The Actress Who Plays Miranda In Mass Effect Is Gorgeous In Real Life

Since the inaugural title released in 2007, the "Mass Effect" series has become an iconic franchise in modern gaming. Even after "Mass Effect 3" concluded the trilogy with one of the most controversial game endings of all time and "Mass Effect: Andromeda" left many fans disappointed, the love of the series hasn't waned. Years after the last game in the series launched, the enthusiasm for "Mass Effect" is evident in the excitement fans displayed for the release of the remastered edition of the trilogy and the ongoing anticipation of "Mass Effect 4."

Among the four main "Mass Effect" titles, "Mass Effect 2" is regularly ranked as the best and most fondly remembered (per PC Gamer). While debate rages among fans, the first sequel regularly comes out on top. Improved combat and travel mechanics are often cited as major strengths of "Mass Effect 2." Most often listed, however, is the cast of great characters.

Among these characters, Miranda Lawson became a fan favorite for her toughness, leadership,and loyalty to humanity. It also helped that she was gorgeous and had several scenes focused on her butt throughout the game. While some of her camera angles didn't age well, there was no denying that Miranda was beautiful. As it turns out, the actress who played Miranda is just as gorgeous and accomplished as her digital counterpart.

Yvonne Strahovski's acting began in the mid-2000s and she had her breakout role as one of the stars of the action-comedy spy series "Chuck." Voicing Miranda in "Mass Effect 2" was her second chance to play a major character and was also one of her only opportunities to be the voice behind the game as most of her work before and since has been in television and films. While she voiced the protagonist in the PlayStation Portable title "The Third Birthday" in 2010, it would be her only other video game character.

Not having much experience with video games, Strahovski found playing Miranda to be an interesting and challenging experience. Prior to the release of the game, she told CoinOpTV that she found it difficult to follow a script for a story with branching paths. As the plot of the game and Miranda's actions and dialogue can change based on player choices, Strahovski had to perform multiple versions of the same scenes without following a standard narrative structure.

Strahovski rose to the challenge and brought Miranda to life and found she enjoyed the experience and seeing the final product come together. She also noted that it was a new experience to see herself without blonde hair, as the game used her appearance but made Miranda's hair black instead.

Since voicing Miranda, Strahovski has had plenty of other successes as an actress. She had recurring roles on the hit shows "Dexter" and "24" and got to appear with Aaron Eckhart in the 2014 film "I, Frankestein." She's also had the chance to return to sci-fi in recent years.

In 2018, she appeared in "The Predator" as Emily, the wife of protagonist Quinn McKenna and mother of Rory, the little boy who plays a vital role in stopping the "Predator" threat. She also got to star alongside Chris Pratt in "The Tomorrow War" in 2021. The film received some great reviews with special praise for its cast. Strahovski told JoBlo Celebrity Interviews that she immediately thought the script was great and was eager to work with Pratt on the project.

Throughout this period, Strahovski has continued to work on the Hulu series that, many would argue, is the biggest role of her career.

In 2017, Strahovski began playing the role of Serena Joy Waterford in "The Handmaid's Tale." The incredibly popular series set in a totalitarian dystopia has been a hit with critics and fans. It won big the Golden Globes in 2020 and Strahovski, who's character has been a key antagonist throughout, earned herself a Golden Globe nomination in 2019 for Best Supporting Actress. 

While her character has experienced her own dangers and hardships in recent seasons of the show, Strahovski told Gold Derby that she doesn't "feel sorry for Serena Joy." While acknowledging that the character is complicated and that playing her has given Strahovski incites into her personality, she feels that Serena has brought her troubles on herself.

With Season 5 on the way and Strahovski still expressing excitement about getting to play Serena, fans can expect to see plenty of her in 2022.