Editor’s note: Getting back to our Top 10 Canadians of the 2009-10 TV season, we check in at No. 6, which is brought to us by a big fan of “Smallville” and, in particular, Canadian actress Erica Durance.

If you hadn’t figured it out yet, No. 6 is Calgary’s own Erica Durance. Here’s why…

By Nadia Costa
Special to Canadian of the Week

Erica Durance has been playing the iconic Lois Lane on “Smallville” for the past six years, and her growth has been clear to see. Over the years, Durance has earned praise for her professionalism and the great understanding she has for the character she is portraying. Lois has been on an amazing journey and Erica has done a great job playing her.

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Previous choices:
10. Cobie Smulders (“How I Met Your Mother”)
9. Graham Yost (“Justified” and “The Pacific”)
8. Pamela Anderson (“Dancing with the Stars”)
7. Howie Mandel (“America’s Got Talent”)

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Last season, for the first time, Erica had the most screen time on the show (second only to star Tom Welling’s Clark Kent). Lois finally got a chance to shine and, boy, did she deliver. Lois Lane was linked to every major storyline, from the materialization of Zod’s evil plans to the emergence of Checkmate. Having Lois at the forefront gave “Smallville” a new lease of life. The Lois-centric episode, “Idol” was an instant fan favorite, achieving higher ratings than the season premiere. Not many shows have the ability to keep things fresh for its fans but in its ninth season, “Smallville” pulled it off.
 
Portraying a character as complex as Lois Lane isn’t an easy task. One minute she’s the Army brat fighting bad guys and the next she’s the woman with a crush on Clark Kent’s alter ego, “The Blur.” Erica has truly shown her versatility, which is why this girl from Calgary, Alberta, can easily be regarded as one of TV’s Top Canadians.

Nadia Costa runs Durance Magazine. You can follow her on Twitter @ericadurancetv.