Eve Myles

An accomplished theater and television actress in the U.K., Eve Myles soared to fame when she landed the female lead on the hit British series "Torchwood" (BBC, 2006-11). Myles launched her career in her native Wales before making her mark on the theater stage, performing in Royal Shakespeare Company productions, and starring on the BBC series "Belonging" (2000-09) as a housewife and businesswoman who endured her fair share of drama.

After a landmark guest appearance on the long-running cult hit "Doctor Who" (BBC, 1963-1989; 2005- ), Myles nabbed a co-starring role on its equally popular spin-off "Torchwood" the following year. The epitome of a classic TV heroine, Myles' gutsy, alien-hunting Gwen Cooper became a sci-fi fan favorite alongside the dashing Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman). She further stretched her acting muscles with plum roles in period drama miniseries and stage plays, yet ultimately it was Myles' breakout performance on "Torchwood" that endeared her to a mainstream audience and established her as a bona fide star.

Born in Ystradgynlais, Wales on July 8, 1978, Eve Myles attended the local Ysgol Maesydderwen School. She later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Cardiff's Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2000 before moving to London. She made her television debut on the British comedy series "Hang the DJ" (1999), which was soon followed by a minor role in the BBC movie "Score" (2001). Myles' early work also included several theatrical productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.

In 2000, Myles quickly became a British household name when she landed the central role on the BBC series "Belonging," which centered on the Lewis family of South Wales that included wife, mother, and lingerie boutique owner Ceri (Myles). Her work on the popular show garnered Myles plenty of acclaim, including a BAFTA Cymru Award nomination in 2009.

Throughout her successful run on "Belonging," Myles often took on side projects, both on stage and onscreen. In 2005, she guest starred in an episode of the long-running "Doctor Who," which followed the time-traveling adventures of the titular character, first played by English actor William Hartnell in the 1960s. The 2005 revival of the celebrated sci-fi series turned it into a British television phenomenon, generating a devoted fan base and critical recognition.

Myles appeared in the episode "The Unquiet Dead" as a late 1860s servant girl with clairvoyant powers who ends up sacrificing herself in order to save the world. Myles' impressive performance on the sci-fi series inspired "Doctor Who" scribe Russell T. Davies to pencil her in as the female lead on its spin-off "Torchwood." The series starred Barrowman, who also gained popularity thanks to his recurring appearance on "Doctor Who," as time traveler and former con man Captain Jack Harkness. Myles played Gwen Cooper, a former Cardiff police officer who becomes a member of extraterrestrial investigation group Torchwood Institute alongside Captain Harkness and his team of alien hunters.

Myles' "Torchwood" character often served as the show's "audience surrogate," a role viewers identified with, especially when it came to filing in plot points and back stories. "Torchwood" gained a much wider audience in 2010 when American cable channel STARZ began airing the show's fourth season.

Myles took on one the most challenging roles of her career when she joined the cast of the Emmy Award-winning miniseries "Little Dorrit" (BBC, 2008), based on the Charles Dickens serial novel. The actress played Maggy, a woman who suffered a brain injury as a child that left her with the mental capacity of a 10-year-old. Her character forms a special bond with fellow Marshalsea Prison resident Amy Dorrit (Claire Foy).

That same year, Myles appeared in the pilot episode of "Merlin" (BBC, 2008) as a witch who attempts to kill Prince Arthur of Camelot. Myles returned to her stage roots in 2012 during the U.K. run of Zach Braff's play "All New People" (2011), co-starring as an eccentric British real estate agent who unknowingly interrupts Braff's character in a suicidal act at his friends' luxury beach house. By Candy Cuenco