After the (FTL) jump, Battlestar Galatica (BSG) series regulars Grace Park, Tricia Helfer, Michael Trucco, Jamie Bamber, Tahmoh Penikett and Katee Sackhoff discuss the making of the new DVD and Blu-ray release Battlestar Galatica: The Plan, their feelings about leaving the galaxy of BSG for good, what it was like playing Cylons, and the possibility of a BSG feature film.
(Plus: this week in home video.)
In the opening credits of this century’s version of the primetime space opera Battlestar Galatica, it always mentioned that the Cylons, the race of robots created by human’s to be their servants had a PLAN. Of course, the better part of their well-planned plot was to wipe out all of mankind — which they did, expect for a mere quarter-of-a-million men and women that included the rag-tag crew of the aging battlestar cruiser, The Galatica. This tiny little oversight would have devastating effect on the Cylons’ strategy for complete genocide. Although Battlestar Galatica ended it’s four season, Peabody Award-winning run earlier this year, many questions about the how and why the Cylons weren’t successful were never answered. Now, the Blu-ray & DVD-only release of Battlestar Galatica: The Plan (which will air on the SyFy Channel in the US and on Space in Canada in 2010) reveals the events of Battlestar Galatica, but from the perspective of the Cylons. Directed by series star Edward James Olmos, The Plan features longtime favorite BSG cast members in this all-new, two-hour look at what happened the day the nukes dropped on Caprica and across the Battlestar Galatica universe.
GRACE PARK
While you were filming BSG you played a Cylon, so did you know what the Cylon’s plan was back then?
GP: “While doing the show, I think we were always walking around, going, ‘What’s really the Cylons plan?’ because [producers] Robert [Moore] and David [Eick] were always saying, ‘We have a plan.’ Until we did this movie, I’ve got to tell you, none of the people who played Cylons actually knew what that plan was, so this answers a lot of questions for both fans and even the actors playing Cylons.”
Was it a relief to you to finally find out what the plan was?
GP: “I didn’t know if it was a relief. I guess having an answer felt more like closure.”
Did you grow up identifying closesly with the Asian community? What about these days, do you feel a part of a of the acting business and Hollywood?
GP: “It’s such a part of my fabric and who I am, just in my everyday living that I don’t really see a group of Asian-Americans and go, ‘I’m a part of that group.’ It’s just like, I think there was a young child, I can’t remember who it was exactly, but we were mentioning, ‘Oh, you’re half-Chinese and what’s the other? Or half-Korean?’ It was my cousin’s daughter, ‘And what’s your other half?’ And her parents were like, ‘No, no.’ We don’t like to say half and half because to them, they don’t see it split up. It’s just all mixed together. In that way, growing up in Vancouver, I didn’t really strongly identify with the Asian community necessarily, but maybe more the Korean community because my parents were always like, ‘Well, what are they going to think of you’ that kind of thing, they’re always worried about that. But not necessarily the Asian-American community so much. But acting of course, that’s something that I’ve been really into, but Hollywood, no, I’m not really connected to that really so much either. I mean, is anyone?”
If guess if you live here.
GP: “But even then, you go home and you go do your own thing, right? You don’t live in front of the spotlight unless you’re like Lindsay [Lohan] or Paris [Hilton].”
Along with Tricia and Katee, you are considered one of the Battlestar Babes. How have you dealt with your adoring fanboys over the years?
GP: “I’d say most of them have always been pretty behaved and very respectful. I think because of the character I played, I mean, I haven’t done Playboy like Tricia has, so I’m not going to have the same kind of fans that she has. But it’s a pretty polite country. People aren’t going to throw themselves at you. Which I don’t mind … throwing money is fine, too. No, I’m kidding.”
TRICIA HELFER
How would you feel about doing other BSG specials like The Plan?
“Well, there were always some rumblings of about DVD movies. I always felt like I would do them depending on when they’re done and who they write in it. If it’s done like The Plan, where it’s examining areas of the show that you didn’t really get to know enough about or gives a different viewpoint, than I think it’s great. Of course, I’d certainly be open to coming back and reprising Six.”
When wrapping up the series and Battlestar Galatica: The Plan was done, what set piece or costume did you steal as a personal memento to remember the show by?
TH: [Laughs] “What did I steal? I stole a black dress that’s actually in one of the last episodes of the series. I didn’t steal it, though. I was allowed to take it, and I also took the jacket that Caprica wore in the last episode where they get to earth, the bombed-out earth. I am apparently getting the red dress, too, I think. It’s not in my little hands yet, but they’re apparently giving it to me.
KATEE SACKHOFF
When the new Battlestar Galactica first hit the airwaves, there were some fans of the original series who didn’t like the idea of Starbuck being played by a woman. Obviously, it worked out okay. In retrospect, how cool and gratifying did you feel when you had realized you had won over those fans who were at first skeptical and negative about you portraying Starbuck?
KS: “It was completely gratifying. I think the full reason is that it was just so nice to have people identify with the character that I was playing and appreciate the work I was doing. I don’t think I ever went into it trying to win over the old fans, because I think that you can’t ever please everyone. I never focused on people that were all ready in a sense, spewing negative energy at me. So I just kind of did what I did and it’s nice to know that it did work out, so I guess it is gratifying to know that.”
With Caprica starting off next year, Battlestar Galatica: The Plan pretty much marks the final end of the series. How do you feel that it’s now all over?
KS: “Well, I can’t speak for the rest of the cast, but there’s a selfish side of me that wants to now go on and play different roles, so there’s an excitement. When you became an actor, it’s not to play the same character for ten years. So it’s kind of nice, I think that it is sad just because the work environment on Battlestar Galactica was absolutely amazing and I don’t think it’s something that comes along very often. I’ve done so many canceled television shows, so I can tell you that it’s not normal to enjoy going to work and to enjoy the people you work with. Chances are I’m never going to find that again, so that’s sad as well. But you know as far as moving on with the show, I’m really going to feel the pain of it finally being over.”
When all was said and done, were you glad to find out you weren’t a Cylon, after all. I know a couple of the actors who played the final five Cylons weren’t too happy to find out that they were Cylons. Of course, with The Plan, you find out more about what was going on in their heads. How would have felt if Starbuck had turned out to be a Cylon — pleased, displeased or indifferent?
KS: “Well, I think the reason the four actors were upset about being Cylons is that you play for years making choices as a character and then to realize all those choices you made would have been different had you known. It’s interesting, it’s kind of like, you get the wool pulled over your eyes for four years and then lo and behold, your character’s something completely different. But, I think I would have been completely indifferent if I had found out. I think I had so much love for this character, I would have done anything for her or play her anyway she needed to be portrayed.”
What was your best experience or memory from your time on BSG?
KS: “You know, it was the cast and the crew. I made so many friends on the show, you know, I mean, Steve McNutt our VP had been like my dad for five years and constantly telling me to be safe when I’m with Michael, constantly. So I think of that, you know, and then also the friendships that you form that are through the show, but you are able to maintain outside of the show. That’s really important because when you do a show you have these grand plans of staying in touch with these people, and nine times out of ten it never happens. I haven’t spoken to Richard Dreyfuss or Marcia Gay Harden, and I did a show with them years ago. Unless you find a common ground outside of the show, those friendships don’t last. And so I think that what I’m really proud of, is my friendship with so many people from the show. I’m very proud of that, it’s my first friendships that I’ve developed as an adult — since I was 17. And so I’m proud of that, and I’m proud that we’ll be friends forever or for a long time, at least.”
There have been rumors about a two-hour BSG feature-length film for theaters. Ron Moore has said that he’s not interested in doing a Battlestar Galatica feature film. Katee, do you think you could change his mind, and if so, would you be interested in doing that film?
KS: “I wouldn’t want to change his mind. I think he’s right.”
Why?
KS: “He it said was that what would end up happening is that you would have to focus on one or two characters and. What’s so brilliant is that it felt like we did a four-year movie and we had the time to tell these stories about each person, individually, and we became invested in those characters, So, I think to do a two-hour movie would take away from what we did for so long, you know — it really does take away. I mean, how do you pick which two characters and when you pick those two characters are you going to flip off the other 17 main characters on the show? Like how do you define, you know, what to do? So, I think he’s right, plus at the same time, as a performer when I am done with the show, I’m done with the show. As much as I love the job or don’t love the job, the last thing I want to do is come back and do it again, when I’ve already done it. Granted, you know, talk to me in five years if I haven’t worked. We’ll see. But, as of right now I have no desire to do a Battlestar movie.”
TAHMOH PENIKETT
How did the end feel for you?
TP: “It was emotional, man. It was emotional but it was good. It was amazing. I’m truly blessed to have been in an incredible show like that for five years. It was a life-changing experience but it was kind of funny because we had this romantic idea that the end was going to be so epic but the fact is, we were trying to cram in so much to get it done in the end. So we shot it really out of order, we’d gone longer days than we should but it ended. It’s done now. I’m just happy to have had that experience.
Tahmoh isn’t an awfully common name. Where does it comes from?
TP: “Tahmoh comes from the First Nations side of the family. My mother’s native, my dad’s British, hence my last name Penikett. So both very unique names. My grandmother named me.”
What do you think of BSG fans?
TP: “Over the years, I found that the fans where maybe a little obsessive and nit-picky, but at the same time they’re the best fans. They’re the most passionate fans. So we’ll see. I’m sure they could had some good input. You take the good and the bad.”
JAMIE BAMBER
What were some of your greatest moments and memories?
JB: “There are so many moments that I’m proud of and other people’s work that I’m blown away by. Michael’s performance in its totality is one of the things I’m the most amazed by. Personally, when I got to do that huge monologue in the courtroom thing, the first time I did it, it lasted about ten minutes. The extras, there were like 200 extras there, just burst out into applause. There are things like that you go, ‘That’s fun.’ To be there, that was a special moment for me because it was also a bit of an apotheosis for me. He discovers a whole new voice at that moment so that was one that I would think very fondly of, and I’ll never forget, but there are so many. Finding earth in the CIC with Mary [O’Donnell] and Eddie [James Olmos] and hugging them and playing the end of the journey. Really going through what that means to these people as they’ve struggled so hard, for so long, to finally be told, ‘You did it.’ There are lots of special moments. The first time I walked to set and I was terrified, absolutely terrified, convinced I was about to get fired.
Why did you think you were going to get fired?
JB: “Because I was an English boy coming to America playing a character called Apollo that everyone’s familiar with from 20 years ago. There was no pressure, you know. It was hard.” [Laughs]
MICHAEL TRUCCO
How hard was it for you, Michael, to accept that the show had to end for artistic reasons?
MT:“I think I’d rather it end for artistic reasons than for financial or political reasons, so my hat’s off to Ron and David and everybody that made that decision, that they decided their story was told, ending the show on their terms and not a network’s terms or a studio’s terms or a bean counter’s terms or somebody that decides we’ve run it’s course. It’s bittersweet because dude, give us two more seasons. There’s still some story to tell.”
Which is probably one of the reasons we are seeing The Plan. I think the studio would like the series to go on.
MT: “I think maybe there is a bit of that. This stuff’s so above my pay grade, I have no idea. I’m just speculating but I think that now, especially this last season, the viewer-ship went up, which is rare. Usually, these things start to decline. Apparently, word is we increased our viewership, but again don’t quote me. I don’t follow this stuff but this is what I hear. Look, Ron knew. He was like, ‘This is my story and it will end after this many episodes.’ Who am I to argue? I’m just happy I was there.”
Battlestar Galatica: The Plan Blu-Ray Bonus Features: Commentary with Edward James Olmos and executive producer/writer Jane Espenson, deleted scenes, four featurettes including “The Cylons of The Plan,” “The Cylon Attack,” “From Admiral to Director” and “The Magic Behind The Plan,” Trivia Challenge and BD-LIVE!
The Collector’s Choice: The Samuel Fuller Collection
The third DVD compilation released as part of director Martin Scorsese’s non-profit film preservation organization, The Film Foundation, this seven-film DVD box set includes the most memorable work from legendary filmmaking maverick, Samuel Fuller. With his robust visual style (which enhanced the movie-goer’s point-of-view), Fuller is often credited with influencing such French New Wave directors as Jean-Luc Godard and modern day auteurs like Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and Jim Jarmusch. Each film restored and remastered, this collection includes his directorial classics The Crimson Kimono and Underworld U.S.A. and in addition to five films he wrote for the screen — It Happened in Hollywood, Adventure in Sahara, Power of the Press, Shockproof and Scandal Sheet. Bonus Features: Power of the Press featurette “Sam Fuller’s Search for Truth with Tim Robbins, Scandal Sheet featurette “Sam Fuller Storyteller” with Martin Scorsese, Wim Wenders, Tim Robbins, Curtis Hanson, Christa and Samantha Fuller, The Crimson Kimono featurette “Curtis Hanson: The Culture of The Crimson Kimono” and Underworld U.S.A. featurette “Martin Scorsese on Underworld U.S.A”
The Fugitive: Season 3, Volume 1
Long before Harrison Ford shot to the top of the box office as Dr. Richard Kimble in the big screen version of The Fugitive, iconic actor David Janssen spent the better part of the 1960s playing the pediatrician accused for murdering his wife, as he searched for the one-armed man to prove his innocence and help bring the true killer to justice. Taking on a new identity, in a new town, Kimble is constantly sending clues about the possible whereabouts of the physically-challenged killer to Lt. Philip Gerard (Barry Morse), the man after the wrongfully-accused doctor, as he gets closer and closer to the man who took his wife’s life. This 1965 season is considered one of the best of the series, even winning an Emmy for Outstanding Dramatic Series.
The Guardian: The First Season
Not long ago, Simon Baker was a Guardian — a lawyer who fought for the rights of children — before he become a fake psyche turned crime-fighter in The Mentalist. This first season, which aired in 2001-2002, featured Aussie actor Baker as a hotshot corporate lawyer who is sentenced to 1,500 hours of community service after a little legal run-in of his own. Doing his time at Legal Aid Services, he becomes “The Guardian,” a child advocate who fights for the young underprivileged and for those caught up in complicated situations. Set in Pittsburgh, the eye-opening drama also stars Alan Rosenberg (Cybil, Chicago Hope) and Dabney Coleman (9 to 5, Tootsie). Bonus Features: CBS Series Launch Promos.
The Tournament
Robert Carlyle (Stargate: Universe), Kelly Hu (X2: X-Men United) and Ving Rhames (Mission: Impossible) star in this action-filled flick about the most dangerous, life-and-death competition ever devised. In a contest held every seven years, the Tournament, funded by wealthy gamblers who watch the proceedings on closed-circuit television, 30 of the most deadliest and ruthless assassins go against each other for enormous cash winnings. Anxious to be the last man or woman standing, the participant must obey only one rule — kill or die.
Whatever Works
The latest comic masterpiece written and directed by Oscar-winning funny man Woody Allen stars Curb Your Enthusiasm leading man Larry David as Boris, a crotchety NYC misanthrope who almost won a Nobel Prize, falls head-over-heels for Melody St. Anne Celestine, a naïve, impressionable young southern runaway played by Evan Rachel Wood (Across The Universe). An offbeat comedy about finding love in unexpected places, Whatever Works also features Patricia Clarkson, Ed Begley, Jr., Henry Cavill and Michael McKean. (Also on DVD). Bonus Feature: BD-LIVE! Enabled.
Mannix: Season Three
This streetwise detective from sunny Southern California, Joe Mannix (brilliantly played by Golden Globe-winner Mike Connors), and his trusty secretary Peggy (Gail Fisher) know how to make crime-fighting look cool, stylish and effortless. But, in this 1969-1970 season, Joe Mannix heads back to his hometown where he hope to mend fences with his estranged father. But, as the season progresses, Mannix finds himself in the toughest, most important investigation of his career — trying to find a brutal killer who blinded him.
Predators
You think humans are on top of the food chain? Forget it. As you’ll witness in Predators, you’ll see we are just food for crocs, alligators, sharks, bears and lions. Containing some of the most dangerous animal encounters captured on film, Predators features three thrilling, terrifying programs that reveal intimate looks at humans who have experienced and survived horrific animal encounters. After The Attack shows attacks by great white shark, grizzly bear, mountain lion and the American alligator. From elephant charges to snake bites, Up Close And Dangerous documents the lives of pro wildlife filmmakers and their commitment to getting the perfect shot, and Killer Crocs of Costa Rica focuses on the deadly American crocodile. This is nature at its most savage.
IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN
Night Of The Creeps: Director’s Cut
Marking the feature film directorial debut of writer/director Fred Dekker (RoboCop 3, The Monster Squad), this 1980’s horror/comedy cult classic is the campy story about a small college town ravaged by killer slugs from outer space. This corpse-filled Blu-ray and DVD, featuring cadavres brought to life by space-slugs, features the long lost Director’s Cut! Starring Tom Atkins (My Bloody Valentine), Jason Lively (European Vacation), Steve Marshall (Sleeping in a Dream), David Paymer (Drag Me to Hell) and Jill Whitlow (Weird Science), fans can now relive this chillingly entertaining cult classic as Dekker intended. (Also on DVD) Bonus Features – Blu-ray: Audio commentary with members of the cast and Fred Dekker, deleted scenes, Alternate Ending & Theatrical Version, original theatrical trailer, Trivia Track, Behind-the-Scenes featurettes, a digital copy of the film and BD-LIVE!
Tales From The Darkside: The Second Season
The king of horror movie-making, George Romero (Night Of Living Dead, Dawn Of The Dead), produced and created this cult-favorite TV show. Based on the format of his tremendously popular horror movie Creepshow, each episode of this beloved 1980’s anthology series depicts a short, strange tale — but always with a shocking twist. Featuring the who’s who of Hollywood in some of their earliest roles, this 24 second season episodes is sure to have you on the edge of your seat.
