4GAASF: The Smarter the Nerd, the Harder Villains Fall

On to round two. It's no surprise that there is a large group of nerds, geeks, dorks, and whatever else you choose to call them in science fiction and fantasy. After all, they are a large portion of the consumers! But those actors who go above and beyond can turn a talking encyclopedia into an endearing, complex character that can end up being the reason you continue to come back for more. Plus, these actors have a shocking versatility to play incredibly different types of characters as they often try to branch out from the lovable genius that made them famous.

Winners: 

Anthony Stewart Head 

and 

Amanda Tapping

(This category, by the way, the hardest to decide)

Amanda Tapping (a.k.a "The First Lady of SciFi")

SciFy: No, I did not make up that title. That's actually how a lot of bios refer to her. She's that good. Funny thing, in contrast with ASH she's most known for only one role. That of Captain (now Lieutenant Colonel) and astrophysicist Samantha Carter of the US Air Force in the Stargate franchise. She rocked the nerdy lingo while firing her fair share of weapons for over ten years, appearing in almost every episode of SG1, both movies, as well as a season of Atlantis, and an appearance in Universe.

 On top of that she now stars in, produces, and sometimes directs a fantastic show called Sanctuary, where she plays 159 year old British scientist/M.D, and mother, Helen Magnus who researchs and protects the abnormal creatures of the world. It's currently my favorite show running on TV, and she pulls off a character vastly different from Carter without a hitch.

...is for Lovers: Sam Carter had a nickname from the cast and crew of SG1 - "Black Widow Carter." As one of the few military females ever portrayed in the series, Tapping pulled off an Air Force scientist with overflowing compassion but military determination. This left her with very little time to pursue romance, and as such, most of her relationships were with aliens she encountered on her adventures. Unfortunately for her, most of them ended up dying one way or another throughout the series. Add in a forbidden romance with O'Neill that has been implied to have finally happened off screen once he was no longer her commanding officer, and Carter seemed to be a romantic through and through.

Not so for Dr. Helen Magnus. Her fiance ended up being Jack the Ripper, so that didn't quite work out, and when you toss in 159 years alive, you know she's had her fair share of partners. Portraying her as mysterious, brilliant, and determined, with a sensual quality that was totally absent from Carter, Tapping has made Magnus a fantastic and unique female lead. Don't believe me? Clearly you haven't watched "Nubbins" possibly the funniest episode of the whole show.

Anthony Stewart Head


SciFy: He is most famous for playing everyone's favorite librarian, Rupert Giles, in Buffy. In the pilot he's an awkward quiet Englishman confused by Buffy's action girl attitude and determined to do his job. Which is well, simple: "A Watcher...watches." Yeah, right. Over the seven seasons of the show he evolved into a veritable powerhouse of brains, strategy, and eventually even in the realm of magic. You cried when he left, admit.

On top of that, he didn't just stop after Buffy. Currently playing Uther Pendragon in the British TV show Merlin, he also appeared as an evil headmaster on an episode Doctor Who. Plus, he played Nathan Wallace, devoted father and vicious organ repo man in a fantastic cult scify movie, Repo: The Genetic Opera. And, with that great voice, it's no surprise he's done some theatre. How do you feel about him playing Dr. Frankenfurter in Rocky Horror Picture Show?

 

...is for Lovers: I'm sorry, did you not see that he was Dr. Frankenfurter? What that picture doesn't show are the lacy tights he is rocking, but I think the earring says plenty. In comparison, Giles and Nathan Wallace were much more romantic characters, and any Buffy watcher remembers how emotional the murder of Jenny Calendar, Giles' girlfriend, was in season 2. Also, admit it, everyone remembers the incredibly squick feeling you got when Giles and Buffy's mom have sex while "under the influence" of magic chocolate during the episode "Band Candy."

Edit:

I forgot the honorable mentions, I can't believe it! There's a ton of geniuses I had to resist mentioning, here's just a few:

Male: David Hewlett (Stargate Atlantis), Michael Shanks (Stargate SG1), Johnathan Young and Ryan Robbins (Sanctuary), Fran Kranz (Dollhouse)

Female: Allyson Hannigan (Buffy), Allison Scagliotti (Warehouse 13), Amy Acker (Angel/Dollhouse)

Images are from here and here