MOST Magazine Fashion MAY-JUNE'15 ISSUE NO.9 | Page 145

and witches exist...But what makes it different
from other supernatural TV shows is that it always
comes back to family.” She compares the show to
the Sopranos, saying the characters in both shows
are willing to both kill and die for their families.
hat she really loves about Elena is her
complexity. She has been through so
much in her lifetime, and causes her to
have trust issues, even with those closest to her.
Laura also points out the contradiction in Elena’s
existence: “She is broken and yet incredibly
powerful.” Bitten is a truly ground breaking show.
“This is the first series where the lead werewolf is
a female. I wanted to tackle that. It is unique in the
industry and I feel like, in its own little way, it breaks
glass ceilings.”
Another way Laura is breaking down glass
ceilings is through the creation of Super Duper
Deelia, a television show for young girls. The
show is a live-action series about a young female
superhero. Not only did Laura create the show, she
also produces it. Laura thought of the idea during
ComicCon, in meeting young girls who wanted
to be superheroes themselves, but they only had
access to characters and toys with unrealistic body
types. “Super Duper Deelia embraces the odd girl,
the empowered girl, the tough girl, the smart girl,
the bookworm, the confused girl, the opinionated
girl, the quiet girl, and everything in between,” she
says. She hopes that young girls will really be able
to connect with Deelia.
In addition to acting and producing, Laura
works with Humane Society Canada. She was
recently a part of their Cruelty-Free Campaign,
which works to end product testing on animals
around the world. “There is enough research
and data to date so that companies no longer

need to test on animals. It is inhumane. They can
create safe products without the cruelty.” Laura
also says that we all must educate ourselves on
which products test on animals in order to find the
abundance of products that don’t. As an animal
lover, this campaign is close to Laura’s heart.
“Without a voice they need people to stand up for
their safety and well-being. I wanted to be a part
of that.”
Beyond the Humane Society Canada, Laura is
a part of the Starting Strong Campaign with World
Vision. This is a program that helps with child and
maternal care in the global South. They focus on
providing accessible medical care and sanitary
clinics. They also assist mothers during the first
1,000 days of pregnancy by providing prenatal
vitamins and check-ups, as well as teaching the
importance of breast feeding. Inspiration to join this
cause is very personal for Laura. “As a child, I was
ill with meningitis. I had wonderful medical care.
These children do not have that same opportunity.”
aura has sponsored two children
through World Vision for almost 10 years
and working on this campaign is very
meaningful to her. She had the opportunity to
travel to Kenya as one of the ambassadors of
World Vision Canada. Seeing the hard work of
the staff and volunteers in Kenya was inspiring. “I
really did not know what difference I could make,
but the impact the journey had on me made me
want