Mary McDonell as Laura Roslin
President Laura Roslin is played by Mary McDonnell on the television series,
Battlestar Galactica. Laura previously served as the Secretary of Education under the administration of Richard Adar, with whom she had worked since he was the mayor of Caprica city. She also appeared to be romantically involved with Richard, but their relationship ended when she was able to resolve a teacher’s strike. Richard thought that she would not be able to do so, which led him to push Laura into resigning. He reasoned out that he had planned on using extreme means to defuse the strike in order to discourage others from rallying.
Fighting to keep her position, Laura did not resign, and even when she was told that she had terminal breast cancer, she readily assumed the Presidency after the Cylons attacked and destroyed almost all of humanity. Among her activities as the new president were gathering all FTL-capable ships, persuading Commander William Adama to not retaliate against the Cylon armies, creating a new Quorum of Twelve, helping Dr. Gaius Baltar win the Vice Presidency over former terrorist Tom Zarek, and permitting the deaths of Cylons through airlocking.
In an attempt to treat her cancer, Laura begain experimenting with an herbal drug called chamalla. The drug caused her to have a series of visions that coincided with some prophecies in the Kobol scriptures. Gradually, she became convinced that she was the spiritual leader of the Colonials and her main purpose was to bring the fleet to back to Earth. Consequently, she made many decisions towards fulfilling her new goal, and after she ordered Kara “Starbuck” Thrace to go to Caprica, William had Laura removed from the Presidency and imprisoned at the brig. She was later freed by William’s son, Lee Adama, and after she (along with Lee) successfully located the Tomb of Athena and retrieved the Arrow of Apollo, she reconciled with William and resumed her Presidency. Her reign was again threatened when her health began to decline rapidly, but she was temporarily cured by the blood of Sharon Valerii’s unborn child. At present, she is working as a schoolteacher, having ultimately lost the presidency to Dr. Gaius Baltar during the election on New Caprica.
(Photo courtesy of Sci Fi)