<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Battlestar Galactica Character
Laura Roslin
Status	Alive
Gender	Female
Species	Human
Origin	Caprica
Portrayed by	Mary McDonnell
First Appearance	Battlestar Galactica Miniseries
Profession	President of the Twelve Colonies Former Secretary of Education
Relatives
Special Features	Chamalla induced visions Suffers breast cancer

President Laura Roslin (played by Mary McDonnell on The SCI FI Channel TV series Battlestar Galactica) was the Secretary of Education, a former teacher and 43rd in line of succession to the presidency before the Cylon attack that wiped out most of the human race. Projecting class and confidence, she possesses great innate intelligence and stoicism.

Miniseries

Roslin was engaged in an affair with married president Richard Adar whom she worked with when he was mayor. Prior to the attacks, she attempted to mediate a teacher's strike which she did with success though Adar did not agree with her methods and requested her resignation. The issue of her resignation was, by her request, deferred until she returned from the decommissioning ceremony for the Battlestar Galactica. On her return from Galactica aboard Colonial Heavy 798, Roslin received news of the Cylon attack on the colonies.

Following the news of the attack on Caprica and the resulting deaths of most of the members of the cabinet, including Adar, Roslin took control of the situation on board the ship. She quickly realized the need for leadership and despite having earlier received news of her terminal breast cancer, took on the task and completed it efficiently. She was, soon after, sworn in as President.

Her first act as president was to coordinate and rescue as many civilians as possible. Though they were forced to abandon some ships without FTL capabilities, it was Roslin's leadership that saved the remnants of humanity. When she and the civilian fleet united with Galactica her common sense approach enabled Commander Adama to realize that going after the Cylons should not be their goal as that did not attain the goal of saving humanity. The two continued to clash over issues of command but Roslin was determined to maintain a civilian government. The two eventually became close friends.

Season 1

Roslin kept the fact that she was ill and dying from everyone but her aide, Billy Keikeya and Captain Lee Adama. She later revealed this fact and the visions she was experiencing as a result of the Chamalla extract she was taking to treat her cancer, to priestess Elosha. Elosha recognized the visions Roslin described as being prophecied in the scrolls of Pythia which state that a dying leader will find the path to Earth. Based on these ideas, Roslin convinced Kara Thrace to return to Cylon occupied Caprica to retrieve the Arrow of Apollo. This decision led to Commander Adama's decision to arrest and imprison her.

Roslin convinced the Quorum of Twelve of her role in fulfilling the prophecies of the ancient scrolls and gained support for her cause. She was aided in her escape from Galactica by Lee Adama and with the help of Tom Zarek convinced a significant portion of the fleet to join her search for the Tomb of Athena. The expedition was aided by cylon Sharon Valerii and Adama joined them as well. Adama and Roslin had a heart to heart and the expedition proved to be a bonding experience for both of them. The expedition was a success and they gained new insight into the location of Earth.

Season 2

When the Battlestar Pegasus joined the fleet and Admiral Helena Cain took command of the fleet, Roslin quickly realized Cain was a danger to the survival of humanity. Roslin discussed with Adama the necessity of killing Cain in order to protect the fleet and Adama initially agreed but when the time for action came, decided against it. Ultimately Cain was assassinated by the Cylon agent, Gina.

Roslin's illness grew to be unmanageable and it became clear she was dying. She relived memories of her last days on Caprica and recalled seeing her vice president, Gaius Baltar with a woman now known to be a Cylon. Before her death she decided Sharon's human-cylon hybrid fetus should be aborted. Ultimately, it is stem cells from the baby that save her life and eradicate her cancer and Sharon later gave birth to a baby girl. Believing the baby to be a potential threat, Roslin had her death faked and the baby, Hera, was given to a foster mother, Maya.

Roslin lost her aide and loved friend, Billy Keikeya who was shot by terrorists. She appointed a new aide, Tory Foster who aided her reelection campaign and her attempt to rig the election, realizing she would lose to Gaius Baltar. Adama convinced her that she could not steal the election and the miscount of the ballots was stated to be a mistake.

Season 3

Roslin settled on New Caprica taking on her old job as a school teacher. The Cylons discovered the planet as Roslin had predicted and occupied the planet. Roslin was placed on a death list and was rounded up with other suspected resistance members to be executed. She and the others were saved by the timely intervention of the resistance and later rescued from the planet by Battlestar Galactica and Pegasus.

Following the escape from New Caprica, Tom Zarek became the new president but resigned and accepted the vice presidency and Roslin resumed her role as President.

Roslin's decision to hide Hera's continued existence ultimately backfired when the child was lost on New Caprica and rescued by the Cylons. During the standoff above the algae planet in "The Eye of Jupiter" Boomer made Sharon Agathon and Helo aware that their daughter was alive and on board the nearby Cylon vessel. Sharon was determined to rescue her daughter and Helo killed her so she could download on board the vessel. The situation was a potential risk for the fleet and only Sharon's loyalty prevented potential disaster.

Roslin was questioned by Lee Adama during the trial of Gaius Baltar regarding her use of Chamalla extract. Roslin revealed that her breast cancer had returned. While undergoing treatment for the disease, she experienced a vision of Hera Agathon, her mother and Caprica Six in the Kobol opera house. The vision was shared with the two Cylons. The reason for the visions is unknown.