From zero to heroine!

Geek Icon of the Week: Linda Hamilton

Geek Credits: Terminator, Beauty and the Beast, Batman Beyond


Notable for: for going from ingenue to butt-kicker in no time flat!


What geek doesn’t know about Linda Hamilton? She’s Sarah Conner! According to the Terminator mythology, she’s the mother of our future savior, and that’s what we’ll always remember her by. But Terminator isn’t all she’s known for! Though it gives her most of her geek points, Linda has been showing up on and off again in the geek world, making herself an icon we always look forward to seeing.


Terminator was her first step into geekdom, leading her to the TV show of Beauty and the Beast with Ron Perlman. She then returned to reprise her role of Sarah Conner in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Though she is not the first lady of sci-fi geekdom (that honor falls to Nichelle Nichols), she is the first woman to set the standard of sci-fi ladies being butt-kickers. With Terminator and Beauty and the Beast pegging her along the lines of the ingénue, Terminator 2 changed her completely into a commando mom who would make your life a living hell if you messed with her son.

After T2, she reprized the role once more for the Terminator experience at Universal Studios in Hollywood (which was a blast). She took a hiatus from geek roles after that, then returned as a voiceover for several Batman cartoon series. She continued with the voiceover work by appearing in a Terminator video games and adding her talents to Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and DC Showcase specials. Also, in case you were not aware, she was uncredited in Terminator: Salvation as she provided the opening voice credit.

Most recently, we saw her in the show Chuck as the title character's mom, causing much excitement amongst the geek forums. Though she doesn't do as many geek projects these, whenever she does it is always a big treat for geeks. She'll always be a favorite!


Geek Point Scorecard:

Terminator

Beauty and the Beast (TV Series)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (VG)

T2 3D: Battle Across Time Universal Studios Ride

The New Batman Adventures

Batman Beyond: The Movie

Batman Beyond (TV Series)

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command

CR: Terminator 2 – Judgment Day (VG)

Terminator Salvation

DC Showcase: Jonah Hex

DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection

Chuck

Official Geek Score: 10

Film credits courtesy of http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000157/
Picture courtesy of http://app.cheezburger.com/TemplateView.aspx?ciid=5298056

The Jar Jar Binks of Trek

Geek Icon of the Week: Wil Wheaton

Geek Credits: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Eureka, The Guild, Big Bang Theory

Notable for: being the geek of the geek world and the second most annoying character in sci-fi history

Ask Wil Wheaton if he knows that his character of Wesley Crusher is annoying. Not only will he admit it, but he will read you his version of a TNG episode explaining why! I am excited to report that this is one icon I have actually met and I have witnessed such an event. He’s a really nice guy in real life, and not nearly as full of hot air as he seems (unlike William Shatner, who, while he is also a nice guy, really is full of hot air).

Wil got an early start in the sci-fi world when he appeared in the film The Last Starfighter. From there, his next project was joining the cast of TNG as the boy genius Wesley, who had some extraordinary ability to save the ship when all the crewmembers who had proficient training in ships operations had failed. By the third season, it became a plot device that had been overdone so much that it left audiences groaning. Wil left the show in the fourth season but made several appearances over the next few seasons, including one episode where he romanced a then unknown Ashley Judd!

After TNG he took a hiatus from geek projects but began to make a name for himself on the internet. In fact, he became one of the very first bloggers. He also posted on several geek forums and websites and even launched his own website which he also monitors! Another project he worked on was as a writer, writing for The Onion. Some writing he did for fun was skewering TNG episodes (like the one I mentioned above). He takes the plot line of these episodes, particularly the bad ones (the one I witnessed was Datalore), and expands on them, adding the info of what's really going on, like how Lt. Yar can't help but be awkward around Data. 

In 2009 he became a regular on the web series The Guild and the Syfy series Eureka, but made his biggest splash on the series Big Bang Theory playing himself and becoming Sheldon Cooper’s arch nemesis until Brent Spiner came along (watch the episode, it’s awesome!). Though he has only appeared on only 5 episodes thus far, he has become a favorite recurring character. He was also a guest host on The Nerdist to celebrate geek pop culture!

When not working, Wil makes appearances at Trek and other sci-fi conventions across the nation. If you have the opportunity, make sure you check him out as he reads his re-writes TNG scripts! And don't forget, as he's mentioned before on Big Bang Theory, he has an active Twitter account!

Geek Point Scorecard:

The Last Starfighter

The Man Who Fell to Earth

Star Trek: TNG

Tales from the Crypt

The Outer Limits

The Invisible Man (TV Series)

Star Trek: Nemesis

Neverland

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (VG)

EverQuest II (VG)

Ghost Recon 2 (VG)

Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (VG)

Teen Titans

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (VG)

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (VG)

Avatar: The Last Airbender (TV Series)

Naturo (TV Series)

Legion of Superheroes (TV Series)

Grand Theft Auto 4 (VG)

Star Trek (2009)

Ben 10: Alien Force – Vilgax Attacks (VG)

Batman: The Brave and the Bold (TV Series)

Fallout: Las Vegas (VG)

Ben 10: Ultimate Alien

DC Universe Online (VG)

The Guild

Eureka

Big Bang Theory

Official Geek Score: 18

Film and miscellaneous credits courtesy of http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000696/

Picture courtesy of me!

You can toss John Rhys-Davies!

Geek Icon of the Week: John Rhys-Davies

Geek Credits: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Sliders, Lord of the Rings Trilogy

 

Notable for: being a master of accents!

 

British-born actor John Rhys-Davies is no stranger to the geek world. We first met him entering the geek realm as Sallah in Raiders of the Lost Ark and he’s been with us ever since! A notable trait of John’s is that he is a master of accents. In reality, he has a Welsh accent, but we’ve heard him speak with accents from the middle-east, Italy, Scotland, America, and Middle-Earth.

 

With his powerful voice, John did many cartoon appearances, including geek related cartoons such as Pinky and the Brain, Gargoyles, Batman, Mortal Kombat and Freakazoid. At one point, he even made an appearance on the cartoon The Fantastic Four appearing as Thor! He later joined the cast of the FOX series Sliders and made an appearance as Leonardo da Vinci on Star Trek Voyager. But John earns an extra point due to his association with Disneyland; he provides his character voice of Sallah to the intro film on the Indiana Jones ride!

His most notable performance is as Gimli the dwarf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy (he also pulled double duty by voicing Treebeard). While all the main characters stood out in the films, he was noted for being part of the comic relief team with Orlando Bloom’s Legolas. With that thick beard and shortened stature, he was almost unrecognizable to anyone who didn't know he was in the film in the first place. If you haven't seen him in much else, make sure you check out his pictures on his IMDb to make comparisons.

Sadly, since his appearance in the Lord of the Rings films, he's hasn't done much in terms of adding points to the geek realm. Considering how many points he's accumulated, I doubt we've seen the last of him, so keep your fingers crossed!

Geek Point Scorecard:

Raiders of the Lost Ark

The Trial of the Incredible Hulk

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Tales from the Crypt

The Lost World (TV Series)

Return to the Lost World

Batman (Cartoon)

Cyborg Cop

Wing Commander III: The Heart of the Tiger

Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye

Gargoyles

The Incredible Hulk (TV Series)

Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm (TV Series)

Sliders

Freakazoid!

Star Trek Voyager

Dune 2000 (PC Game)

Pinky and the Brain

The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne

Forgotten Realms: Baldur’s Game (VG)

LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring

Justice League

LOTR: Two Towers

Lords of Everquest (PC)

LOTR: Return of the King

LOTR: The Third Age (VG)

LOTR: The Battle for Middle Earth II – Rise of the Witch King (VG)

LOTR: Aragorn’s Quest (VG)

Ferocious Planet

Official Geek Score: 18.5

Film credits courtesy of http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722636/

Picture courtesy of www.setphaserstolol.com