Elizabeth Mitchell was wearing mismatched shoes -- an Ugg on one foot, her husband's slipper on the other. That is, until said husband -- actor Chris Soldevilla -- appeared, having discovered the mate to Mitchell's sheepskin boot in the car. Dropping to one knee in the couple's Bainbridge Island, Wash., home, he slid it onto his wife's foot.
"My Prince Charming!" she exclaimed during a phone interview. "Look at you coming to my rescue."
On screen, it's Mitchell who's doing most of the rescuing these days. In ABC's hotly anticipated new drama "V" -- an update of the '80s miniseries that premieres tonight -- she's FBI agent Erica Evans, who helps lead the charge to save humankind from an alien race made up of the preternaturally beautiful (at least on the surface).
And then, of course, there's her role as "Lost's" enigmatic fertility doctor Juliet who, in last May's season finale, seemingly made the ultimate sacrifice -- death by hydrogen bomb -- in order to give her island cohorts a shot at rebooting their knotty lives.
No one is more surprised to find herself at the forefront of TV's fierce femmes than the actress herself.
" 'Action hero' is not something I thought I'd have the chance to do," said the self-described theater nerd who previously garnered positive notices for romancing Angelina Jolie in "Gia" and Laura Innes on "ER." "I mean, I'm 39 years old! I thought at this point, I'd be sinking into oblivion."
At least from a Hollywood perspective, the Texas native began her career fairly close to oblivion -- the Dallas Theater Center, where she honed her acting skills for about six years. Before finally landing her prized role on "Lost," she guest starred on some of television's best shows, including "Boston Legal," "House" and CSI."
Self-deprecating humor is part of Mitchell's considerable charm, though she rarely gets the opportunity to exhibit that playful side on screen. But like the brainy, tough characters she's becoming known for, Mitchell can turn steely when she feels it's warranted. Take her initial reaction to the news that "Lost" executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse planned to hook up her character, originally conceived as a romantic interest for fellow physician Jack (Matthew Fox), with the oft-shirtless reformed con man Sawyer (Josh Holloway).
"I not only hated the idea but was completely vocal about it," she said. "I told Damon and Carlton, 'We have zero chemistry, both in person and as characters. I can't think of a more boring pair.' "
