Yvonne Strahovski

Yvonne Jaqueline Strzechowski (born 30 July 1982), known professionally as Yvonne Strahovski , is an Australian actress. She is known for her roles as Sarah Walker in the spy comedy drama series Chuck (2007–2012), Hannah McKay in the drama series Dexter (2012–2013) and Kate Morgan in the event series 24: Live Another Day. Strahovski starred as Serena Joy Waterford in the drama series The Handmaid's Tale (2017–2025), for which she has received nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

Her other notable works include Lego: The Adventures of Clutch Powers (2010), The Guilt Trip (2012), Killer Elite (2011), I, Frankenstein (2014), The Astronaut Wives Club (2015), Manhattan Night (2016), All I See Is You (2016), He's Out There (2018), The Predator (2018) and The Tomorrow War (2021). She voiced Miranda Lawson in the Mass Effect video game series and Batwoman in the animated superhero film Batman: Bad Blood (2016).

Early life and education Strahovski was born Yvonne Jaqueline Strzechowski on 30 July 1982 She is the only child of Bożena, a lab technician, and Peter Strzechowski, an electronics engineer. Her parents are Polish emigrants from Tomaszów Mazowiecki.

The family moved to the suburb of Bass Hill when Strahovski was five years old; later, they moved to the coastal suburb of Maroubra. Strahovski began acting lessons at the age of 12. Straight after high school, she went to the University of Western Sydney's Theatre Nepean, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in performance in 2003. Strahovski then worked professionally in theatre in Australia for three years before landing a role in the American television series Chuck.

Career

Strahovski started acting at school when she played Viola in the school production of Twelfth Night. She appeared in film and television roles in Australia, including a turn on satirical show Double the Fist and as Freya Lewis in the Australian drama series headLand. She has also appeared in Channel Nine's Sea Patrol.

Strahovski sent in her audition tape for the TV series Chuck while in the United States auditioning for roles in other shows, namely NBC's 2007 series Bionic Woman. She was cast as Sarah Walker after running lines with Zachary Levi. She relocated to the United States six months later. Strahovski adopted the more phonetic spelling of Strahovski as her stage name in place of Strzechowski at this time.

In addition to English, Strahovski is fluent in Polish, and employed it in a brief exchange with a colleague in the Chuck episode "Chuck Versus the Wookiee" and again in the episodes "Chuck Versus the Three Words" and "Chuck Versus the Honeymooners". Although she portrays an American in the series, she briefly spoke in a "Hollywood" Australian accent in the episode "Chuck Versus the Ex".

Strahovski appears in Mass Effect Galaxy, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 as the voice of Miranda Lawson. She had her face scanned and animated so she could portray Lawson in Mass Effect 2.

Strahovski voices Aya Brea in the English version of the Parasite Eve spinoff, The 3rd Birthday. She appeared in a CollegeHumor sketch in April 2011, parodying the music styles of Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, and Justin Bieber.

Strahovski appeared in the 2011 film Killer Elite, alongside Jason Statham, Clive Owen, and Robert De Niro. She appeared in the 2012 comedy The Guilt Trip, opposite Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand.

In 2010, Strahovski received the Teen Choice Award for Choice Action TV Actress for Chuck, as well as a nomination for Spike Video Game Awards for Best Performance by a Human Female for Mass Effect 2. In 2011, Strahovski was nominated again for the Teen Choice Awards for Choice Action TV Actress. In 2011, Cosmopolitan Magazine (Australia) named Strahovski the Fun Fearless Female of the Year, along with Favorite TV Actress.

In November 2011, Strahovski was cast as the female lead in I, Frankenstein (2014). In March 2012, she featured in a new SoBe Life commercial. In May 2012, Strahovski ranked No. 35 in Maxim Hot 100. In June 2012, Showtime announced Strahovski had joined the cast for the seventh season of Dexter portraying Hannah McKay, a woman involved with an investigation following the death of her former lover, a spree killer whom she accompanied when she was a teenager. She reprised the role in the eighth season of Dexter.

In December 2012, she made her Broadway debut in a revival of Clifford Odets' Golden Boy, Strahovski was honored along with Liam Hemsworth for their work in international roles with the 2012 Australians in Film Breakthrough Award.

In 2014, Strahovski joined Fox's TV series 24: Live Another Day cast as Kate Morgan, CIA agent. Later that year, she was cast as Rene Carpenter on the ABC limited series The Astronaut Wives Club. In 2016, she starred, along with Adrien Brody, as Caroline Crowley in the film noir Manhattan Night. She was featured in Maxim Hot 100 from 2009 to 2013.

Strahovski starred as Serena Joy Waterford in all six seasons of the acclaimed Hulu drama series The Handmaid's Tale, which ran from 2017 to 2025. For her performance, she earned Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2018 and 2021. She also starred as Sofie Werner in the limited series Stateless (2020).

In 2025, Strahovski joined the cast of the The Legend of Zelda live-action film.

Personal life At the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2017, Strahovski revealed that she had married Tim Loden, her partner of six years. The couple have three sons, born in 2018, 2021 and 2023.

Filmography Film

Television Year Title Role Notes 2004 Double the Fist Suzie Episode: "Fear Factory" 2005–2006 headLand Freya Lewis 33 episodes 2006 BlackJack: Dead Memory Belinda Television movie 2007 Sea Patrol Martina Royce Episode: "Cometh the Hour" 2007–2012 Chuck CIA Agent Sarah Walker Main role (91 episodes) 2012–2013 Dexter Hannah McKay Recurring role (17 episodes) 2014 Louie Blake Episode: "Model" 2014 24: Live Another Day CIA Agent Kate Morgan Main role (12 episodes) 2015 The Astronaut Wives Club Rene Carpenter Main role (10 episodes) 2015 Edge Beth Pilot 2017–2025 The Handmaid's Tale Serena Joy Waterford / Wharton Main role (56 episodes) 2018Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure Stalyan (voice) 2 episodes 2020 Stateless Sofie Werner 6 episodes 2024 Teacup Maggie Chenoweth Main role (8 episodes)

Video games Year Title Voice role Notes 2009 Mass Effect Galaxy Miranda Lawson 2010 Mass Effect 2 Also likeness 2011 The 3rd Birthday Aya Brea English dub 2012 Mass Effect 3 Miranda Lawson Also likeness

Web Year Title Role Notes 2011 Three Pop Stars, One Song Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Ke$ha and Justin Bieber CollegeHumor YouTube video 2015 Princess Rap Battle Daenerys Targaryen YouTube video series; 1 episode

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result Ref. 2010 Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress – ActionChuck 2011TV Guide Awards TV Guide Award for Favorite Actress TV Guide Award for Favorite Couple Who Have Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress – Action 2012 Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress – Action 2013 Saturn Award Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television Dexter 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama SeriesThe Handmaid's Tale Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series 2019 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Critics' Choice Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards AACTA Awards Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama Stateless 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesThe Handmaid's Tale