Felicia Day

Hot List: Felicia Day

Name: Felicia Day

Title: Actress-writer-producer

Age: 28

Big Break: She had a recurring role in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”

Who knew?: Ms. Day was a concert violinist before becoming an actor.

Felicia Day operates at the epicenter of the online video business—both its creativity and its success. An actress, producer and writer, she also has the rare distinction of being a sharp business person. Late last year, she inked deals with Microsoft and Sprint to sponsor the second season of her gaming-centric online series, “The Guild,” which had been funded by fan donations for the first season. She recently renewed both advertisers for the third season.

She will likely be one of the few Web-centric stars who’ll work seamlessly online and in mainstream TV.

She’s also been honored with numerous Web awards including several Streamy Awards for her work on the “The Guild” and for her starring role in last summer’s Joss Whedon Web series hit “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” alongside Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion.

“Felicia Day is the true online video heroine,” said Liz Gannes, an editor at NewTeeVee, who has chronicled Ms. Day’s work. “Nowhere was that more evident than at the inaugural Streamy Awards this year, where Web shows she created, wrote, starred in, or guested on accepted the majority of the awards.”

Next up for Ms. Day will be to release the third season of “The Guild” as well as a Web series she is working on for Machinima.com.

“Web series are not ‘popping’ like people expected them to this year, but the Internet continues to be the place to nurture out-of-the-box entertainment,” Ms. Day said. “I hope to forge ahead with making content that mainstream Hollywood wouldn’t make, and inventing new ways to tell stories unique to the Web.”