Summer Glau (/ɡlaʊ/; born July 24, 1981[1]) is an American actress best known for her roles in science fiction and fantasy television series: as River Tam in Firefly (2002) and its continuation film Serenity (2005), as Tess Doerner in The 4400 (2005–2007), as Cameron in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009), and as Isabel Rochev / Ravager in Arrow (2013–2014).

[4] When Glau first moved to Los Angeles in the early 2000s, she spent her time as a traveling dancer, living off paychecks from corporate events, weddings, and resort gigs.

Her portrayal of River Tam, a girl who was intellectually gifted but mentally unstable due to being subject to government experimentation to create an assassins program, was widely praised and garnered her a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2006.

[8] The series' seventh episode, "The Demon Hand", featured several scenes in which Glau (in character as Cameron) dances ballet, including one set to Chopin's Nocturne in C# Minor.

[10] In the episode, she encountered the protagonists on a train ride from Los Angeles to Oakland, and Howard, Raj, and Leonard fought awkwardly for her affections.

[13] In 2011, Glau portrayed the leading role of Orwell in NBC's The Cape, a mysterious blogger who assisted the main character in crime fighting activities.

[16] In 2012, Glau played the main character Christine in the Hallmark film Help for the Holidays, an elf who went on a special assignment to help a family regain their Christmas spirit.

In the CW superhero series Arrow, Glau portrayed the recurring antagonist Isabel Rochev (Ravager) in its second season in 2013.

[29] In an interview from 2012, Glau has mentioned that one of her favorite movies during childhood was Camelot, and that she would be interested in acting in period pieces, such as in those written by Jane Austen.