Erin Gray

Once one of the most familiar faces in American advertising, model-turned-actress Erin Gray would make an even more lasting impression as the smoldering, curvaceous yet socially inept Col. Wilma Deering on the late-1970s science fiction series, "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" (NBC, 1979-1981). A supermodel even before that ascription became common place, Gray's countenance would be nearly ubiquitous in the early 1970s in a raft of ads, one of the first Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues, and a L'Oreal cosmetics spot in which she became the first to utter, "I'm worth it." She made the successful jump into acting and landed with a splash as Buck Rogers' commanding officer, followed up by a longer run on the sitcom "Silver Spoons" (NBC, 1982-87). Though she would go on to a varied career in television movies and indie features, Gray would remain a cult favorite in the sci-fi community as arguably one of the first authoritative female action heroines on American television. For fanboys, however, Gray would be remembered best for filling out skintight spandex uniforms better than anyone on television, endearing her to viewers whose admiration of her physical attributes were not easily forgotten.