Karen LeBlanc
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| Portrays: | Jenna McGavin | ||||
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| Nationality: |  CAN
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Karen LeBlanc is a Canadian actress, singer, and voice artist who portrayed Jenna McGavin in Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome.[external 1] Born in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, and raised in Tottenham, Ontario, LeBlanc trained in musical theatre at Sheridan College and has built a career spanning over three decades with approximately 78 screen credits.[external 2] Her most acclaimed performance was the lead role in the film Nurse.Fighter.Boy (2008), which earned her a Genie Award nomination for Best Actress.[external 3]
Character Name Clarification
editIn the original 2010 pre-production script for Blood & Chrome, LeBlanc's character was named "Jaycie McGavin," identical to a Raptor pilot who appeared in the Razor Flashbacks (2007).[production 1] However, by the time the film aired in November 2012, the character's first name had been changed to "Jenna" in the on-screen credits, with no surname listed.[external 4] The name change likely served to distinguish LeBlanc's character from the earlier Razor Flashbacks version.
Career
editEarly Career and Musical Theatre
editLeBlanc began her career as a musical theatre performer after graduating from Sheridan College's musical theatre program in Oakville, Ontario.[commentary 1] She toured internationally with the "Legends In Concert" series as a Tina Turner impersonator, performing in Las Vegas, Tokyo, Australia, Germany, and Singapore. She also worked with several bands including Glass Tiger and fronted her own 10-piece R&B band called Midnight Hour.[commentary 1]
Her most prominent stage role was Joanne in the Canadian premiere of Rent (1997–1998), produced by Mirvish Productions at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto.[production 2] Other stage work includes the world premiere of the musical Outrageous! at Canadian Stage (2000) and a special appearance in Ross Petty's Cinderella pantomime at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto (2008).[external 5]
Television
editLeBlanc's television career spans over 30 years, beginning with the CBC sitcom Material World (1992–1993), where she played series regular Lucy.[external 6] Her extensive television credits include major recurring and series regular roles in numerous productions.
Notable recurring and regular roles include Candy in Trailer Park Boys (2001, 2018), Robin Taylor in ESPN's Playmakers (2003), Dr. Enuka Okimba in ReGenesis (2008), Eve Weller-Shaw in the science fiction series Defying Gravity (2009), Team Commander Pam Garrett in Shattered (2010–2011), and Inspector Diane Caligra in the CBC police drama Cracked (2013) across 21 episodes.[external 6]
More recent work includes Cynthia Walker in Ransom (2018–2019) for 17 episodes, Special Agent Ellen Hunter in Season 2 of Departure (2021–2022), Lynette Miller in the Netflix series Ginny & Georgia (2021–2025), Vanessa King in The Kings of Napa (2022), and Zola Augustin in the CBC series Saint-Pierre (2025–2026).[external 6]
Film
editLeBlanc's most critically acclaimed film performance was the lead role of Jude in Nurse.Fighter.Boy (2008), directed by Charles Officer. She portrayed a widowed single mother and night-shift nurse living with sickle cell anemia. The performance earned her the Best Actress award at the 2008 Atlantic Film Festival, a Genie Award nomination for Best Actress at the 30th Genie Awards (2010), and an ACTRA Toronto Award nomination for Outstanding Performance – Female (2009).[external 3]
Other significant film roles include Brenda in the dance film Make It Happen (2008), Dolly in the A&E television movie Knights of the South Bronx (2005) starring Ted Danson, Delta in the Stephen King adaptation Dolan's Cadillac (2009), and a co-lead role opposite Colin Salmon in High Chicago (2011).[external 5]
Voice Work
editLeBlanc maintains an extensive career as a television and radio voice artist.[external 7] In animation, she has voiced Queen Pea in the PBS series Super WHY!, Bessie the Alligator in Let's Go Luna!, and sang the opening theme song for Cyberchase. Her commercial voiceover work includes campaigns for Air Canada, the NFL, Kraft, Hyundai, Advil, Tylenol, Capital One, and the Canadian Cancer Society's CIBC Run for the Cure.[external 7]
Awards and Recognition
editLeBlanc has received multiple award nominations throughout her career. Her performance in Nurse.Fighter.Boy earned her the Best Actress award at the 2008 Atlantic Film Festival and a Genie Award nomination for Best Actress (2010).[external 3] She received a Gemini Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role, Dramatic Series (2008) for her work on ReGenesis, and a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Supporting Performer, Drama (2023) for Departure.[external 3]
Personal Life
editLeBlanc is the youngest of eight children in a family with roots in Nova Scotia.[commentary 1] In a 2022 interview about her role on Departure, she described herself as "an introvert and an extrovert" and mentioned an interest in psychology and therapy as an alternate career path.[commentary 2] She maintains an active presence on social media and continues to work in television, film, and voice acting as of 2026.[external 2]
References
editExternal Sources
edit- ↑ Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome (TV Movie 2012) (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). IMDb. Retrieved on February 9, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 About (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Karen LeBlanc Official Website. Retrieved on February 9, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Karen LeBlanc - Awards (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). IMDb. Retrieved on February 9, 2026.
- ↑ Watch Karen Leblanc In Episode 1 Of New SyFy Web Series 'Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome' (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Shadow and Act (November 10, 2012). Retrieved on February 9, 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Acting (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Karen LeBlanc Official Website. Retrieved on February 9, 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Karen LeBlanc (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). IMDb. Retrieved on February 9, 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Voice (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Karen LeBlanc Official Website. Retrieved on February 9, 2026.
Production History
edit- ↑ What to expect from Battlestar Galactica prequel Blood and Chrome! (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Gizmodo (January 21, 2011). Retrieved on February 9, 2026.
- ↑ Rent Readies To Rock Toronto Royal Dec. 7 (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Playbill (November 25, 1997). Retrieved on February 9, 2026.
Commentary and Interviews
edit- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ken Eisner (February 4, 2009). Before Nurse.Fighter.Boy, Karen LeBlanc wore many hats (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Georgia Straight. Retrieved on February 9, 2026.
- ↑ Departure: Q&A Interview with Karen LeBlanc (backup available on Archive.org) (in English). Global TV (July 21, 2022). Retrieved on February 9, 2026.