I, Claudia

the former babylon 5 star unveils her celestial body

Claudia Christian has portrayed "psychotics, lesbians, cops, you name it." But she's best known for her four-year stint as Commander Susan Ivanova on the science fiction series Babylon 5, which aired from 1994 to 1998 (Christian quit before the show's final season). "Ivanova was smart, sardonic and incredibly strong," says the native Californian. "I didn't know that much about science fiction, but when I read the script, I thought, This is a great role. She wasn't the cute girl in the background in a tight bodysuit. She was a commander." Claudia, who was drawn to the theater at the age of five and landed her first TV gig, on Dallas, when she was 18, has mastered the on-screen tough cookie. She has "ping-ponged" easily between film and television. Soon she'll lend her voice to Disney's animated feature Atlantis in a starring role opposite Michael J. Fox. "I have played lots of militaristic women who kick butt. But posing for Playboy allowed me to show my soft, feminine side. Also, I'm taking a stand for natural-breasted girls. See? You can look good without being a 40DDD."