[[quoteright:235:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/slg_gnome_kiss2.jpg]][[caption-width-right:235:[[MemeticMutation Everyone]] [[CargoEnvy wishes they were the gnome]] with the [[Series/{{Firefly}} Jayne]] [[NiceHat hat]]. Yes, [[EvenTheGirlsWantHer everyone]].]]

A native of San Antonio, Texas, '''Summer Glau''' is a classically trained ballerina who broke into acting in 2002 with a guest spot on ''Series/{{Angel}}'' (playing a ballerina). Her career has primarily been composed of [[ActionGirl active women]] and [[BrokenBird damaged girls]] in science fiction and fantasy series.

Her first role (the aforementioned ''Angel'' guest spot) got a standing ovation from the cast and crew after recording [[OneSceneWonder her single scene of dialogue]], and critical reviews for her performance as [[Series/{{Firefly}} River]] [[Film/{{Serenity}} Tam]] and [[TheSarahConnorChronicles Cameron]] have been overwhelmingly positive. However, she has yet to get much mainstream recognition as her roles have largely been reserved to [[CultClassic TV shows and films that failed to perform on the business end]].

[[TheWikiRule Now with]] her own [[http://summerglauwiki.com/ wiki]].
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!!Tropes commonly associated with Summer Glau, or even applicable to her in RealLife:
* AdamWesting: She's played herself before, specifically on ''Series/TheBigBangTheory''.
* BrainyBrunette: Quite a few of Summer's characters have above-average intelligence, such as River, Bennett, Orwell, Skylar, and even Cameron.
* TheCastShowoff: Expect her to do a few ballet steps in any show she is in.
* CatSmile: [[http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y103/AttilaTheBum/summercatsmile.jpg Apparently.]]
* CeilingCling: Done without any special effects.
* DanceBattler: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1BMqNYOyFU Literally]]. She is a classically trained ballerina.
* DawsonCasting: Summer has frequently been cast as characters who are either teenagers or [[RobotGirl supposed to be teenagers]]. She is currently thirty, but can pull off the teenage appearance with almost unnerving ease.
* DoesNotLikeShoes: Summer has tendonitis in her heels and arthritis in her toes[[note]]Not surprising, given her background as a ballerina. Ballet is a strenuous art that can mess up even the toughest feet; see ''Film/BlackSwan'' for a great example.[[/note]], so shoes actually are painful for her to wear. She has said that boots, specifically cowboy boots, are more comfortable for her.
--> [[http://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=316 "I think the thing I like about River is that she gets to be barefoot so much of the time. I don’t like shoes very much".]]
* DyeingForYourArt:
-->''I have a scar on my face from when I was shooting. I was at a shooting range and a shell flew back and burned my face, so [director] David Nutter let it show all through the pilot [of TheSarahConnorChronicles], and if you watch you can see it all through the episode. I thought that was great because she is supposed to be human[-like].'' -- from [[http://www.ifmagazine.com/feature.asp?article=2293 IF Magazine]].
* FootFocus: Her bare feet were often prominently shown on ''Firefly.'' Joss Whedon joked about them being characters on the show.
** Also in ''TheSarahConnorChronicles''. Even one episode's promo prominently featured her sticking her bare foot out of a car window.
* RealLife/MeanCharacterNiceActor: Despite playing killer robots, psychopaths, and other assorted crazy characters, she is frequently described as one of the nicest people in Hollywood.
* [[OlderThanTheyLook Older Than She Looks]]
* OneOfUs: Summer is a big fan of science fiction movies, and is also a DCComics fan.
* PhraseCatcher: After an infamous incident of Summer screwing up her lines during the filming of ''Firefly'', the other cast members - most notably Creator/NathanFillion - took to [[UnusualEuphemism yelling her name as an expletive]] whenever anything went wrong. Nathan is rumored to have taken the tradition on to his succeeding shows including ''Drive'' and ''Castle''.
* UnkemptBeauty: She certainly seems to have this trait, as she looks more attractive and beautiful ''without'' makeup. This is especially noticeable with her characters in ''Series/TheSarahConnorChronicles'' and is rather striking in ''[[LifetimeMovieOfTheWeek Deadly Honeymoon]]'', where there are scenes showing the characters without much makeup and later with it - and the difference is amazing. With the makeup, Summer looks like a doll, while without it, she looks very real and natural.
** On that note, behold: [[http://www.summer-glau.net/gallery/albums/LA%20BTS/LA_BTS_001.jpg Summer Glau]] [[http://www.summer-glau.net/gallery/albums/LA%20BTS/LA_BTS_002.jpg in a]] [[http://www.summer-glau.net/gallery/albums/LA%20BTS/LA_BTS_003.jpg potato sack]] (or approximation thereof).
* WaifFu: Her [[Webcomic/{{xkcd}} "River Tam beats up everyone"]] scenes from ''Film/{{Serenity}}'' are [[MemeticBadass almost as well-known]] as [[CultClassic the movie itself]].
** Despite her tiny frame, Summer Glau is actually pretty well-trained in multiple martial arts disciplines. When called on to convincingly beat up people several times her size (like in the aforementioned scene) she requires NoStuntDouble.

!!Summer Glau appears in:
* "Waiting in the Wings," an episode of ''Series/{{Angel}}'' where her [[OneSceneWonder one scene of dialogue]] got a standing ovation from the cast and crew.
* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' and ''{{Film/Serenity}}'', where she played River Tam, a crazy psychic waif on the run from the Alliance with her brother. [[StarMakingRole Skyrocketed her into popularity]] among geekdoms everywhere.
* VictimOfTheWeek Paige Pratt in the ''Series/ColdCase'' episode "Love Conquers All"
* ''{{CSI}}'': [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5f_mmpAVTk "What's Eating Gilbert Grissom?"]]
* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'': She [[http://xkcd.com/311/ beats up everyone]] and [[http://xkcd.com/581/ beats both Randall Munroe and Nathan Fillion in an electric skateboard race]]
* SciFiChannel original movie ''Mammoth'', which featured a mammoth corpse reanimated by aliens that sucked the life force out of those it encountered.
* ''TheUnit''
* ''Series/TheFortyFourHundred'', where she plays Tess Doerner, another [[StrangeGirl crazy psychic waif]]. She does [[CharacterDevelopment get better]], though.
* ''{{Terminator}}: TheSarahConnorChronicles'': Notable also for making a ''Terminator'' into a sympathetic character while still going on [[AxCrazy violent, shotgun happy-rampages]]. She also played Allison Young, a not-very crazy, very-not-psychic resistance fighter who nonetheless proved to be as tough as Sarah Connor in terms of sheer {{Determinator}}-ability.
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5lW0tSKlbk&feature=related That one episode of]] ''TheBigBangTheory'' where she [[AsHimself played herself]].
* ''{{Dollhouse}}'', playing a genius-level Doll programmer named Bennett Halverson who has ... issues.
* ''[[LifetimeMovieOfTheWeek Deadly Honeymoon]]'', which is [[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10740178/ apparently]] VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory.
* In the upcoming {{Western}} ''Legend Of Hell's Gate'' she will play a girl named Maggie Moon.
* NBC's superhero drama ''Series/TheCape'' in which she plays a cyber-sleuth blogger reporter known as [[ShoutOut Orwell]], who apparently becomes the title hero's sidekick and, like with River and Cameron, [[WaifFu is more dangerous than her size implies]].
* She's been cast for the appropriately-named upcoming horror/comedy movie ''Knights Of Badassdom''. Presumably, they were working with a much less awesome title before Summer was cast. Only one promo pic of her has been released thus far, but it has her wielding a broadsword.
* The voice of {{Supergirl}} in the WesternAnimation/DCUniverseAnimatedOriginalMovies installment ''WesternAnimation/SupermanBatmanApocalypse''.
* Had a bit part in ''Sleepover''. She is credited as "Ticket girl".
* ''{{Series/Chuck}}'' as one of the "Greta" agents. ([[http://seat42f.com/images/stories/tvshows/Chuck/Season4/S0408/Chuck-Versus-The-Fear-Of-Death-Summer-Glau-1.jpg Not surprisingly,]] one of the more AxCrazy Greta's...)
* A [[http://www.newsgab.com/attachments/celebrity-pictures/395823d1304453242-summer-glau-79-firebird-glau_01.jpg silver 1979 Pontiac]] [[CoolCar Trans Am]] that she designed the interior of.
* Appears as a guest star on ''Series/{{Alphas}}'' as a GadgeteerGenius named Skylar.
* Cameoed as a nurse on ''GreysAnatomy''.
* ''The Initiation of Sarah (2006)'', where she played [[MagicalGirl Sarah's]] {{Muggle}} sister Lindsay.
* A Hallmark Special [[http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/helpfortheholidays Help for the Holidays]], where she plays an elf out to restore a family's Christmas spirit.

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