Olivia Munn

Olivia Munn plays Sloan Sabbith in The Newsroom, the economist whose command of her subject is rather more reliable than her handling of an awkward conversation. Her dry delivery suits Aaron Sorkin's dialogue: Sloan can be absolutely certain about the numbers and still misread the room. That combination gives Munn some of the show's best comic material without making Sloan less credible at her job.

Munn came to acting after presenting Attack of the Show. Her television work includes Angie in New Girl and CIA officer Gina Cline in Six. The latter gives her a much harder-edged part than the comedy roles, with the character's job demanding persistence and a willingness to make uncomfortable decisions.

She also plays Sam opposite Jon Hamm in Your Friends & Neighbors. Her film credits include Magic Mike, X-Men: Apocalypse, The Predator and Violet. Across that range, her directness is useful: a line can sound offhand and still make it very clear that the character has noticed more than someone hoped.