Stargate - Universe, Atlantis, SG-1

SGU Receives VES Nomination

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 13:00:00 +0000

The Visual Effects Society (VES) today announced the nominees for the 9th Annual VES Awards ceremony recognizing outstanding visual effects artistry in 24 categories of film, animation, television, commercials and video games. Nominees were chosen Saturday, January 8 by numerous blue ribbon panels of VES members who viewed submissions at the FotoKem screening facilities in Burbank and San Francisco as well as at other facilities in London, Sydney and Vancouver.

"We are extremely proud to recognize these artists and their work with these nominations," said Jeffrey A. Okun, Chair of the Visual Effects Society. "The art of visual effects has become the art of storytelling in a new and compelling way and we congratulate these artists for the finest work in our field this year." As previously announced, Christopher Nolan will be honored with the inaugural VES Visionary Award and Ray Harryhausen with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The 9th Annual VES Awards will take place on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and will air exclusively on REELZCHANNEL Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 10p ET/PT with encore presentations throughout February.

Stargate Universe is nominated for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series.

Mark Savela, VFX Supervisor

James Rorick, VFX Producer

Craig Vandenbiggelaar, Digital Effects Supervisor

Adam de Bosch Kemper, Lead Animator

For a full list of the nominees click here.

Robert Carlyle Wins Gemini Award!

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 09:00:00 +0000

Congratulations to Robert Carlyle on his win for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role, for his role as Dr. Nicholas Rush in the Stargate Universe season one episode “Human”.

The Gemini Awards honor the best in Canadian television as determined by members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and other industry professionals. The November 13, 2010 broadcast was the Gemini's 25th annual ceremony.

In addition to Robert Carlyle's nomination, Stargate Universe was nominated for eight other awards at this year’s Geminis, including Best Dramatic Series, Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (Louis Ferreira), Best Direction (Andy Mikita), Best Original Music Score (Joel Goldsmith), Best Photography (Jim Menard), Best Picture Editing (Rick Martin), Best Sound (Kelly Cole, Jay Cheetham, Kirby Jinnah, Bill Mellow, Patrick Ramsay, Steve Smith, Joe Watts, Matt Wilson), and Best Visual Effects (Mark Savela, Brenda Campbell, Shannon Gurney, Vivian Jim, Andrew Karr, Michael Lowes, Kodie MacKenzie, Alec McClymont, Krista McLean, Craig Vandenbiggelaar).

For a complete list of the nominees and winners, visit the official Gemini Awards website.

SGU Receives 2 Emmy Noms!

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:05:00 +0000

Stargate Universe receives two Emmy nominations for "Outstanding Special Visual Effects For A Series"!

Congratualtions to the SGU visual effects team!

Stargate Universe - "Air"

Mark Savela, Visual Effects Supervisor

Michael Lowes, Key 3D Artist

Vivian Jim, Lead Visual Effects Compositor

Kodie MacKenzie, Key Visual Effects Compositor

Andrew Karr, Digital Effects Supervisor

Alec McClymont, Lead 3D Artist

Brenda Campbell, Lead Compositor

Craig VandenBiggelaar, Key Visual Effects Compositor

Stargate Universe - "Space"

Mark Savela, Visual Effects Supervisor

Jamie Yukio Kawano, Lead 3D Artist

Krista McLean, Digital Effects Supervisor

Luke Vallee, Lead Visual Effects Compositor

Jason Gross, Visual Effects Supervisor

Steve Garrad, Visual Effects Producer

Chris Deroiche, Senior Animator

Robert Bourgeault, Lead CGI Artist

For a complete list of nominees CLICK HERE.

SGU Wins 6 Leos!

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:00:00 +0000

Congratulations to the Stargate Universe cast and crew on winning six Leo Awards at the 2010 Celebration and Gala Awards ceremonies this weekend!

Winners include:

Best Dramatic Series
Stargate Universe
Brad Wright, Robert Cooper, Carl Binder, Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mulle, John G. Lenic, N. John Smith - Producers

Best Screenwriting in a Dramatic Series
Brad Wright
Stargate Universe - Light

Best Cinematography in a Dramatic Series
Michael Blundell
Stargate Universe - Human

Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Series
Rick Martin
Stargate Universe - Human

Best Visual Effects in a Dramatic Series
Mark Savela, Shannon Gurney, Brenda Campbell, Craig Vandenbiggelaar, Krista Mclean
Stargate Universe - Air

Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series
Julia Benson
Stargate Universe - Pain

For a full list of the winners CLICK HERE.

Andy Mikita Interview - Stargate Magazine #34

Fri, 28 May 2010 09:00:00 +0000

An interview with Andy Mikita featured in issue #34 of The Official Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/SGU Magazine.

Andy Mikita started his Stargate voyage as a first assistant director on Stargate SG-1’s pilot Children of the Gods, over a decade ago. He’s come a long way since then, working his way up through second unit director and production manager before he made his directorial debut with Stargate SG-1’s season three adventure Foothold. Mikita then went on to direct and produce dozens of Stargate SG-1 episodes as well as instalments of Stargate Atlantis, and he is now heavily involved with the show’s current incarnation as a director and co-producer on Stargate Universe.

With all his experience and involvement on Stargate, it came as no surprise that he was given the honor of directing Universe’s three-hour opener Air. However, unlike his previous adventures through the Stargate, this one started out a little differently.

“Although our official prep date for Universe was still way off, as soon as I knew I’d be directing Air, I wanted to be involved as early as possible, which was terrific,” says the director. “That allowed me the opportunity to be here when they were designing and building the set. Normally, a director isn’t around for that sort of thing, so I had the luxury of being able to throw out the odd suggestion or idea to James Robbins (production designer) and Scott Wellenbrink (construction coordinator).

“I also got to fly down to Los Angeles in December (2008) for all the cast callbacks. I had never been a part of that process before. I got to sit in the room where all the final decisions were being made. Typically, that’s the domain of the executive producers. I’m sure for a pilot director that’s normal, but having never directed a pilot, that was new to me.”

VISUAL TONE

In Air, Stargate Command’s off-world Icarus Base is attacked and its personnel must abandon it and escape through the Stargate. However, instead of returning home, they end up stranded onboard an Ancient starship, called Destiny. With the ship locked on a pre-set course and our heroes unable to dial the Stargate back to Earth, they must quickly find ways to replenish basic needs like food and water. Topping that list, though, is air, given that Destiny’s life support systems are failing and atmosphere is venting into space.

“For me, one of the most memorable sequences in Air is when Senator Armstrong (Christopher McDonald), who is very unwell, decides to sacrifice his life for the benefit of the crew,” says Mikita. “There’s a breach onboard the ship, and the only way to remedy that is to seal off one of Destiny’s shuttles. However, that can only be done from the driver’s seat of the shuttle. So we filmed a sequence where the senator did just that, and it was a huge emotional moment, obviously, for his daughter Chloe (Elyse Levesque) and the rest of our characters.

“That was an especially tough sequence to do insofar as being able to articulate it properly and make it feel as moving as it did on the page. Of course, the cast was fantastic, which made it a lot easier to do than I first anticipated. In general, the entire shoot for Air ended up going smoother than I first thought it would just because everything was falling into place so well and so quickly. A lot of that had to do with having Rob Cooper on-set with me all the time. If any issues came up, we would deal with them instantly, and if something wasn’t working for him, Rob would jump right in and we would fix it.”

Read the full interview in issue 34 of The Official Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/SGU Magazine - on newsstands now!

To subscribe to Stargate Magazine, CLICK HERE.

To receive Stargate Magazine exclusives, including sneak peeks, interviews, promotional offers, and sweepstakes, CLICK HERE.

Julia Benson Interview - Stargate Magazine #34

Thu, 13 May 2010 09:00:00 +0000

An interview with Julia Benson featured in issue #34 of The Official Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/SGU Magazine.

Tough, compassionate, loyal, determined and, at times, like most human beings, a little too emotional—those are just some of the qualities belonging to Stargate Universe’s Lt. Vanessa James. She and several fellow soldiers—as well as dozens of scientists and civilians—found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Through no fault of their own they’ve ended up on a journey across the stars.

Along for the ride is actress Julia Benson, who happily put on James’ military fatigues and combat boots for a chance to help tell their story. Unlike the lieutenant, however, this is not the actress’ first trip through the Stargate.

“I’m a local actor from Vancouver and Stargate is a huge part of our film industry here and the [film and TV] community.

“I actually did an episode of Stargate Atlantis called Irresistible,” says Benson. “I’d auditioned quite a bit for the show before finally being cast as Richard Kind’s (playing Lucius Lavin) head wife, Willa. I just remember stepping onto the set and instantly feeling what an incredibly well-oiled machine it was. Everyone was so friendly and it was a very family-oriented place. That’s all been reaffirmed for me since coming to work on Universe. They’re amazing people here.

Triple Threat

Having that Atlantis episode under her belt, Benson subsequently tried out for not one but three parts in Universe. “My first audition was for a character named Andrea Palmer,” she recalls. “Then I came back and found out that they [the producers] were considering me for a character named Riley, who is now played by the wonderful Haig Sutherland. Then I got to read for Vanessa James, and as soon as I read the sides [script pages] I immediately knew that I wanted to play her. We didn’t know much about the characters at the beginning. It was literally just a one-page breakdown on each of them, but I loved the way that Vanessa was written, with a lot of fire and life.

Uncertain Future

In Universe’s first season three-episode opening story Air, an attack by the Lucian Alliance on the off-world Icarus Base, sends Lt. James and all other base personnel through the Icarus Stargate and on a one-way trip to the Ancient starship Destiny. Separated from their loved ones and all else familiar to them by billions of miles, they quickly learn to survive on their own and, along the way, must try to find a way home to Earth. While their characters faced an uncertain future, Benson and her fellow castmates were carefully guided through the shooting of this three-part story by longtime Stargate producer/director Andy Mikita.

“Andy is the best,” says the actress with a smile. “Air was epic—it felt like we were doing a feature film. This cast is huge and we were all here, all the time, for some long days. When we went on to do other episodes, there were scenes where it might be just you and one or two other people, and those stories felt a little different to shoot. So it’s nice whenever we get back to doing ensemble-based episodes like Air. As actors, this show has been a dream as well as a gift, and the cast is phenomenal. Every day we all come to set with big smiles on our faces and it’s because of who we’re working with, so it’s pretty special.”

Read the full interview in issue 34 of The Official Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/SGU Magazine - on newsstands now!

To subscribe to Stargate Magazine, CLICK HERE.

To receive Stargate Magazine exclusives, including sneak peeks, interviews, promotional offers, and sweepstakes, CLICK HERE.

17 Leo Nominations for SGU!

Mon, 03 May 2010 16:30:00 +0000

Congratulations to the Stargate Universe cast and crew on their 17 Leo Awards nominations!

Best Dramatic Series: Stargate Universe

Best Direction in a Dramatic Series: Robert Cooper - Human

Best Direction in a Dramatic Series: Peter Deluise - Light

Best Screenwriting in a Dramatic Series: Brad Wright - Light

Best Cinematography in a Dramatic Series: Jim Menard - Light

Best Cinematography in a Dramatic Series: Michael Blundell - Human

Best Cinematography in a Dramatic Series: Ron Schmidt - Air

Best Picture Editing for a Dramatic Series: Brad Rines - Pain

Best Picture Editing for a Dramatic Series: Mike Banas - Air

Best Picture Editing for a Dramatic Series: Rick Martin - Human

Best Production Design in a Dramatic Series: James C. D. Robbins - Air

Best Visual Effects in a Dramatic Series: Mark Savela, Jason Gross, Steve Garrad, James Kawano, Viv Jim - Space

Best Visual Effects in a Dramatic Series: Mark Savela, Shannon Gurney, Brenda Campbell, Craig Vandenbiggelaar, Krista McLean - Air

Best Stunt Coordination in a Dramatic Series: James Bamford - Air

Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series: Patrick Gilmore - Pain

Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series: Jennifer Spence - Life

Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series: Julia Benson - Pain

For a full list of the nominees CLICK HERE.

Robert Cooper Wins WGC Award!

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 09:26:36 +0000

With what had to be more than 600 revellers, the WGC celebrated screenwriters in Canada last night at the 14th annual WGC Screenwriting Awards. A jammed room cheered each finalist in the eleven categories, and thunderous applause followed each uttering of "and the winner is..."

Congratualtions to Robert C. Cooper on his win in the Episodic 1-Hour category for his script for the Stargate Universe episode "Time".

To see a full list of the winners CLICK HERE.

Robert Cooper Interview - Stargate Magazine #33

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0000

An interview with Robert Cooper as featured in issue #33 of The Official Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/SGU Magazine.

Dr. Nicholas Rush looks through the microscope and examines the tiny droplets of water on the specimen slide. Frowning, the scientist sits back in his chair; clearly his findings are not good. He and Lt. Tamara Johansen explain to Colonel Everett Young that the ice brought back to the Destiny from a planet they recently visited is contaminated. Everyone, including the three of them, has been infected and unless a cure is found and soon, they are all going to die.

“Cut! That was great; let’s try it one more time,” says Stargate Universe co-creator/executive producer and on this episode, director, Robert C. Cooper.

Although he loves writing and, of course, producing, it is obvious from the look on his face and enthusiasm in his voice, that Cooper equally enjoys his work behind the camera as a director.

Experience Applied

Stargate Universe is Cooper’s third outing with the Stargate franchise, having previously been one of the writers and directors, as well as executive producer, on Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, and a co-creator alongside Brad Wright of Atlantis and Universe. Even with all that combined experience, though, getting this latest dramatically different installment of the franchise off the ground was just as difficult as launching any new TV series.

With Universe being given the go-ahead, Cooper and Wright began penning its pilot episode, Air. What started out as a two-hour episode eventually became a three-hour adventure, and the show’s direction took a slightly different turn even before going in front of the cameras.

“Writing the first episode of anything is always a struggle because you’re trying very hard to come up with something that introduces your characters to the world,” explains Cooper. “It’s very easy, though, to get pilot-oriented and write something that is overly focused on the introduction. For us, what made the pilot work was its actual structure where we tell two stories that are inter-cut, one story being the present situation of the team appearing on the Destiny, and then the other story of how they got there, which is told in flashbacks. I think that helped propel us forward with regard to how we wrote the pilot.

“As far as the filming of Air, we’d talked a lot about the style of the show and what we wanted to try to do. To then actually see it happen and come to life was great. There is a certain magic that comes out of this specific type of filming, which is documentary style and having the cameras sort of hang back and just try to capture the action that’s happening on the stage. It’s much more like watching a play unfold. Right away it was clear that we were getting something we’d hoped for but weren’t sure was going to happen, which were stronger and more natural performances. That’s obviously a testament to the high quality of our cast.”

Read the full interview in issue 33 of The Official Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/SGU Magazine - on newsstands now!

To subscribe to Stargate Magazine, CLICK HERE.

To receive Stargate Magazine exclusives, including sneak peeks, interviews, promotional offers, and sweepstakes, CLICK HERE.

Brian J. Smith Interview - Stargate Magazine #33

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:19:29 +0000

An interview with Brian J Smith featured in issue #33 of The Official Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/SGU Magazine.

When Lt. Matthew Scott signed up for military service, he never imagined just how much it would one day change his life. People who do join may expect to serve their country, while some are following in the footsteps of family or friends, and others want to make a better life for themselves. Few expect to find themselves hurled across the galaxy with a random bunch of strangers, with little chance of returning to Earth.

While Scott faces his predicament head-on, Brian J. Smith—the actor who plays him on Stargate Universe—has his own challenges. “My character is fresh out of [military] training, so he’s very much by the book,” explains Smith. “Scott could probably tell you what the manual says and the procedure for handling a certain situation, but he’s actually now in a position where he is forced to experience the stress of being a leader in a really visceral way.”

Right off in the show’s pilot episode [Air], we see Scott starting to come into his own. He’s got a big military heart, and as we’re watching him grow, we’re also seeing him making mistakes and losing it, sometimes more than he should.

“Scott is a very emotional kid, and that’s not surprising considering his past. He lost both his parents in a car accident when he was very, very young, and the man who raised him, a preacher, drank himself to death when my character was around 16 years old. Scott then got a girl pregnant, so he had to face that aspect of himself, which was extremely disappointing and disturbing to him. The thing that saved him was the military. Instead of running away, turning to drugs or becoming a delinquent, he bucked up and decided to make something of himself.”

Positive Support

Although he has only been working in the industry for a few years, Smith has been an actor long enough to know what makes such a career rewarding for him.

“It’s all about the people,” he says. “You hear terrible things about the stars of some TV shows and the terrors that they’ve put people through. I’ve never had to deal with that. I’ve had wonderful role models and people who have always set a great example, worked hard, were positive and supportive of their fellow actors.”

“I’ve found that once again with Stargate Universe. There could have been one of 10 other actors sitting here, but for whatever reason, the cards played out in my favor. It’s a miracle, so why not enjoy a miracle when you’ve got one, and I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy more than one so far. Believe me, I have no complaints. I’m one very happy guy.”

Read the full interview in issue 33 of The Official Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/SGU Magazine - on newsstands now!

To subscribe to Stargate Magazine, CLICK HERE.

To receive Stargate Magazine exclusives, including sneak peeks, interviews, promotional offers, and sweepstakes, CLICK HERE.

Win Convention Tickets!

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:29:41 +0000

Win 2 gold tickets to the official Stargate convention in Chicago!

The official Stargate Magazine has a sensational prize up for grabs for one lucky winner - two gold tickets to the official Stargate convention on August 27-29, 2010 in Chicago, IL.

The soon to be sold out gold tickets entitle holders to a host of sensational perks, including complimentary in-person autographs with guests and exclusive access to the Saturday night party.

Guests will include: MICHAEL SHANKS (Dr. Daniel Jackson), JASON MOMOA (Ronon Dex), CHRISTOPHER HEYERDAHL (Todd the Wraith), ROBERT PICARDO (Richard Woosley), JOE FLANIGAN (Lt. Col. John Sheppard), DAVID HEWLETT (Dr. Rodney McKay), ANDEE FRIZZELL (Wraith Queen), with many more to be added...

To enter, CLICK HERE.

SGU Nominated for WGC Award!

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:32:56 +0000

Congratulations to Stargate Universe executive producer Robert Cooper on his nomination for the episode "Time" in the Episodic One Hour category.

The WGC Screenwriting Awards honours excellence in screenwriting and will celebrate the winning words of 2009 on April 19 at the 14th Annual WGC Screenwriting Awards held in Toronto.

This year, more than 148 scripts vied for the judges’ attentions. The entries have been narrowed to 43 finalist scripts across 11 categories, including screenwriting for feature film, episodic half-hour and one-hour, documentary film and more. In all, 76 screenwriters are up for awards. The winners will be announced at the 2010 WGC Screenwriting Awards on Monday, April 19, 2010, at Maro in Liberty Village, Toronto. Several special awards, including the WGC Showrunner Award, will also be handed out at the event.

Episodic One Hour

Stargate Universe "Time." Written by Robert C. Cooper

Flashpoint "One Wrong Move." Written by Mark Ellis & Stephanie Morgenstern & James Hurst

ZOS: Zone of Separation "Bred in the Bone." Written by John Krizanc

Cra$h & Burn "Trust." Written by Jackie May

Murdoch Mysteries "Mild Mild West." Written by Derek Schreyer

ZOS: Zone of Separation "Shallow Graves." Written by Jason Sherman

For a complete list of nominees click here.

Brad Wright Interview - Stargate Magazine #32

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:26:59 +0000

An interview with Brad Wright featured in issue #32 of The Official Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/SGU Magazine.

Invasions from outer space, wormholes, parasitic life-forms, alternate universes—such phenomena are ‘alien’, no pun intended, to most people, but for Brad Wright, they have become second nature.

For much of his career as a writer/producer, he has been part of creative environments where out-of-this-world beings and situations are embraced. Since 1997, Wright has served as a co-creator/executive producer for Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. Earlier this year, a second spin-off was added to the successful franchise’s stable in the form of Stargate Universe. The show was conceived in much the same way as SG-1 and Atlantis, but its actual ‘birth’ came slightly out of the blue.

“The germ of Stargate Universe began as a movie by Robert Cooper [series co-creator/executive producer], as do many of our ideas,” recalls Wright. “We always come up with a movie, pitch it to MGM, and they say, ‘Terrific, let’s make it a TV show.’ When we were spinning the film idea, we knew deep down that Universe was really a series because it had so much scope.”

“Oddly enough we pitched Universe a couple of years before we actually thought we were going to end up doing it. We went to the Syfy Channel with the idea and it appeared to be really well-received, but then a very long time went by without us hearing anything more. At one point we thought, ‘Oh, well, it looks like it’s not going to happen,’ and then we received the series order. It came as a little bit of a surprise. Honestly, I expected Atlantis to go another year, and then we’d either have another year before Universe started up, or we would just wind up doing a couple more direct-to-DVD Stargate movies. Now, however, we’re doing Universe, which, believe me, is great.”

The Reality of Science Fiction

Along with its very different set of characters, the look of Universe is unlike that of either SG-1 or Atlantis, and the writing also differs in a way that will further help the series establish its own identity.

“Stargate has grown over the years,” explains Wright. “SG-1 began with the concept that the Goa’uld took hundreds of human cultures and transplanted them across the galaxy. So we would arrive on a planet and find Polynesians or whoever, with the Goa’uld masquerading as their Gods. We did that for a while, but then the show evolved because it had to. Had it not, I doubt we’d have stayed on the air for 10 years. As the show grew, it developed its own mythology, but it was basically this grand story of us fighting the Goa’uld or some other English-speaking aliens. Atlantis was the same, with the Wraith being the reason for the existence of the human-to-alien relationship in the Pegasus Galaxy.

“So both those shows were about fighting big bad guys. With Universe, our stories are much more character-based and those interactions and relationships are what drive the stories. Sometimes it’s very fundamental. A murder can take place on Universe, and that could be the whole story, where on SG-1 it could be just a story beat and an act. That doesn’t mean this series is slow-paced or less interesting, but we do reveal less all at once.”

“We set out to make a show that’s not your father’s Stargate, and I think to a lot of peoples’ surprise we’re actually doing it. Most people probably thought, ‘Yeah, they’re saying that, but they’re going to do [the usual] Stargate.’ Sure, there are elements of Universe that I feel are the touchstones of Stargate, such as the humor and people from the here-and-now, with a 21st century sensibility and everything that comes along with that. However, this show also has a different energy, a different dynamic and a different look. Even the Stargate itself is different, and I think it’s the most beautiful Stargate we’ve ever had. It’s the first one that the Ancients built and it has a whole new set of limitations that will make for interesting storytelling.”

Read the full interview in issue 32 of The Official Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/SGU Magazine - on newsstands now!

To subscribe to Stargate Magazine click here.

To receive Stargate Magazine exclusives, including sneak peeks, interviews, promotional offers, and sweepstakes, click here.

Coveroo

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:16:13 +0000

Make your personal electronics truly personal.

Get an official Stargate design on a custom cover or case for your phone, iPhone, BlackBerry, iPod or other personal electronic device.

Click here to visit Coveroo today!

SGU Ladies Interviews - Stargate Magazine #32

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:51:52 +0000

An interview with Ming-Na (Camille Wray) featured in issue #32 of The Official Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/SGU Magazine.

Longtime fans of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis are familiar with the International Oversight Authority (IOA), a group of bureaucratic busybodies who love poking their noses into our heroes’ comings and goings through the Stargate.

On Stargate Universe, IOA representative Camille Wray finds herself a long way from home onboard the Ancient ship Destiny. Given the IOA’s reputation, she is trying to balance her professional instincts and compassionate nature, especially as one of the mediators between the military and civilians. It is not easy, but actress Ming-Na, who plays Camille, is enjoying the challenge.

“The hardest thing when you’re playing a strong female character is not having her come off as a bitch and someone who everyone wants to hate, and being an IOA official, that’s especially important for Camille,” explains Ming-Na. “Robert Cooper [series co-creator/ executive producer] and I had a conversation where I mentioned this, and they decided to change my character’s job with the IOA from accounting to something else. They suggested human resources and I said, ‘Oh, that would be fantastic, because then she’s a people person.’ I immediately latched onto that.

I think that makes her interesting, because she’s ambitious and you’re not quite sure where she’s coming from, which I love. At the same time, I hope the viewers like her enough to want to keep figuring her out, just as I’m figuring her out.”

An interview with Elyse Levesque (Chloe Armstrong) featured in issue #32 of The Official Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/SGU Magazine.

As an actor, it helps to have plenty of moral support and positive karma when going out for a new job, no matter how big or small. Elyse Levesque is all for that. In fact, prior to her audition for the role of Chloe Armstrong on Stargate Universe, a little voice told the actress in no uncertain terms that the part would ultimately be hers.

“When I initially got the [audition] sides [pages] for this role, my roommate said to me, ‘You’re going to get this,’” recalls Levesque. “She says that all the time, and maybe she has some crazy type of intuition, but in this case she told me, ‘This is going to happen. I feel really good about this.’

“I did the audition, and at the time I didn’t know how it went. But then I’m my own worst critic,” she jokes. “I thought, ‘I could have been better. I didn’t get there emotionally.’ So I flew back to Vancouver and two days later I was out shopping with my mom when my agent called to tell me that things were looking good. It was another two months, though, before I received the official word that I had the job.

“It’s funny, I had all these preconceptions about sci-fi and in particular Stargate. I wasn’t super-familiar with the franchise, but when I read the sides, it was like I knew this woman. Some of the things that Chloe was speaking about in the scene were, quite honestly, things I was going through at the time in my life. So I thought, ‘Yes, this is something I can relate to and sink my teeth into.’”

An interview with Alaina Huffman (Tamara Johansen) featured in issue #32 of The Official Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/SGU Magazine.

At the age of 12 most girls spend a great deal of time hanging out with their friends, going shopping, and day-dreaming about the cute boy in class. However, when Stargate Universe actress Alaina Huffman was that age, she had her heart set on other things.

I was scouted by a modeling agency, and at 14 I began traveling around the world as a model and figured that would be my career. When I got older, I moved with my parents from Vancouver to Texas, and was modeling there when an audition came up for a film [Pendulum]. I went in to read, got the job, and realized, ‘This is way cooler than modeling.’ So acting stuck, and I’m very thankful. I’ve been able to work fairly solidly since, and I have a great support system—my husband is amazing, my parents are terrific, and my kids are wonderful—so it’s awesome and I love it.”

Read the full interviews in Issue 32 of The Official Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/SGU Magazine - on newsstands now!

To subscribe to Stargate Magazine click here.

To receive Stargate Magazine exclusives, including sneak peeks, interviews, promotional offers, and sweepstakes, click here.