance so that they could perform tests on her brain- tsest that are unethical, and would be considered torture by nearly everyone else. luckily her brother, Simon Tam, who loved her alot, saved her, and now the two are fugitives on the run from the intergalactic government. unfortunately, the torture has rendered river insane- she says anything that comes to her... poor girl...



her latest role was in Serenity ( i think) she was amazing. this girl was destined for great things, her acting is more than anybody could possibly be... Summer, i salute you.

This review is based on Summer Glau's role as River Tam in Firefly.



River must have been a difficult role to play; she was a young girl undergoing psychotic breaks from reality; her brain had been 'tinkered with' by the Alliance, and she had special abilities. But Summer played this role with emotion and grace. There were times when River had to be scared and lost; Summer handled that most believeably. There were other times when River had to be strong and in charge, and Summer also handled those scenes with aplomb. There were also scenes where River was funny; and Summer carried that off well too. One of my favourite scenes from Firefly was the scene in which Simon 'threatens' Jayne by not threatening him, and says that they have to trust each other. River pokes her head around the corner and just tells him, "Also, I can kill you with my brain." It was hilarious and so well done. She was serious, but still managed to convey that she was just threatening him, but not necessarily willing to carry through with it.



I've heard it said that playing 'stupid' is one of the hardest types of roles to play. I imagine that playing psychologically damaged geniuses must be pretty hard too, but Summer Glau played this role magnificently!

I think Summer showed incredible talent in her depiction of River Tam in Firefly and Serenity. This month SciFi is releasing an original made for TV movie that Summer is in, called Mammoth. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of her, in a different character.



I think Summer's acting talent shines brightly through her roles, she's a fantastic addition to the acting pool. I've read some interviews and though I long to see her in person, I have yet to do so. I feel that through the interviews we see that she's witty, bright, funny, and very very down to earth. I look forward to seeing this bright star shine for a long time to come.

Wow is she talented or is she talented, she took a very hard role to play and did it masterfully, I really don't think any one else could of done it better, the best charecter on one of the best TV shows ever too bad it was so short lived, we can only hope for more

Quite possibly the sweetest and most charming actress I've ever seen. She is so quiet and unassuming, fooling some into under-appreciating her extraordinary talent. Focused and friendly, she exudes confidence in her work.



Her cast members on Firefly speak fondly of her, saying how dedicated she is and laugh at her quiet humor. Consider how they blamed her for anything that went wrong on set: They'd yell, "Summer!", although she almost never messed up. They love her and consider her family; The sign of a wonderful person, in my opinion.



She makes "Crazy" sexy...which is no easy task. Her capability for emoting the scattered consciousness of a broken seventeen year-old is breathtaking to watch.

Summer has been one of my favorite actresses

since I saw her play River Tam in Firefly. How I wish she could go back and play River Tam again but that’s just the dreams and hopes of a browncoat for ya :). Looking foward to her upcoming role in the sci-fi movie Mammoth.

Masked by a big cast and a short lived show Summer really should be getting jobs by the truck load. She can convey everything on screen and switch modes at the drop of the hat. Anyone who was a fan of her work in Firefly must see the feature film version, Serenity.

She is so talented in her acting abilities for her role as River Tam, as well as being beautiful.It is a shame that great sci-fi shows like this don\'t seem to ever get the recognition they deserve. Firefly and the movie Serenity have been the best thing for sci-fi in years, and the writing and acting is as original and great as it gets. I hope we all can see more of Summer and the Serenity crew in the future.

There are no other words to describe her. She has this innocence to her acting.I loved her in Firefly and Serenity, in which she plays River Tam. In her role as River,she is convincing and if it weren't for common sense, I really would believe that River's a real person.(I have to credit the writer of Firefly too for River. Good job!)



Summer Glau has a grace to her that most actresses I've known definitely doesn't have.



I love that she has done ballet. This allows her to have some of the best scenes in Serenity, which she stars in. She is a great newcomer, and I hope to see her in more projects soon.

Got to like a girl that is quiet, dangerous, sexy, dangerous, strong, dangerous, smart, and dangerous. She pulls this off in her River role (from Firefly and Serenity) and adds to the cast perfectly. Her version of innocent world doom is fun to watch. Haven’t seen her in anything else yet.

First, I have to be blunt. I didn't think too much of her character in "Firefly." So, where did this girl come from? On Firefly she didn't say or do anything special, until the last episodes. Recently, since the repeats of Firefly on the Sci-fi channel and the previews of the commercials, I've came to the conclusion, that this girl kicks ass. I can't wait for this movie to come out. If only to see her. Yes, she's that good. I've always thought Jewel Staite has been beautiful, but this movie has not even seen me wonder about her. It's all about Summer Glau, and she kicks ass. I've already said she'd be the perfect actress if my series ever gets made. :) I'll say it now, Summer Glau would be the perfect Actress for my series!

I just couldn't resist to say I am pretty impressed by Summer Glau's acting performance! I've discovered her HUGE talent in Firefly and let's say I couldn't believe she could bring so much depth and credibility to the role of River.

It's just then, re-watching the third season of Angel, I've realized she was also 'Prima Ballerina' the enchanting dancer who had moved me with her magnificent speech. The emotion that lies underneath is so intense and that's what characterizes Summer Glau's talent! Emotion, right when you expect it and yet so intense that you can't escape from it.

I did not have the opportunity to see her on 'the 4400' but I'm sure she was pretty amazing too.

An amazing carreer is ahead!