Toronto-born Laura Vandervoort is no stranger to genre roles. Currently the leading (and only) were-lady on Canadian series Bitten, the 31-year-old has played it all: from giant human lizards and psychotic killers to iconic superheroes and, most recently, a superhero baddie.

As Bitten gears up for its third and final season beginning on Space Friday at 10 p.m., Vandervoort previews a bloody romp designed to give fans a proper finale that could be left open for future story if the social media #HowlForMore campaign bears fruit. On a personal note, the actress looks back on the role of Elena Michaels as “the best character I’ve had an opportunity to play and grow with,” and appreciates the strong fan support she’s received.

It’s part of what allowed her to move on after wrapping the Toronto-shot series, as the creator and producer of upcoming children’s series Super Duper Deelia (currently in development with Shaftesbury) and as the anticipated new villain Indigo on CBS’s Supergirl.

Ahead of the Bitten premiere, Vandervoort broke down five of her top genre roles.

Kara Kent/Supergirl in Smallville (2007-2011)

When Vandervoort stepped onto the Smallville set for the first time, she was well aware she was the newbie on an otherwise established show, about to portray one of the most iconic female superheroes of all time. Not only that, it was her first run on an American series. “There was a lot of pressure because people had preconceived notions of what they wanted her to be like, but luckily people seemed to be happy with what I was doing and how they wrote her,” she says. “From there on in I was attending conventions and the universe was opened up for me. I had grown up doing projects within Canada, so this just sort of broadened that viewership for myself as an actor.”

Indigo in Supergirl (2016)

Although Vandervoort won’t appear as this top secret villain until the Feb. 29 episode, Supergirl fans have been aflutter with the news ever since the casting announcement was made in January. Just being asked to the party was honour enough for the actress, who says it’s these little nods to past iterations of comic book worlds that fans react to most. “That whole sci-fi genre loves to be reminded of past and present at the same time. So having Helen Slater, who was the original Supergirl, and Dean Cain, who was Superman, all guest star within the same show is pretty incredible,” she says. “It’s a nice wink to the audience when we see both Melissa (Benoist) and myself in the same room.”

Lisa in V (2009-2011)

When Vandervoort was first cast on ABC’s remake of the popular sci-fi miniseries about aliens invading earth, it was supposed to be for a few episodes. But once producers saw her chemistry with leading villain Morena Baccarin, they upped her role to a series regular as Baccarin’s onscreen daughter. “There was a bit of pressure with V because it was a remake, but I originally thought I would be in and out,” Vandervoort recalls. “I wish the show had gone on longer than it did; it was a great experience working with those producers and actors. I also had a lot of learning experience on that show with the green screen: that was a learning curve. It was a great opportunity to play a human lizard.”

Arla Cogan in Haven (2012)

The role of a Troubled young woman on the Stephen King-inspired Haven may have been a quick two-parter, but it’s largely what Vandervoort credits with having helped secure her role on Bitten. “She was someone who was determined to stay young and beautiful forever until her husband returned, so she would slaughter women and stitch their skin together and wear them. Again, just like another day for me,” the actress laughs. “I was super nervous to be joining a cast of a series that had been on for a few years. . . . But you just bring your A game and work as hard as you can, and be professional and polite, and that’s sort of been a great way for me to move on to my next project, is doing the best you can.”

Goosebumps (1997-98)/Are You Afraid of the Dark? (2000)

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In a Canadian rite of passage for young actors in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Vandervoort was one of several actors who stopped by Goosebumps and then Are You Afraid of the Dark? as she started her career. The various roles may have contributed to her future taste in parts. “At the time those were the coolest shows. That was my age group; I would watch them and I was really excited to be a part of them,” she remembers. “For sure that’s where I discovered what I could and could not do on a set . . . you have to learn what everyone’s job is and have makeup on for the first time and all of that. I’ve always liked the darker, sort of eerie projects. That must have been what sort of directed my path now to the stuff that I choose to do. But still I would love to do a lighthearted project!”

This story has been edited to correct Laura Vandervoort’s age.