Jamie Bamber as Lee "Apollo" Adama
Lee “Apollo” Adama is played by Jamie Bamber on the Sci-Fi Channel’s
Battlestar Galactica. Lee is the son of Commander William and Caroline Adama. Lee, along with his brother Zak, was highly encouraged by their father to become Viper pilots for the Colonial Fleet. Zak, not possessing the necessary skills or natural talent to fly, was killed during his first mission. Zak’s death created tension between Lee and his father, and they were only able to settle their differences after the destruction of the Twelve Colonies.
When the Cylons’ attacked the Twelve Colonies, Lee was one of the Captains in the Colonial Fleet. He was given the call sign “Apollo,” and was a special guest at Galactica’s decommissioning ceremonies. He took over Major Jackson “Ripper” Spencer as Commander Air Group (CAG) of Galactica after the latter lost his life in battle. Initially, he had a difficult time getting along with the crew of the ship, but after he performed well in several missions, he was able to gain the crew’s acceptance and respect.
The tension between him and his father led Lee to side with then President Laura Roslin, who had been in constant conflict with Lee’s father. Laura made Lee her personal advisor, since she knew that he would be able to educate her further about the military. However, Lee and his father eventually reconciled when Kara “Starbuck “ Thrace, Zak’s fiancée before he died and William’s beloved lieutenant, went missing and they were compelled to work together in finding the best Viper pilot of Galactica. Later on, Kara found her way back to Galactica on her own, and from there, Lee and William’s troubled relationship began to mend.
After the Twelve Colonies were destroyed and the fleet discovered New Caprica, Lee and Kara get intoxicated during the party following the Colony’s ground-breaking. As a result, Lee and Kara ended up professing their love for one another. They engaged in a one-night stand, but when Lee woke up the next morning, Kara was gone. He returned to the settlement only to discover that Kara had tied the knot with pyramid ball player Samuel Anders. Brokenhearted by Kara’s betrayal, Lee became an emotional eater and eventually married then Petty Officer Anastasia Dualla. Their marriage was going well until Kara returned and Anastasia soon realized that Lee still had feelings for the Viper pilot. Lee was especially distraught when Kara met her demise after being sucked into a bright white light, and even though he tried hard to fix his marriage with Anastasia, she eventually left him following Dr. Gaius Baltar’s trial.
(Photo courtesy of Sci Fi)