BLOG Aaron
Douglas Battlestar Galactica interview
By: Kell Harker
Date: February 18th, 2010 Source: SFX
It's not 100% confirmed until my test results are
in, but I may be a Cylon. At the very least, I'm a Cylon sympathizer. You
could imagine my excitement then, when a comline was established with my
favourite character from the series: Chief Galen Tyrol, played by the
charming and hilarious Aaron Douglas. Lucky for us, Aaron was kind enough
to take time out of watching the Olympic games on television to answer a
few questions for SFX.
You'll be in Nova Scotia this next
October for HAL-CON. Have you visited the Maritimes before?
"I've been to every single province. When I was
14 years old our family drove all the way from Vancouver to Newfoundland
and back. I've been all across the great land of Canada. I absolutely love
the Maritimes and I'm very excited to go back, particularly in the fall
when it's one of the most beautiful places on Earth."
Because you're a sci-fi cult favourite,
do you attend a lot of conventions internationally?
"I go to as many as I can, but sometimes it's
hard with my schedule. I love going to conventions and I love spending
time with the fans, and going to parts of the world where I wouldn't
normally go. It's fun doing the conventions and meeting people who love
the show; just being able to hang out at the bar and have a beer with a
fan and talk to them about football, and about Battlestar, and about life.
That's the really great part about being a sci-fi actor."
What's the strangest fan request that
you've ever had?
"Signing boobs is always up there. I've also had,
'Hold this teddy bear and let me take a picture.' You know, you get some
fans who try to go out of their way to do something silly so that it's
memorable... but for the most part people are just interested in talking
about the show with me. 99.99% of them are very sweet. Although I do know
that the female actors get it much worse than I do. [Laugh] Yeah, no one
wants to see my boobs."
BSG has really resonated with science
fiction fans. Do you think it's fair to say that Galactica is the most
important sci-fi show of the decade?
"Wow, of the decade?! I really don't like to
compare one show to another but yes. Yes it is. Star Trek put sci-fi on
the map and changed television, and Battlestar has changed it in another
direction by making it a little more mainstream and acceptable to people
who wouldn't normally watch sci-fi."
In the show there's really no good guy or
bad guy, but how did you feel when you found out that your character was a
Cylon?
"I hated it at first because I thought that they
were taking a character that the fans really loved, and making him someone
that fans would really detest. I fought Ron Moore on it at first, but I
love it now and I could not be more proud because it was a great story
idea. The thing that ultimately made a lot of sense for that character is
how he went on in his life with the world never quite making any sense,
until he suddenly found out that he was a Cylon."
The show did take a lot of risks with its
characters, but I think that's what made it so interesting...
"I completely agree. I don't like shows that are
predictable. I like it when you're shocked and you have no idea who's
about to die."
What's your favourite memory of playing
Chief Galen Tyrol?
"I have a couple favourite memories. I really
like the scene in the bar when Adama bumps the Chief down to Private. But
the greatest shooting day that I'll never forget is at the end of the
'Dirty Hands' episode, and there's a scene with the Chief and the
President - that was about six hours of Mary McDonnell and I just sitting
and talking. She is just the loveliest person on the planet, and by far
the greatest actor who I've ever worked with. That's a memory that will
stick out for a very, very long time."
You'll be starring as police union head
Frank Leo in the Canadian drama series The Bridge, which will premiere on
CTV/CBS on 5 March. Can you tell us a little about your move from sci-fi
to a drama series?
"Well, I wear a suit instead of jumpsuit. [Laugh]
And I'm in a car instead of in a big giant spaceship. [Laughing] It's
interesting because The Bridge still deals with human drama and the
struggle between people and relationships. I think it should be really
good. I think people are going to enjoy it. It's definitely a different
thing because we shoot seven days a week, and five or six of those days
are on location. We're constantly moving around - we're inside and also
outside - whereas on Battlestar I was 95% filmed on the stage. It's easier
when you're on a stage because you can control the weather. While filming
in Toronto last year I got rained on a lot. Everyone told me it wouldn't
rain in Toronto! They obviously lied. Those liars. [Laugh]"
Thanks Aaron! It'll be great to meet you
in person at HAL-CON. in October.
"Oh wait! I forgot that I wanted to say, GO
CANADA GO!"
Stand alert! Here's some great questions
submitted by SFX readers: