After landing the role of one of the show’s biggest villains, Strahovski quickly became a household name.
She even got anEmmynomination in 2018 for her work in “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
While you probably recognize Strahovski for her recent work, you may not know her full story.
Curious to find out more?
Here is the stunning transformation of Yvonne Strahovski.
An only child, Strahovski was a straight A student in school.
I was one of those good students that the teachers liked.
I guess that’s got to be a pretty nerdy, geeky part of me" (viaIMDb).
“It’s my first language and we speak it at home,” she toldGQ.
“I was a goody two shoes a straight-A girl, and I took pride in my studies.”
Even though Strahovski eventually left home, she’s maintained her Polish roots and canstillspeak the language fluently.
We are seriously impressed.
And as it turns out, Strahovski was perhaps once just as interested in dancing as acting.
As she toldTV Guidein 2007, she studied dance from the age of five to age 18.
“I have a memory for choreography,” she revealed.
“It’s not hard for me to do all that [choreographed fight] stuff.
In fact it’s one of my favorite parts of the job.”
Of course, Strahovski has also had a few scenes in her career that involve dancing, too.
And previously, in “Chuck,” the actressshowedoff her moves as well.
So, they tried to convince her to pursue medicine or law.
“But I was very stubborn,” she continued.
Once she’d made up her mind to go down that path, her parents became supportive.
For Strahovski, other people’s lack of confidence in her only made her more determined.
According to the university’swebsite, the program involves a mixture of performance theory and practical acting classes.
The final year is dedicated to putting on two performances.
“That degree was predominantly stage based …
Things weren’t exactly easy for Strahovski during her time at drama school.
“I enjoyed waitressing,” she recalled.
“It was kind of like going to the gym for 10 hours.
It felt very satisfying after a hard day’s work.”
AsGQreported, her early work included ads for razors, Pepsi, and A4 paper.
She was also cast opposite Rachael Taylor in a show called “Headland” that aired for two seasons.
However, she did visit for pilot season with some friends.
While in Hollywood, she also found an American manager (viaStuff).
After that, things started to happen pretty quickly.
Strahovski’s American manager sent her a script for “Chuck” and the rest is history.
Withinthreedays of arriving back in America for her audition, she’d gotten the role.
As she shared in a chat withAussie Theatre, “I call it my fairytale story.”
At the time, Strahovski also toldKTLA 5that her parents were “ecstatic.”
“They’re very, very supportive, very excited,” she gushed.
At first, Strahovski was sure she’d have to return home.
However, she had to make a difficult decision as she began her American acting career.
Initially, they suggested “Yvonne Stryker.”
In the end, Strahovski was able to keep her own name, although she did change the spelling.
“Look, at the end of the day it was my call,” she revealed.
“And I understood the reasoning behind it the spelling of my name is a mouthful of letters.”
With the new, phonetic spelling, it was a lot easier for Strahovski to become a household name.
As she explained toCollider, she didn’t initially realize her character would last for so long.
This might mean that they want me back,'” she recalled.
Strahovski went on to explain that she was shocked her character was never killed.
Not surprisingly, the show was something of a career highlight.
“Every day was amazing!”
Another major career turning point came when Strahovski was cast in “24: Live Another Day.”
As she toldCollider, this show presented new challenges for her.
“That’s what I like about this show.”
Eventually, Strahovski came to see Serena as “an empty carcass, a shell.”
While the role of Serena Joy may have been difficult, Strahovski made it look easy.
As she toldFlare, the character was “a monster.”
She explained that she would escape to the lake, or to national parks.
“It was mytherapy.”
AsVoguereported, the low-key ceremony took place in Paso Robles, CA.
As she told anE!
Newsreporter, “Yes I got married.
It was ridiculously hot.
But we had a great time.”
Talk about an easy-going bride.
Loden’s othercreditsinclude “Bloodlines” and “Vantastic,” and he’s also worked as a producer.
These days, the couple appear to be as happy as ever.
In the film, Strahovski played a woman who was named Claire.
Even though Strahovski was born and raised in Australia, she actually had to relearn her Australian accent.
It sounds like this actress has changed a lot since her arrival.
As she toldVoguein July of 2018, “I’m due for a break.
It’s been a little nonstop.”
Strahovski announced the birth in a touchingInstagrampost in October of the same year.
“My heart has melted into a billion pieces a thousand times already,” she wrote.
“We have been blessed with the greatest joy of our lives, our baby boy. "
When Strahovski returned to set after giving birth, she said her husband was there to help.
Luckily, her new son gave her another way to switch off in between takes.
The show was filmed in Australia.
While playing Sofie was a nice change from playing Serena Joy for Strahovski, it definitely wasn’t easy.
And I was,” she toldTellTaleTV.
“It was an incredibly intense journey, but I definitely loved going down it.”
“I sort of melted into her, I don’t know,” she continued.
“Stateless,” which centers around a detention center, gave Strahovski the chance to meet real refugees.
“Just in talking to them, it was so eye-opening for me,” she recalled.
