Photo courtesy of Jean-Claude Vorgeack
For Kandyse McClure, the most compelling characters are often the ones shaped by resilience and reinvention—something she brings to her role as Kaia on the hit Netflix series Virgin River. The actress has built a diverse career across television and film, first gaining widespread attention for her role in the cult sci-fi hit Battlestar Galactica before going on to star in the dark drama Hemlock Grove alongside Famke Janssen and Dougray Scott.
Her credits also include Limetown with Jessica Biel and Stanley Tucci, while on the big screen she has appeared with Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore and Alicia Vikander in Seventh Son and opposite Nick Jonas in Careful What You Wish For.
Kandyse recently spoke with Real Style about Kaia’s evolving journey, why Virgin River resonates so deeply with audiences, and the kinds of stories she hopes to help tell in the future.
Real Style: What drew you to the role of Kaia in Virgin River, and what aspects of her journey resonate most with you personally?
Kandyse: Kaia blazed into my life at a very specific moment. Not by choice, but I’d quietly stepped away from the industry for a few years. I had moved countries and had been determined to build roots and a sense of family and home. But it didn’t work out and I was recalibrating. I was forced to rebuild completely. Then this character appeared in my inbox. She was a woman who had literally walked through fire and was recreating her life on her own terms. I felt an immediate kinship with her. I didn’t think much of the audition — these things are always a long shot — but even doing the audition gave me the chance to inhabit someone whose journey felt meaningful. When I got the job, it felt like a sign that things were about to change for the better. And they did. Kaia refuses to shrink. She may not be the loudest person in the room, but she’s not afraid to take up space. She carries her strength internally, and you absolutely feel her presence. That kind of energy really resonates with me and it’s something I aspire to embody in my own life.
Real Style: With Season 7 premiering March 12, how has Kaia evolved and what challenges stand out for her this season?
Kandyse: Kaia has grown a lot over the last few seasons. She’s committed to a place in a way she once swore she wouldn’t and to a relationship she didn’t expect. But there are still questions for her. For someone who thrives on the edge and wants to be in the thick of things, what does stillness mean? Is it peace, or is she setting aside who she really is? She’s built strong foundations in Virgin River — friendships, a relationship that feels like home, a greater role in the community. But when someone has defined themselves by constant forward motion, quiet moments can bring a subtle restlessness. She has to reckon with that this season.
Real Style: Having been part of long-running series before, how do you keep a character dynamic over multiple seasons?
Kandyse: It’s a real gift that Kaia and I feel so aligned. My approach is to live my life fully and stay curious about the world. Early in my career, a director told me the quality of your life off camera needs to stay rich and complicated so the work can draw from it. That’s something I’ve always remembered. Once the preparation is done, the work becomes about listening rather than planning every beat. Many of my fellow actors on Virgin River have played their roles for seven seasons and they know their characters so well that they’re truly inhabiting them. With time, you develop a kind of granular intimacy with a character — how she sits, what her silences mean, even how she takes her drink. But you have to stay curious. A little nervousness means you’re still discovering something new.
Real Style: Your career spans sci-fi, streaming dramas and independent films. How has that diversity shaped your approach to acting?
Kandyse: Every genre teaches you something different. Battlestar Galactica was six years of working at an extraordinary level. I often think of it as my university degree because the writing was dense and the emotional, stakes were huge. My character Dualla didn’t even exist in the show bible initially, so I had to build her script by script. Shows like Hemlock Grove taught me about restraint and how much you can communicate by what you choose not to show. Indie films strip everything away. There’s no safety net of big production elements — it’s just you, your scene partner and the truth of the moment. I love the collaborative, all-hands-on-deck nature of those projects. Working across those worlds ultimately helps you trust your instincts as an actor.
Real Style: You’ve portrayed strong women in many genres. What kinds of female stories feel important for you to tell now?
Kandyse: I’m very interested in continuation stories — women who have already lived through the crisis and are now rewriting their lives on their own terms. Not the origin story, but the messy middle. There’s something incredibly powerful about a woman who has lost everything and begins again. It’s a profound stage of life that I think is still underrepresented on screen. Community also plays a huge role in that rebuilding. Female friendships are often the real infrastructure of a woman’s life — the people who hold space for you and tell you the truth when you need it. Those relationships deserve more weight in storytelling.
Real Style: What has surprised you most about the way fans respond to your work?
Kandyse: The fandom around Battlestar Galactica still amazes me. People remember exactly where they were when certain episodes aired and how those moments made them feel. They share really personal stories about how the show helped them through difficult times in their own lives. It’s incredibly moving to realize a character meant that much to someone. With Virgin River, the energy is different but just as wonderful. Kaia brings out a lot of excitement from viewers. Many women tell me they relate to her strength and her willingness to start over, while still remaining open to love. And I get a lot of questions about how tall Colin is in real life — which always makes me laugh. Very!
Real Style: Filming long days on set can be intense. What routines help you stay grounded?
Kandyse: I try to build healthy routines long before production begins and then maintain them during filming. I’m a morning person, which helps with those early call times. I like to start the day with a workout and make sure I’m prepared for the scenes ahead. I also try to make my trailer feel comfortable — a blanket, a pillow, maybe a candle and a proper mug for tea. I bring my own food as well because craft services and catering are amazing but there are desserts everywhere. So many desserts! Keeping things simple helps me stay energized throughout the day.
Real Style: Where do you see yourself in five years?
I would love to spend more time in South Africa. It will always be part of me, and there are so many incredible stories coming out of that filmmaking community. I’ve been learning more about writing and producing, so I hope to be developing projects that feel meaningful to me. Ultimately, I see a life with fewer possessions but more experiences — and a global community of friends and collaborators.
As Virgin River returns for Season 7 on Netflix, McClure’s portrayal of Kaia continues to bring strength, complexity and heart to the series. And as her career evolves into new creative territory, audiences can expect to see even more stories shaped by her passion for resilience, reinvention and community.