1st-Lt. Vanessa Damphousse
Played by
Lanei Chapman
A graduate of MIT, it seems that Vanessa Damphousse joined the Marines to find a sense of purpose.She actually says about herself, "..I suffer from a sense of disconnection."
All this; even though we find out she has a loving family and a fiance with a small daughter waiting for her back on Earth.
In the Wild Cards however, she seems to gain a connection to her squad mates, most especially Paul and Shane.
'Phousse and Wang even have a *very* brief flirtation during the episode 'R&R'.
During the course of the series, you watch as she goes through several events which could only be called tests of character. Firstly, When the 'Cards are captured by AI's, she and Shane are told that only one of them will be left alive to slave for the Chigs.
Next, one of the planets on which the 58 find themselves awakens a latent psychic ability in her that threatens to rob her of her confidence.
A few episodes later, she is blinded when she falls on her NVG's and only then finds out that her fiance has sent her a 'Dear Jane' type letter.
Finally, she is knocked unconcious in the final episode, and we see the cockpit that she and Shane occupy slowly falling planetwards.
Lieutenant Damphousse was brought to life by Lanei Chapman, a talented actress who hails originally from Los Angeles .
Ms. Chapman's previous work includes stints on the bridge of the USS Enterprise, as a navigator in a few of episodes from "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
She also appeared in an episode of "The Wonder Years."
After work on SAaB wrapped she went back to college to finish her thesis.
To find out a little more about Ms. Chapman you could visit her entry in
The Internet Movie Database, or for a fan's point of view go
here:
The Lanei Chapman Fan Page
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