Mary McDonnell

After making her name on the New York stage, this handsome actress began booking TV and film roles in the early '80s. Able to exude intelligence and compassion, McDonnell was well used in a series of roles, notably as a white woman raised by American Indians in 1990's Dances with Wolves and as a paraplegic soap star in 1992's Passion Fish, earning Oscar nods for both performances. In her forties, she looked to the small screen for more fruitful parts, and turned in a slew of solid performances in myriad TV-movies. A recurring role on ER as a do-gooder in denial sparked her interest in series television, and in 2003 she landed the plum part of a reluctant president on the lauded revamp of Battlestar Galactica.