Laura Vandervoort was an active athlete as a kid. Apart from karate, where she was a black belter, she was also involved in football, tennis and basketball. She began her acting career through bit roles in Canadian television shows, until she got her first break through guest appearances in Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Vandervoort's first major role came in 2004, when she joined the cast of the CTV series Instant Star. She held the role throughout the show's four-season run. In between she held guest roles in shows such as Mutant X and The Dresden Files, as well as several films and TV movies.
In 2007 she joined the cast of Smallville, appearing as Kara Zor-El. While she left at the end of the season, she made several appearances in the eighth and tenth seasons. In 2009 she joined the cast of V, appearing as one of the Visitors, Lisa.