Kandyse McClure

South African native Kandyse McClure had never even considered launching a career as an actress when her mother requested that she audition for a play her friend was producing at the Vancouver Fringe Festival, though after experiencing the thrill of the theater firsthand, there was no question that she had found her calling. The play was Athol Fugard's Valley Song, and the role was that of an 18-year-old South African girl whose background bore an uncanny resemblance to the actress cast to portray her. Later, after the play ceased its sold-out run, Lucas Talent agency owner Richard Lucas received a telephone call from a longtime client seeking to locate the inexperienced actress -- and it was that telephone call that would serve as the catalyst for the aspiring medical professional's unlikely career as an entertainer. Subsequently cast opposite Lou Diamond Phillips in the 1999 made-for-television movie In a Class of His Own (in a role originally intended for a male actor, no less), McClure went on to formally study her craft while continuing to appear in such features as Romeo Must Die and See Spot Run. In 2000, McClure was cast in the short-lived television series Higher Ground, and while that particular show failed to catch on, viewers were quick to recognize the actress' talent and she went on to appear in The Outer Limits, Dark Angel, and Jeremiah. By the time 2003 rolled around, McClure had grown increasingly comfortable in fantasy settings, a development that served her well as she prepared for appearances in Jake 2.0, Andromeda, and Smallville. Little did McClure realize that what appeared to be a one-off role in the 2003 miniseries Battlestar Galactica would eventually blossom into a full-time gig when the series premiered the following year. Cast as Petty Officer Anastasia Dualla, McClure combined beauty and brawn as she battled against the Cylons for the survival of the human race on the highly rated Sci-Fi Channel series. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide