Episode 234: Kandyse McClure

Kandyse McClure’s filmography is populated by a staggering range of characters. On the critically acclaimed and beloved Battlestar Galactica, Kandyse portrayed Anastasia “Dee” Dualla, a passionate woman who fought, loved, dreamt, and, ultimately, succumbed to despair. As Nicte Batan in the third and final season of Motherland: Fort Salem, she wrestled with her character’s past as a terrorist while forging unexpected alliances. As Sam in Neill Blomkamp’s wildly entertaining horror film Demonic, she embodied the stuff of nightmares; and as Golden Eyes in the genre-defying feature film Sew the Winter to My Skin – a role for which she was nominated for an African Movie Academy Award – she somehow managed to speak volumes about the impact of oppression on humanity without actually speaking many words at all. Other recent work includes GenZeroes (the cutting-edge project championed by friend of the pod Aleks Paunovic), Charmed, Limetown, the bonkers Netflix series Ghost Wars, and a standout role as Viola Desmond, the entrepreneur who challenged segregation in Nova Scotia in the 1940s, in an iconic Heritage Minute. The projects and roles are wildly different, but the thread that unites them is the humanity, authenticity, and conviction that Kandyse brings to each one. In this riveting episode of the YVR Screen Scene Podcast, Kandyse reflects on her journey from South Africa at 11 years old, grieving Dee, moving into her “villain era,” and dancing in her trailer.Content warning: This episode contains frank talk about suicide. If you’re thinking about suicide or are worried about a friend or a loved one, the Canada Suicide Prevention Service is available 24/7/365 at 1.833.456.4566. You can also find links to international suicide prevention and mental health support services in the footnotes for this episode on our web site. You matter. You’re not alone.Episode sponsor: UBCP / ACTRA