Spotlight On: Sonya Walger

As one of the break-out stars of the new hot ABC series FlashForward, Sonya Walger has been gaining notoriety for the last couple of years playing Penelope Widmore on Lost.

Penny and Desmond reconnect on Lost / ABC

But before her attention-grabbing success on Lost and FlashForward, Sonya was a steadily working television performer. After doing short stints on such shows as Heat of the Sun, Misdomer Murders, The Vice and Goodnight Sweetheart in 1998 and 1999, Sonya scored a big break being cast as Donna Barnes in the series FlashForward. Unfortunately, that role lasted only one season and she was back to steadily working in both film and television roles; the most noteworthy was being cast as Nicole Noone in made-for-television movie, The Librarian: Quest for the Spear.

But 2004 was a really good year for Sonya. That was the year she gained traction and momentum in her career and, in between 2004 through 2006, she appeared in ten episodes of CSI: New York as Jane Parsons and five episodes of the series Sleeper Cell as Special Agent Patrice Sexner, which was quickly followed with a ten episode stint in 2007 on the ground-breaking series Tell Me You Love Me. But it was in 2006 in which lightening struck when she was cast as Desmond’s star-crossed lover, Penny, in the ABC phenomenon Lost. It was only 11 electrifying episodes, but with the line “not Penny’s boat” scribbled across Charlie’s hand as he sacrificed himself to convey that dire message to the rest of the castaways, Penny suddenly became a lightening rod for fans to latch onto. Unlike any other romantic pairing on the series, Penny and Desmond were always portrayed as destined to be together and the writers were generous enough to play up their epic romance.

Sonya Walger stars in FlashForward / ABC

While the Penny-Desmond storyline is ongoing through the final season of Lost, which will be broadcast starting in January 2010, Sonya was not content to sit around. She quickly scored a recurring role on the short-lived series Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles as Michelle Dixon, Charlie Dixon’s doomed wife.

Then in a bold career move and with a masterful stroke of luck, Sonya landed the lead role in the red-hot ABC series FlashForward playing Olivia Benford, wife of Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes), the morally conflicted doctor who is uncertain if she wants her flashforward vision of her future to come true — for in her vision she saw herself involved with another man. Sonya’s portrayal is perfectly nuanced as we see her determination to remain faithful to her husband and marriage in the face of temptation and the mechanisms of fate. Sonya also radiates such a heart of goodness and loving warmth that the audience is drawn to her whenever she is on screen.

It will be a pleasure to watch as Sonya continues to explore her character, Olivia, in FlashForward and to see what surprises lie in store on Lost.  ABC has picked a winner with this radiant actress and it is a delight to be blessed with her presence on two hot series that will play back-to-back through this upcoming season.

FlashForward airs Thursdays on ABC at 8/7c.