Shohreh Aghdashloos career goes back decades, with her big breakout coming in 2003s House of Sand and Fog, and roles since in X-Men: The Last Stand, 24, The Punisher, The Penguin, and more. But most genre fans look at Aghdashloo and think of one character in particular: The Expanses Chrisjen Avasarala, the fierce, fabulous defender of Earth throughout the much-loved sci-fi series. And as it turns out, her popularity on that show helped bring her to her latest role, Wheel of Times similarly fierce and fabulous Elaida aRoihan. Speaking to Collider, Aghdashloo credits Expanse fans with sparking her interest in joining Wheel of Time, now in its third season on Prime Video. As soon as I was done withThe Expanse, the fans ofThe Expanseand those who liked my work onThe Expanse, they started saying,We need to find her another TV series because we want to see her at work,' she recalled with delight. One of them came up with the idea of The Wheel of Time. I had seenThe Wheel of Time, and I was thinking, Would there be a place for me inThe Wheel of Time? Obviously, I didnt say anything. It wasnt for me to initiate. Then [fans] started saying, Yes, she should come to The Wheel of Time, and she can do a good job with the series.' Aghdashloos social media person took note and encouraged the actor to follow up, especially since her fans remained so enthusiastically persistent about the idea. Again, I said, Well, its not for me to initiate. Lets go find a showrunner! One of them came up with his name: the amazing Rafe Judkins, [Wheel of Times] showrunnerone of the best showrunners Ive ever worked with. He started DMing, saying, Yes, shes been on our radar since 2018, but we knew she was busy with The Expanse. Shes not busy anymore? Bring her over. Two weeks after, I received an offer from Rafe. I was so happy. I could not believe it. And indeed, it all worked out: you can catch Aghdashloowhose jewel-bedecked wardrobe as Elaida is nearly as stunning as her Avasarala outfits were on The Expansestealing every one of her scenes on Wheel of Time season three, now on Prime Video. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.