Wonder Women
Lena Headey and Michelle Ryan
WHY THEM Duh! Because they're saving the world from homicidal robo-human fleshy-bot thingies! Ryan (England's EastEnders soap), 23, is donning the supersensitive ears and faster-than-a-locomotive legs to play NBC's reimagined Bionic Woman, premiering this fall; Headey (300), 33, will be hunting Terminators as the titular character of Fox's The Sarah Connor Chronicles, due early next year.
MORE WOMAN THAN BIONIC Ryan, it turns out, does not actually have any hydraulic lift in her knees. But she is rather sporty. ''I was a real tomboy when I was younger,'' she says. ''Swimming, gymnastics, dance, climbing trees — I totally loved playing with the guys.'' A small nation's worth of 18-to-49-year-old men just swooned.
TERMINATORS, BE WARNED The new Sarah Connor is a total knockout — in a strictly professional, the-lady-took-boxing-lessons-for-three-years kind of way. ''I got good enough that my coach thought I should turn pro,'' says Headey. ''But getting pummeled on a routine basis didn't necessarily go with the acting thing.''
DOING IT THEIR WAY Neither actress is particularly familiar with the source material that inspired their new gigs, and neither has spoken with the woman who originated her part. ''Taking on an iconic role is intimidating enough as it is,'' says Headey. ''You have to make it your own.'' While shooting the Bionic pilot in Vancouver, Ryan missed her chance to consult another small-screen wonder woman: Alias' Jennifer Garner. ''I shared an elevator ride with her,'' laughs Ryan. ''I meant to ask her, 'What's it like, playing a role like this?' But she got off before I could ask.''
SECRET TALENT Ryan: ''I like to sing and dance. I can also ice-skate.'' Headey: ''I can't reveal that in your magazine, but let's just say it's something I've been doing since I was a teenager.''
