When people talk about the Movie That Changed Their Life it's easy to get a little cynical. For one person it might have been 'Schindler's List'. For someone else, it was 'Clueless'.

For Laura Vandervoort, a self confessed 'loner tomboy' growing up in North Toronto, it was a movie called 'My Girl'. Remember it? A beautiful story about two kids learning about the hurt that comes with life. The film inspired Laura, a karate enthusiast, to make the move from her neighbourhood dojo to casting calls.

By the time she was 16, Laura had a budding acting career and a blackbelt. She got her start in some classic Canadian productions, like 'Goosebumps', 'Harriet the Spy', and 'Road to Avonlea'. But her first big break came in 2004, with a lead role in the hit drama 'Instant Star'.

Since then, Laura's been a fixture on the small screen, and has fought hard against being cast in typical 'girlfriend' roles. She's found a specialty in playing females who are 'out of this world' ... literally.

She joined the hit series 'Smallville' in its 7th season, as badass gravity-defying Super Girl. She later traded in her cape for scales to play Lizard Princess Lisa in the remake of the 80s sci-fi classic, 'V'.

The series ended its run this past spring, but Laura hasn't lost her reptilian connection completely...

She's posing in PETA's new anti exotic-skins campaign. Not your typical 'fluffy and snuggly' save the animals stuff Hollywood actors usually opt for. But hey - she's not a typical Hollywood actress. She's a Canadian. With a blackbelt.