I can think of no better way to introduce this actor and his character than in the actor’s own words: “The man, the myth, the methane. . . . He was a Dick. Maybe he was a Dick that meant well. Then we had a Dick with a conscience.” Ladies and gentlemen, Robert Picardo.
For some reason much or my notes are terribly out of context. The above quote comes from Robert’s own description of his character’s progression when we see him in episodes of Stargate SG-1, from his first appearance in ‘Heroes Part 2’ to the fan favorite ‘The Shroud’. I’ll do my best to make sense of all of this for you.
Robert started taking questions very quickly. For those who are unfamiliar with Robert’s previous life as a holographic doctor on StarTrek: Voyageur, Robert was able to make use of his singing voice in that role on many occasions. A fan asked why Robert did not get to sing while on Atlantis. Regarding his fellow cast members, Robert laughed and said, “I wanted to sing A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody and have then all come down the stairs. I think that that might have been too close. I mean, let’s face it. You’ve already taken an actor from one scifi franchise and stuck him into another one. I don’t think you want to repeat too much of the same stuff. I suggested that I was a hologram but they thought that was too much. So I think it was better that we didn’t try to mine too much of the same territory, but I appreciate your interest.”
We learned that it was Robert’s idea that Woolsey be seen relaxing in a suit and tie when off duty in “Because I think that’s funny. They said, ‘ok’ and they wrote that in.” (more…)
Blog
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Robert Picardo: Mr. Suit and Tie
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Welcome to WormholeRiders Video Archives!
Hi WormholeRiders!
WormholeRiders News Agency and Music Video Archives were scheduled to open to coincide with our ‘live from the convention’ coverage of Chicago Stargate 2009, however by request from members and fans, we have opened the archives early at our Contacts Page
Here is how WormholeRiders Video Archives will work:
1. We will be adding new content including fan favorite news and music news videos to various articles and news posts.
2. New Music News Series and music news videos will also be posted at our Conventions Page.
3. As new videos are posted at WormholeRiders Dot Com, previous video posts will move to our Dedicated Stargate web site.
4. ‘Moved’ news and music news videos posted at WormholeRiders Policies Page will be added to a future Video Archives to be announced
Enjoy!
Kenn and The WormholeRiders News Agency Team
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Paul McGillion: Great Scot!
Ok, it's not a Scottish Highland pipe, its an Uillean pipe, but it's the closest thing I have!He can be wimpy and whiney, but when it comes right down to it he will put his life on the line. He has made us laugh, and he has made us bawl our eyes out. He also deserves a medal for having Rodney McKay as his best friend! The current Carson Beckett may be a copy, but there’s only one Paul McGillion! Paul started out by giving us a little bit of a lesson about his history with the Stargate franchise. “I was on Stargate SG-1 in ‘Torment of Tantalus’ when I was a much younger fellow [we cheer, so Paul repeats in his Scottish accent] much younger. Playing Dr. Earnest Littlefield, and he was the first person to ever do through the Stargate, from what I believe [Um, of modern man, yes!]. So that’s kind of cool. And then I also wondered, since I had a lot of friends in Vancouver cuz I’m originally from Canada and I spend a lot of time here [Canadians cheer, and Paul uses his accent again to say] Thank you. So I spend a lot of time here, so I wondered, ‘How come I can’t go back on the show? It seems like these guys go on the show, they get to come back a couple seasons later as a different character.’ I always wondered why I never had the opportunity to come back on the show. ‘Was there something wrong? What’s going on?’ And when I read for Atlantis and fortunately got the part, I talked to Martin Wood about it and he goes, ‘No no, you don’t understand the fan base that the show has’, and I’m like, ‘Really?’. He’s like, ‘You’ll see’. I think that’s what I did. “They wanted an international flavor to the character, and the casting director at the time said to my agent, ‘what accent is Paul doing to do?’ and my agent called me and said, ‘what accent is Paul going to do?’ and I said, I read the script, especially the pilot and I thought – I was born in Scotland – ‘I feels Scottish to me. He just has a comedic sensibility, you know the chair scene and everything’. That was one of the audition scenes I had to do. I said, ‘I think he’s Scottish, I feel he’s Scottish’, and she called them and said, ‘He’s Scottish.’ The casting director said ‘No no no. Don’t do a Scottish accent. No one will understand him.’ To which I said to my agent, ‘Well there are educated Scottish people as well. They do have doctors (his fingers make quotation marks) in Scotland’. So I think he watched Train Spotting one too many times. So basically I said, ‘No, I think he’s Scottish.’ He said, ‘Tell him to do an English accent. I want him to do an English accent.’ So she called me and said, ‘Do an English accent. He wants an English accent’ and I said, ‘No, I’m doing a Scottish accent.’ So I went to the casting trailer – you guys have had the set tour. It’s that trailer when you go in, there’s two little trailers sort of stuck in the ground. That’s where everyone auditions for the show. And it’s tiny and it’s kind of weird because you can hear the actors auditioning, and it’s no bigger than this stage. Literally. The room we audition in is just about the size of this half right here (spits the stage in half with a hand motion). So went in and did the audition again in front of the casting agent – he’s a great guy, by the way – and he says to me, ‘so what are you going to do?’ I said, ‘I’m going to do an educated Scottish accent’. He’s like, ‘(shaking his head) Ok.’ He wasn’t very happy with that. So I did the first scene and he said, ‘(grudgingly) Ok that was good.’ And then I did the second scene and he goes, ‘(still a little grudgingly) Ok very good.’ And then I did the last scene and he goes, ‘ok that was good. Get out.’ And I was the first one cast, I believe, on the show. (more…)
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Teryl Rothery: Tall Talent
If you looked up the word “bubbly” in the dictionary, you would find a picture of Teryl Rothery. Of course you would also find her under “flirt”, as you will see. I have had the pleasure of seeing Teryl three times now. She attended Chicago twice, though the second time she almost didn’t make it. One of my favorite memories of Teryl’s first visit to Chicago was her Cabaret performance. Before doing one of the three song and dance numbers she had prepared, Teryl discovered that a young girl in the audience was there to celebrate her tenth birthday. She invited the child onto the stage, taught her a very simple series of dance steps, and then they performed together! Talk about a birthday wish come true!
When Teryl took the stage in Vancouver, she first polled the audience for children and “convention virgins”, a.k.a. people who had never attended a convention before; then she decided to start taking questions. She described to us how it works for her. “Basically what I do is I give you guys this time. You ask as many questions as you want to ask, I do my best to answer them, and I don’t really know all the answers so – (sees people she recognizes in the front rows) Oh my God look at all these wonderful familiar faces! – so what I do then is I rely on a lot of you to answer the questions that I don’t know. Is that a deal?” Yes Teryl, we’ll help you!
Teryl was in luck. Her first question was about the infamous “Puff and Ruffle”! If you haven’t heard of this, make a point to ask any original SG-1 cast member about it at a convention. They’ll wonder how the story has survived this long, but you’ll love seeing them act it out! This transcript can’t possibly do it justice! “That’s very rude, puffling and ruffling and there are children in this audience! Seriously, you’ve not seen the Puff and Ruffle? Oh my God, I’ve got to go back through the fog of – how many years would it be now? Come on you guys, you guys are good at – math gives me diarrhea! How many years has it been when we did season 1? What was that, somebody? [I shouted “12!”] No, it’s got to be more than 12 years. Just 12? 13? Holy Toledo! (more…)
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Connor Trinneer: GateTrek
He was a success and then a disaster. A character we could sympathize with, and then a character we could hate without much reservation. A potential ally, and then an enemy who knew way too much. Michael the Wraith – or whatever you want to call him – became the Atlantis expedition’s arch enemy, but yet it was possible to feel for him the way a reader might feel sorry for Frankenstein’s monster. At least, until he exterminated Taranans. Connor Trinneer, the actor behind the menace, is just a friendly down to earth guy. Thank goodness for actors who stay calm, talk at a normal speed, actually answer the questions without getting derailed, and choose to sit in a chair while on stage! Yes Dan. I’m complaining about you!
Connor started taking questions pretty quickly, but first he told us that this was his first Stargate convention, and he was a little nervous. “My standard StarTrek answers aren’t going to work here!”
Not above flattery, Connor asked the first fan to reach the mic repeat her opening comment so make sure everyone heard it. “Turn your mic on, honey. And say that again. Clearly.” “I came here for you!” “Well thank you!” Then she amended her comment. “And Paul [McGillion], and Michael [Shanks] and Joe [Flanagan]. But you were one of them!” “Wait a minute; you were doing so well there for a second. Then you went like this (took his hand and showed us a steep downward slope).”
Eventually she got around to asking her question: What’s the difference between StarTrek and Stargate, and can you please tell us a StarTrek story?“About eleven dollars is the answer to the first one. I would have to say that the most immediate difference to me was that Atlantis was a loosier goosier show than Enterprise was. I think it had less of the formal rules that had to be applied to the show. And I didn’t wear nearly the amount of makeup on Atlantis, and I didn’t wear nearly the amount of clothes on Enterprise. But they were such radically different characters. They were just two different experience besides the obvious, different shows. But even for a place where they came from, there’s a whole lot of me in Trip [Connor’s character on Enterprise, for those who don’t know]. I hope to God there’s not a whole lot of me in Michael . I think I had to use a little more –I hate to use the word ‘imagination’ – but imagination with Michael than I did with Trip. With Trip, I got to do 99 episodes of a show where they just kept throwing me different places, but with Michael I sort of had the same MO and had to find where that arch played where I’d be coming in two, three times a year. So that was much different.” (more…)
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NEWS: Titles and Release Dates
A lot has happened over the last week, and Stargate fans have many reasons to be happy and excited!
First, Joe Mallozzi did one of those those things that he’s so very good at: dangling a carrot in front of fans but keeping it just out of reach! The script for the first of hopefully many Stargate Atlantis movies is complete, and Joe said the title may be revealed over this weekend. Until then, he did give the working title: “Stargate: Extiction”, and this photo was posted on his dog’s Twitter page! Extinction?! Needless to say this “working title” raises a lot of questions!
Next, the release date of the long anticipated new cut of Stargate SG-1’s pilot episode, “Children of the Gods” (COTG) has been set for July 21, and Amanzon.com is currently taking preorders here. As Brad Wright and Robert Cooper have previously stated regarding this new release, the Final Cut of COTG will have a new soundtrack to replace the original, which was a bit heavy-handed and derived largely from the feature film’s score. Also, the cut will contain several minutes of never before seen footage that was cut from the first release. At the same time, scenes that did not work as well as hoped – or were pressed upon them by the network like the rated R scene – have been removed from this version. Overall, it should prove to be an interesting retelling of the story we all know so well, and personally I am very excited! Want to show how excited you are? Go participate in Gateworld.net’s current poll (on the bottom right of the page)!
Finally, according to Gateworld.net, the release date for Stargate Atlantis’s season 5 DVD’s has been set forJune 30th, and Amazon.com is taking preorders here. This 5 disc set will be packed with features, including a new first for the franchise: extended versions of two key episodes, ‘Vegas’, and ‘Enemy at the Gate’!16 of the 20 episodes will have audio commentaries to accompany them, and there will be not one, but TWO groups of deleted scenes! You can see the full list of DVD features and MGM’s official press release at GateWorld.net! Honestly, it looks like the only thing missing that fans could want are the booper reels we all crave.
That’s all the latest developments for now! Stick around for the latest! If you use Twitter, join us on our Twitter page to get the latest news on your mobile phone!
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Dan Shea: The King of Randomness
I declare Dan Shea to be the King of Randomness. My notes are so crazy, I’m not sure if any of this is going to make any sense! Dan has a hard time staying on topic. He gets distracted, he talks very fast, he has a bit of a lisp, and he rambles. Of course, that’s part of what makes him so entertaining, but you can’t keep up with his train of thought! At least I couldn’t! I’ll give you everything I have, though, and you’ll see exactly what I mean!
Dan started out by showing us his cool new shoes and his new haircut. Dan pulled off a shoe and held it up to show it off. Someone near the front must have said “They’re big” because Dan turned to them and said, ‘What do you mean, ‘they’re big’? What’s your point? I’ve got big gloves too, so what are you getting at?” After asking how everyone is doing, Dan said, “I’ve got the new do. (Puts a hand on his head) What do you think of the new do? [Applause from the fans] “I’m doing this show called Mortacci [I can’t find it on IMDB yet, FYI]. I was supposed to work tonight. I play a zombie, and they shaved my head for the zombie. I’ll show you a picture – you can all see my camera inside my phone, right? (Pulls out what looked like a Blackberry, then rolls his eyes at our inability to see) But it’s kinda cool, and kind of freaky too, because you do the five hour special effects makeup. So you sit there (pretends to sit down) and they keep putting the stuff on you (uses his hands to show us where it goes on and how thick). Then they glue it to your lip, they put the glue on the inside of your lip. Then they do the upper part of your lip. And then they put on the eye lids, and it just keeps getting thicker and thicker until it seams like your inside some black tunnel. And you have the two little straws sticking out of your nose, and that’s kind of fun. After you put all this stuff on you get these contact lenses in your eyes and you’re totally blind. Which is fun because they’re these white lenses and when the light shines on them you can’t see a thing.
“So the gag for me is going to be in the back seat of a Hummer. Ah – I was going to say not getting one, but hey! – but the back seat of a Hummer, sitting there, and it’s at night. I’m Pa Buckner with a scythe –you know those scythes they used to have because we’re from like 1910, we got killed in 1910 – and we’ve been underground and we kind of come out of the ground (bends over and straightens back up) and somehow I wind up in the back of a Hummer. And they drive the Hummer into the water, and then we pick it up inside a wave pool where I’m in the back seat of the Hummer and all the sudden the water comes up. So the doors are closed, the windows are up, and the thing is slowly filling up with water, and I’m in the back seat of the hummer with my scythe. And I’ve got my upper and lower fangs in (sticks his fingers in his mouth to show us where they are and how they’re keeping his mouth open) so my teeth are kind of jammed up like this. I am assuming that we’re going to go under the water, and I guess they’re going to give me the regulator to breath, but of course the regulator can’t fit in my mouth because I’ve got the big teeth in there! We haven’t done it yet, so they said to me, ‘you’re ok with that?’ (Looks at us like, ‘what kind of stupid question is that?’) So I’m thinking, first of all I’m blind, so close your eyes now. Everyone close your eyes. [Sorry Dan, I cheated!] You can’t see a thing. You’re in the back seat of the car. Now here comes the water (uses a trembling hand to show us where the water level is – mind that we can’t see what he’s doing because he told us to close our eyes!) and you feel the water on you. Now all the sudden it’s up (he shows the water being up to his chin), ‘I guess I should start holding my breath now’. Course if you closed your eyes you can’t see that I’m holding my hand here. Which kind of defeats the whole purpose, but let me do it visually. The water’s at my chin now, so I hold my breath, and I’m assuming I’ve got the regulator, (grabs pretend regulator tube and makes a sucking sound as he breaths in and out heavily) and a little pony tube which has air for like seven minutes. And I’ve already totally sucked it dry. And then my the time they call ‘action’ I’m gonna have drowned. So, ah, it’s going to be fun. But then I’m assuming, that on ‘action’ I’ll take the reg, put it beneath the seat, and then I’ll start killing people! (Makes slashing motions with his arm, using the scythe. An of course I won’t be able to see anything, so I won’t know where to go, so I’ll be killing the dashboard, and killing the guy, and smacking people in the head. And then it’ll be, ‘I CAN’t BREATH ANYMORE! I’m out of breath!’ So then it’s like this (eyes closed, waves an arm around) trying to feel for my regulator underneath the seat. Of course I’ve got the big long fingers with the big long nails that you couldn’t even pick up a microphone with if you had it. And finally if I do get it, I won’t be able to jam it in my mouth because the thing is full of these huge fangs. And they said, ‘you’re ok with that?’ I said, ‘oh sure, not a problem’.” (more…) -
David Nykl: The Czech of Atlantis
It’s time to hear from everyone’s favorite berated, overworked, underappreciated scientist. Move over Rodney! Radek Zelenka of the Atlantis expedition is a pretty quiet fellow, but actor David Nykl is anything but. He’s a ham. This was my second time seeing David. He attended the Chicago Creation convention last year, and though he is not listed yet for this year, I have high hopes. I have an ulterior motive, though. I will have something to present to him has a gift. That is if I can find the time to write it. (Don’t know what I’m talking about? Read my “Cabaret and Cocktails” post!)
Please Note: Even though I have used quotes, this is not word for word everything that was said. It is only as close as I could get by scribbling down everything I heard. No audio or video recording is allowed at Creation conventions. If I’d been using a pencil instead of a pen, I have no doubt that the wood could have caught fire in my hand from the heat of the friction! Fortunately for all attending, I don’t like to use pencils.
David started out by polling the audience to see where people had come from. He soon discovered that a good number of us were from the US. “Your dollar goes far. Thanks, thanks a lot. You can get two photos of Dan Shea for the price of one. But really who’d want to? I mean . . .”
“Yeah, my name is David Nykl. Hello. I played (shifts into the Czech accent) Doctor Radek Zelenka on Stargate Atlantis. Does anybody remember that show? Remember, all those years ago? Remember working? [Someone shouts that Radek is better than Mckay] I’m way better than McKay, apparently! Oh, you’re just saying that. If Hewlett was on stage right now . . . I was actually just in Los Angeles, talking to David Hewlett. He’s doing very well, he sends his love. He’s doing what the rest of us are doing and trying to work (laughs). ‘Will work. Unemployed astrophysicist.’ (Grimaces) It’s kind of a hard job to continue with, you know? (Laughs) You get benefits, though. (more…)
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The More the Merrier!
Great news, everyone! As expected, Creation has announced new guest coming to the Chicago Stargate Convention!
The Creation Entertainment Official STARGATE SG-1/ATLANTIS Convention is August 21-23, 2009 in CHICAGO and today we are pleased to welcome RACHEL LUTTRELL, Atlantis’ TEYLA and GARY JONES, Stargate’s Walter Harriman!
Rachel and Gary will join already announced AMANDA TAPPING, MICHAEL SHANKS, JOE FLANIGAN, PAUL McGILLION and CONNOR TRINNEER, for what is going to be one awesome celebration! Chicago area fans have always been great to Creation and we’re going all out to bring the absolute best convention we can to you!
This will be Rachel and Gary’s first visit to Chicago!
Also, Creation made an unprecedented announcement:
And, for those that like to plan EXTRA EARLY, including other convention promoters so they don’t conflict with our Chicago event which has always been in late August for 7 years now: we’re back August 27-29, 2010!
Ticket sales are still open for this year, so check out their website! Tickets for 2010 will not be available until a few months after this years events, but those attending this years convention are given the option to purchase Gold Ticket Packages for the following year on the last day.
If you can’t attend, never fear! You’ll be able to get all the latest and most detailed reports right here from WormholeRiders!
Keep an eye on WormholeRiders for future updates!