The first thing that I like about Mary McDonnell is that she is a woman of a certain age (femme d'une certaine age), like Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Rampling, Isabella Rossellini, Meryl Streep, and me. In other words, she looks her age (50-ish), but she looks fabulous, implying that there is still hope for me. Moreover, she doesn't seem to have strolled down the path of plastic surgery or Botox, so she looks authentic. There just don't seem to be many leading female characters in film or TV that are older than 35 (except for Madonna, and I just don't feel that she is a typical example of women my age).
Mary McDonnell has had leading roles in a couple of outstanding John Sayles' films ("Matewan" and "Passion Fish"), and also in "Donnie Darko" (a very good, very engrossing, and very weird movie). She played the president's WIFE in "Independence Day" so it is especially gratifying to see her playing the president in Galactica. In fact, in "Independence Day," I was kind of surprised to learn that Will Smith's fiancee was an "exotic dancer" or pole dancer, or whatever. I just find it hard to believe that a nice woman with a cute kid and a middle class lifestyle works in the sex industry. Oh, and she's engaged to a hot shot air force pilot who thinks her chosen profession is a good way to save for the down payment on a house. As if. And nursing the president's stoic, dying wife? Hello, I think not. I guess I am not good at thinking outside the box.
On the other hand - a woman president who used to be secretary of education? Now that's thinking outside the box.
Mary McDonnell has given Roslin some subtle trademark gestures that indicate her internal thought processes. If she is seriously considering making a decision, she nods her head and thoughtfully says, "ok." If she is caught out in a lie or backed into a corner, she compresses her lips slightly and says nothing. (Take a look at "Precipice." When she is in detention and Baltar confronts her about the suicide bombings, challenging her to say she agrees with the tactic, she looks off to the side and is completely silent. A subsequent scene with Tigh and Anders makes it clear that she agrees wit Baltar, but she can't bear to give Baltar the satisfaction of being right.)
She is a serious, rational, and politically adept woman. When she comes to believe in her role in a religious prophecy, we take her seriously instead of thinking that she suffers from some messianic delusion. In fact, she doesn't even know that much about the scriptures, stories, and myths of her own religion. As she learns more, we learn more with her - an effective device for conveying information to the viewer without being obvious. (Robert Altman does the same thing in "Gosford Park," btw, with the character of Mary, the newest servant.)
Roslin is not afraid to make tough choices, as when she gives the go-ahead to abandon ships without FTL drives knowing they will be destroyed by the Cylons (miniseries), or for concurring with Adama in the Decision to shoot down the Olympic Carrier ("33"). She makes promises she has no intention of keeping (she throws Leoben out the airlock after promising that she wouldn't kill him if he gave her information - "Flesh and Bone"). She breaks the agreement with the Cylons and has D'Anna brought to her first ("The Hub). She lies to everyone about Sharon's baby, creating unnecessary heartache and potentially endangering the child and the fleet.
She is also dictatorial - after all, she started out as a school teacher. Were YOU ever in a classroom that was run like a democracy? She resists the demands by Apollo and Tom Zarek to hold elections (as Colonial Law would require), and, as she gets closer to death in season 4, she becomes increasingly impatient with anyone who doesn't agree with her decisions.
All of the facets make her a fascinating character, and one who is decidedly human. She is primarily positive (she is an outstanding leader, she is mostly honest, she is completely dedicated to preserving the human race), and yet she ha some negative characteristics, including a few that completely contradict her good points.
Unlike many of the characters, the president very seldom raises her voice, or has big, loud, emotional moments involving being noisily indignant (unlike a certain CAG I could name). She is consistently true to character, which makes her even more convincing. In the course of the entire series she only raises her voice twice. The first is when she yells at corporal Venner to let her out of the cell after the Cylons have boarded ("Valley of Darkness"). The second is when she races through Galactica screaming at Baltar ("Taking a Break from all your Worries") and threatening to throw him out an airlock. This second example was all an act, designed to get Baltar to get information out of Baltar, so I am not sure that it counts.
Roslin is never maudlin, which is also true to character. After Billy dies (btw, not to digress, but what genius decided not to give this character an adult name? For God's sake he is the president's chief of staff. They might as well name him Jimmy Olsen.), she is sitting by the body, and she reaches out and straightens his hair, and then makes a small whimpering sound ("Sacrifice"). I think she that she makes the scene more powerful by deliberately choosing to underplay it.
Roslin is probably going to die soon (at least I hope so. Not because I want her to die, but because any other outcome would be cheating). This is the second time she has been down this road, and both times she is very courageous but also very frightened. Discussions about mortality and death are intrinsic to the nature of life on Galactica because the enemy can't die (at least not until the end of Season 4). Roslin's impending death adds depth to this theme because we viewers are so invested in the character by the end of Season 4. Natalie gives a very moving talk on this subject ("Guess What's Coming to Dinner"). While she is speaking to the quorum about mortality giving life meaning, the camera switches to Roslin in her wig, looking haggard and ill. She has led the fleet to Earth, but I don't think she is going to be there long. The journey, however, has imbued her life with meaning, and she will live on as a great leader in her people's history.
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