Laura Vandervoort is one of the best Canadian actresses on television today.
The blonde starlet has been the story of every show she has appeared in, whether in a leading role or as a supporting character.
I initially interviewed Vandervoort on the set of Instant Star, (one of her first regular series roles back in 2006) and we caught up again in 2010 to discuss ABC’s V which ended far before its time.
Slowly, but surely, the Canadian has found her acting foothold as she has become the comic geek’s dream, playing Supergirl in Smallville and now establishing herself in the genre once again as a leading actress on Space’s Bitten.
Premiering tomorrow night at 9 p.m., Bitten is an emotionally charged thriller that follows reluctant heroine, Elena Michaels (Vandervoort), the world’s only female werewolf, who is forced to take on life-threatening responsibilities in a male-dominated world. Werewolves are monitored by The Pack, a powerful and organized werewolf family based in the grand manor of Stonehaven where Elena’s life as a werewolf began.
In the premiere episode, after the mauled body of a girl shows up on the outskirts of Bear Valley in upstate New York, Elena is forced to choose between her new “human” life in Toronto and her previous life with The Pack in Stonehaven.
The show is quite dark and certainly skews to an older demographic as it is much more than just another tween Twilight rip-off. While it would be easy to write the show off as being cheesy, specifically with the CGI effects that turn Michaels into a werewolf, it’s Vandervoort who not makes the most unbelievable storylines possible, but actually plausible.
Over the summer, I had the chance to visit the show’s set and absorb the grandeur of Stonehaven for myself. Definitely one of the more impressive sets that I have seen, the location certainly fit the tone of the show as the rustic vibe offered a great degree of credibility to the show’s primary storyline.
While on-set, I had the chance to catch up with the show’s executive producer J.B. Sugar who ruminated about why shows where characters have to choose between two worlds are so compelling. We also discussed how integral casting Laura as the lead was to the show’s success.
After that, I received an exclusive tour of Stonehaven’s Great Room led by Vandervoort and Greyston Holt (Clayton Danvers). Laura and I discussed the room’s relevance to the show and chatted about a variety of subjects including why she is so attracted to roles within the science fiction genre, her popularity among sci fi fans (I suggest changing the name of Fan Expo Canada to Vandervoort Fest considering her incredible popularity at the event), what her werewolf self will look like, the pressures of being the first name on the call sheet and where Bitten ranks on her resume of work.
Check out the video above!
Bitten debuts on Saturday January 11 at 9 p.m. EST on Space in Canada and on Monday January 13 at 10 p.m. on SyFy in the U.S.
