Nothing to read here. Move along. Thank you.

This blog entry isn’t for Stargate fans or foodies or dog lovers or anyone who was directed here following an internet search for “vampire prop” (three of you), “big ass xex” (two of you), or “eating champagne truffles when pregnant” (one of you). No, this blog entry is for all those casting directors, producers, studio people, and network execs looking to cast their next big project. How about a few recommendations…

Over the course of my ten years with the Stargate franchise, I’ve had the pleasure to work with numerous talented individuals, many of them guest stars who impressed with their performance, professionalism, and gracious off-camera attitude. And so, today, I’d like to make mention of a few of them here (and I stress “a few of them” because there are certainly more than many I could add to the list. But, for the purposes of today’s entry, let’s go with these ten individuals who a) left a lasting impression and b) I feel are really deserving of more recognition). All are gifted actors who would make a terrific addition to any cast. But be warned! Snap ’em up now because I have a feeling they’ll only be available for so long.

In no particular order…

Michael Welch – Young Jack (Fragile Balance, SG-1 season 7).

Welch, perhaps better known for his role as Luke Girardi in Joan of Arcadia, out-Ricked Rick himself when he took on the role of Young Jack, raising eyebrows by nailing everything from O’Neill’s cadence to his unique mannerisms.

Neil Jackson – Khalek, Wraith (Prototype SG-1 season 9, Vegas Atlantis season 5)

He’s a brilliant actor and works a lot, but given his immense talent he should work even more. He delivered one of Stargate’s most deliciously evil performances as Khalek, the Anubis offspring in SG-1‘s ninth season, then delivered an equally nefarious turn as the poker-playing wraith in Vegas.

Jodelle Ferland – Young Adria, Harmony (Flesh and Blood, SG-1 season 10, Harmony, Atlantis season 4)

Whenever I used to watch Dakota Fanning, I never saw her a “child star“. She was simply a great actress. And I feel much the same way about Jodelle who blew us away as the Young Adria in SG-1’s Flesh and Blood. So much so that when we were looking to cast a precocious young princess, we immediately thought of her and offered her the role – before the script was even finished! She’s incredibly accomplished for someone so young. When she was shooting Harmony, she not only had all of her own lines down pat, but would even prompt her fellow actors when they forget theirs.

Brendan Beiser – Tavius, Weaver (The Tower, Atlantis season 2, Memento Mori, SG-1 season 9).

A couple of wonderfully calculated and controlled performances had me standing up and taking notice. His dinner scene in The Tower was my personal highlight of the episode while his wordless reaction to Teal’c’s whispered suggestion in Memento Mori still makes me chuckle.

Reed Diamond – Bryce Ferguson (Stronghold, SG-1 season 9)

The Homicide: Life on the Street vet delivers big time in his role as Cam Mitchell’s dying buddy in SG-1’s ninth season episode Stronghold. Over the course of the single episode, he brings to life a character so genuine and likable that his end touched even the most stoic of stone-hearted producers. That would be me. Hey, I hear he’s on Dollhouse!

Ryan Robbins – Ladon Radim (Various episodes, Atlantis)

Atlantis had it’s fair share of recurring villains, but none quite had the depth and daring of Genii Ladon Radim. Here was a sometime adversary and occasional ally who both charmed and schemed with equal aplomb and, at the end of the day, always seemed to find a way to come out on top. Ryan’s nuanced performance always kept the audience guessing.

Kari Wuhrer – Nancy (Outcast, Atlantis season 4)

When I think back to Kari’s guest spot on Atlantis, I remember her as much for what a sweetheart she was off-camera as I do her terrific performance as Sheppard’s ex-wife. She was perfect as the captivating, whip-smart Nancy.

Malcolm Scott – Caius (The Ties That Bind, SG-1 season 9)

Malcolm delivers one of my favorite comic performances as the colorful intergalactic swindler Caius in The Ties That Bind. Hilarious.

Mike Dopud – Bounty Hunter, Kiryk (Bounty, SG-1 season 10, Tracker, Atlantis season 5)

Former stuntman Mike Dopud excels where so many others crash and burn, pulling off characters both tough and ultimately sympathetic. It’s a tricky balance but Mike makes it seem effortless.

Reiko Aylesworth – Sharon (Life, Universe season 1)

Alas, I never had the opportunity to meet her but going from Carl’s on-set reports, Reiko is a delight to work with. On the other hand, I did see her dailies and watched her performance in the subsequent cuts of Life and can report, this time firsthand, that she was unbelievably good.

Hey, guess who was back at the Bridge Studios today? That’s right. Martin Gero! And guess who wasn’t? That’s right. Me! I was home waiting for the guys to complete work on the new home security modifications. They’re done with the moat but some of the alligators got loose from the truck. By day’s end, we’d managed to corral most of them. That said, if you’re in the neighborhood and happen to come across an enormous reptile that answers to Monty, please contact this blog.

51 thoughts on “June 17, 2009: Dear Casting Directors, Producers, Studio People, and Network Execs – Do Yourself A Favor and Hire These Actors.

  1. I worked with Michael Welch on Joan of Arcadia and our first conversation was about how wonderful he was as Jack O’Neill and I told him how many of the fans adored his performance and wanted him back. Our conversation attracted the attention of a couple of the writer/producers who wanted to know more and I ended up explaining to an audience.

    I loved Reed Diamond in Homicide and I thought he did a terrific job in the Stargate episode, even though I didn’t think that was one of Stargate’s better episodes.

  2. I’ll be sure to look them up next time I shoot a home movie. I have to say I was totally blown away by Michael Welch’s performance on SG1 and loved him in JOA. He’s coming down to Melbourne for the Armageddon Expo – cool! He used to say he gets more attention from the Stargate ep than anything else he’d done. Maybe after Twilight it might be different.

    Jodelle Ferland was fantastic as well. While Joe, David and the writing were brilliant, Jodelle really made that episode a classic.

    Cheers, Chev

  3. Hmmm, I think Michael Welch is being kept busy with the Twilight movies. May also be the link to the “Vampire prop” hit. Get it? No? Yeah, guess you have to have seen it.
    Have I mentioned lately my brain reeeeeeeally needs a holiday?

    Have a good night Joe and all.

    Oh, if you have a moat do you automatically get a Lord title?

  4. Here Monty…come on boy!!! I’ve got a juicy peice of chicken for you!!! LOL!!! 😛

  5. Hey Joe,

    Enjoyed your take on these actors.. Something I’ve found interesting while watching Stargate is how *many* of the actors I’ve seen elsewhere. And I find it interesting that you say “they won’t be available for long” because I’m notincing some of them more and more in new projects.

    As a new viewer I was often pleasantly surprised about the continuing calibre of actors onscreen (not to mention the writing :D), and I’m glad to hear – from your posts at least – that it will continue into the next installment.

    Besides Firefly (which I believe you mentioned you were a fan of before various cast members were on Stargate), have there been other shows of which you are a fan that have actors with whom you’d like to work?

    Nadine

  6. alligators, being cold blooded, don’t move quickly in colder climates. so your in luck, he probably hasn’t gone far! I personally would have gone with hippos, or goa’uld symbiotes.

  7. I totally loved Michael Welch’s performance. At first I thought he must be Rick’s son. The scene with the two of them together was fantastic! He really sold it that he was a younger version of Jack. I wished that storyline could have had a follow up episode.

    I also loved Jodelle’s performance as Harmony. She and David Hewlett really made a great team; someone who he can really spar with. To see McKay being bullied by a young girl was awesome. That made the episode really fantastic!

  8. Joe —
    All of the actors on your list definitely deserve all the work they can handle. Ryan Robbins is one of the best of many good things in Sanctuary.

    But the ways of casting directors is a puzzlement. I’m still trying to figure out why Michael Shanks has to look for work. Especially after the Burn Notice season 2 finale, where his performance was terrific and MS’s carry-over Stargate fans made it the most watched episode of a US cable series ever. Instead Hollywood keeps casting actors whose credits are a couple of movies in the early 90’s as stars of network shows. I can’t count the number of times I’ve watched a mediocre performance from a used-to-almost-be-a-star-10-years-ago and thought how Shanks (or Browder or Flanigan) could have knocked the role out of the park.

  9. Ooh, the moat has been installed and populated (or is that outstalled, since a moat involves removal of ground?)

    That list of actors brings back many fond memories of great scenes/episodes of Stargate.

    Ryan Robbins and kinda busy (and also awesome) on Sanctuary 😀

    On a not so related topic, I popped into the bookstore when I happened to be passing, just to see if anything caught my eye (such as Stargate novels I don’t have yet), and some fellows in the Science Fiction sections happened to be discussing John Scalzi. I didn’t continue to listen, as eavesdropping is impolite (even sans eaves). But it was kinda funny that I happened to pass by at the right moment. Not much of a coincidence though.

    On the other hand a really weird coincidence occurred last night. I was leaving a parking lot on my way to see a movie screening and passed a couple and suddenly recognised a friend who is a former university colleague who I hadn’t seen in person in over a year. He was with his fiance who I’d recently been informed of (It was nice to briefly meet her) on the way to meet some other friends for dinner. The weird things (besides the very low odds of meeting them at all) were that two days prior, I’d sent my friend an email informing him of the movie screening (it was a one-off thing) in case he by some chance wasn’t already busy that night; and the fact that when I told them what movie I was going to see, his fiance said that she’d heard how good it was. (Obviously from someone at the first screening a couple of weeks ago.) Those two details made meeting them on my way to the movie extra-coincidental.
    By the way, the movie was The Voyage That Shook The World. I highly recommend it, particularly to anyone interested in the factors that motivated Charles Darwin and shaped this theories. Lots of great nature footage too 😀 (Coming to DVD once they finish all the subtitles, which is a lot.)

  10. If you ever want to win at downing shooters or whatever, try Beiser. The man is a hilarious drunk! Met him over a decade ago at an X-FILES crew party – he had just found out that his character was about to be bumped off – and the event had a tropical theme…

    Three words: Hawaiian Punch Guy!!

    Emphasis on the “punch”! Dude was totally out of it and sporting the whole straw hat thing… He was very cute and sweet, in a silly sorta way – especially the part where he was speaking to me by way of my friend whilst staring right AT me! Made for a very “GHOST” moment…

    Saw Mitch there too… He and the Mrs. were just back from their honeymoon and still very surgically attached!

  11. I’ve watched every episode of the X-Files and I was (honestly) never more heartbroken as when they killed off Brendan Beiser’s character, Agent Pendrell.

    It was like they had killed Howdy Doody. Or Chris Osgood.

  12. I don’t remember all of those folks off-hand, but I’m gonna jump on this bandwagon and say that Michael Welch earned his place as the first mentioned, even if this was in no particular order.

  13. Nothing to read here, eh? That’s alright. I mean, you have been updating this blog every day for more than 2 and a half years now; it was about time you slacked off a bit. I’m sure all those words below that initial disclaimer was just random letters you typed up to fill space by mashing the keyboard a few times. I won’t read it then.

    Wait…mashing of keyboards? Like how the doggies do their elegant tweets? Oh my God, this I gotta read!

    Anyways, I completely agree with the list.

    Michael Welch – amazing. Just…amazing. 5 seconds into his performance in Fragile Balance and I knew this kid was special. He was O’Neil to a J. Perfect. By the way, one of his pictures on IMDB makes him look like Paul McGillion.

    Neil Jackson – That is one evil mofo right there. His Khalek was just disturbing on so many levels; excellent portrayal. As for the Vegas Wraith, just hit it out of the park; I don’t think he had any dialogue, but his scenes, especially the one where he remembers his crash, were just wonderful.

    Jodelle Ferland – Caught Harmony again on SPACE a while back; my God this girl can act! She nailed the spoiled little brat perfectly. Usually with these kinds of “mains babysitting 1 guest star” episodes, you watch how the mains play off the guest and don’t really pay the guest any attention, but this time it was a true triumvrate. They were all getting in digs in each other and Harmony did an amazing job standing up for herself and making McKay and Shep sweat. Loved it.

    Brendan Beiser – This guy just had an unique look to him, first of all. Secondly, his performances have been delightfully slimy and crooked as the nasty Prince and Trust bad guy. Excellent stuff.

    Reed Diamond – This guy blew me away. Very seldom do I really invest myself in guest stars (I think Michelle Morgan as FRAN takes the top spot in this case…hey, why isn’t she mentioned?), but his portrayal in this episode was just so…real. He was very likable too; this laidback guy, someone you’d call your buddy, and who’s dealing with death with no dramatics, and accepting what’s to come. And you know what? He got a pretty cool end, seeing things only a select few have seen. I did get misty when the end came though.

    Ryan Robbins – Jesus Christ, not many can hold a candle to Ladon mother****ing Radim, you dig? I knew he was special in “The Eye” when I felt sorry for him when he lost those first 3 soldiers to Shep. The way he just looked so sad – here was a man who loved his people, and who just saw three of them getting killed; that, we can all relate to. Then, one year later, he transformed from that scientist to this confident, smart political genius in Coup d’Etat; someone you can’t read, but who always seem to hold all the cards. It’s a shame he didn’t get more stuff to do after his cameo in The Return.

    Note to self: watch Sanctuary.

    Kari Wuhrer – one of the best parts of Outcast. I like a women with attitude (clearly), and Nancy was definitely a smart, strong, independent, attractive women with attitude; the perfect package. I loved the way she stood up to Shep and called him on his BS, and still helped him at the end. I thought she was one of the best female characters of the franchise. Again, a shame we didn’t see more of her.

    Malcolm Scott – Without a doubt my favorite scene of the episode. He was just so animated. Of course, the dialogue helped too, with the way he went from “I have to get out of here! I can’t take it anymore. The fasting. the chanting. Bathing of the poor. If I have to weave one more prayer basket, I’m gonna kill someone!” To “Blessed day. Blessed day. Blessed day.” – Even thinking of it makes me laugh. Out loud! One of the best comic relief guests you guys ever got.

    Mike Dopud – His bounty hunter was slick, selfish, and confident; his Kiryk was strong, vulnerable, and honorable; two very, very different personas, and the guy pulled both off perfectly. You can’t get better than that!

    Reiko Aylesworth – Oh, she was just…oh wait. Nevermind. I don’t suppose I can ask for a copy of those dailies? I’ve gots to complete this list somehow.

    By the way, I think I’ve found Monty. He’s right here on my leg. Or, what used to be my leg.

    Joe, you owe me a new leg.

  14. Wait. WOT! No Chris Heyerdahl??! Well…phooey on you. I’m gonna just go over here —–> and sit in the corner with the Flanigan fans. *pouts*

    ( 😉 )

    Okay – in all seriousness…I must agree about Ryan Robbins. I love him to pieces ever since seeing him in Sanctuary. Yeah, he was good in SGA, but he’s a real hoot in Sanctuary! What an entertaining and talented guy! Would certainly love to see him in other things…and same goes for Neil Jackson and Mike Dopud.

    ……

    Well…in all honestly…I just wanna see Jackson in full Wraith make-up, standing around shirtless all day. In my house. Uhh…you know…for scientific purposes only… just to see if their species really is… errrm…nippleless. It’s VERY important that we document these things before they’re all extinct!! In fact, I think the next thing we need to know is whether or not they’re really natural ‘albinos’. 😀

    Yeah, yeah, yeah… I’m a perv. Well, this is what happens when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, and then take a side trip to check out your bloggy bits instead of going right back to bed. And this is what YOU get for not posting your new entry before I went to sleep! There. It’s all your fault. I feel much better now.

    Nite.

    das

  15. It was interesting to read about the various actors from a producer’s standpoint. Insights like those you’ve given above (and all the rest of them) help take away a little of the mist from the mystique of showbiz. From my POV, that’s good.

    Re. the alligators, I’m not sure I’d want to be close enough to Monty to know that’s his name. I’d probably just run and frantically scream “DAIKAIJU!!!”, thus grabbing the attention of some ravenous reptile (Monty or Georgina or whoever) who would think “BENTO!!!”, and in two shakes of a human’s leg would be mulling over how best to top off lunch.

    Still, it’s thoughtful of you to include your readers vicariously in your diabolical, bizarrely fascinating, nightmare-inducing, “it’s all in good fun” plans and projects. I hope your friends appreciate the trouble you’re taking to insure that Movie Night participants (or for legal purposes, survivors) all contribute equally — one way or another — to the pizza fund.

  16. All these people sound as though they’d be great for my new TV series, the Biggest Hobo.

    We’ve all heard of the Littlest Hobo in which a stray dog goes around helping people, etc. etc. Well, in this re-imagined series, a genetically engineered Irish Wolfhound (imagine a very hairy 8ft dog) escapes from a lab. He sets off helping people, but generally ends up scaring them to death, eating them, causing entire towns to close roads due to severe fouling, etc.

    It combines horror, comedy, horror and there’s a moral at the end of each episode! The best part is that the dog eats the villain, the evidence, the victims, etc. The police don’t need to do any paperwork and everybody is happy.

    It’ll be the furrier version of Dexter!

  17. Ryan Robbins is currently working on Sanctuary with Amanda Tapping and Christopher Heyerdahl; he’s doing a great job 😉

  18. Thanks for the glimpse of the actors from a producer’s point of view. It’s always nice to hear that a favored actor is good people in real life, and not just on the screen. (ok, or bad people, as a number of those listed are of the villianous bent).
    Glad to see you went with the moat, but if the company providing you with alligators didn’t have gps locators implanted into them, I’d doublecheck their work. Any good company knows to invest in those. It’s a lot cheaper than paying off annoying lawsuits about missing pets or kids. Also, check out the drawbridge warrenty. Nothing worse than a long day at work, only to come home and find out the motor has frozen and the bridge wont come down. Or perhaps you opted for the human manned version. I suspect you could get a steady supply of volunteers who would work in exchange for pictures or spolers about Universe. But I’d opt for the professionals. They’re less likely to squish someone or something accidentally, and are capable of working longer on shorter rations. And if they don’t perform, you can save money on alligator feed…
    Looking forward to the mischief you and Mr. G. are no doubt going to be getting into this week.

  19. But…Ryan Robbins is on Sanctuary…or is there something you’re not telling us?

  20. No question about it, whoever does your casting is borderline genius. I’ve always thought Atlantis was perfectly cast including all the great guess stars like Jodelle Ferland or Mike Dopud, Sheppard’s beautiful ex-wife Kari Wuhrer, and that cool wraith Neil Jackson, etc. That is exactly the reason why I am hanging around to check out Stargate Universe. Everyone cast fits the role.

  21. It’s posts like this that make me wish I was a casting director.

    My uncle was a co-producer on 24 in its third season, and he confirmed that Aylesworth does a great job and is great to work with.

  22. Wonderful post today Mr. M. We bought the SGA (still waiting on season 5), and the SG1 shows. So I’ll be sure to look up the actors I didn’t recognize.

    Das: Great story yesterday about the chicken. 😀
    Here is a story you might appreciate: Yesterday, I moved my dresser out of the bedroom (renovations). I found six catnip mice and two balls underneath. Ten minutes later, they were all gone. It’s the little things!

    Tam

  23. I agree Michael Welch was bang on with young Jack, very impressive and the others you chose were awesome as well, and nice to hear a little about them from behind the scenes, makes us feel a little more involved. I think its neat when I see them in other shows, I recognize them from SG1,SGA, and other sci-fi shows. I look forward to seeing them all in shows. thanks for sharing another bit of trid with us. That makes you King of the Blog. well close, now you can get that moat. We have gators here in FL, maybe could send you,,,one would probably do it.
    Enjoy your day and the visit from Marty G. try not to stay up too late and party,,hmm, forget I said that,,haha, have a great time…. 😉

  24. Cool Blog – that’s was nice to recognize those talented actors.

    Michael Welch gave me goose bumps, that was just too Jack not only Jack, but some of RDA. That was an awesome performance.

    Now, Joe, you must give Ashleigh some time to answer all our questions – she probably had more than any SG -1 actor or SGA actor. So, please give her a break, I’m dying to hear her responses.

  25. Hey Joe,

    Have you hired Vin Diesel to sit up in that sniper’s nest? Maybe if he dressed like Riddick it would add to the *don’t mess with my house* factor. 😀

    I really agree with your nod to the actors. I think Jodelle Ferland was great as the young Adria. She was amazing as Harmony.

    Michael Welch was spooky he was so good as Jack O’Neill trapped in a teen body. I remember my entire family saying it was as if the crew at Stargate had figured out a way to put RDA into that kid. I hope to see more of Michael in the future.

    Ryan Robbins is also on Sanctuary with Amanda Tapping. I had the pleasure of talking to him for a while when I went to Vancouver in April. He’s done an indy movie about Charles Manson. If you ever want to get thoroughly creeped out as Ryan to do an impression of Manson. That still gives me the hee-bee jeebees when I think about it.

    I agree with your other picks, too!

    Say “Hi!” to Marty for me! And Allie! We hope he has a great time in Vancouver! Should I call the foie gras protestors and alert them to your presence? Maybe Marty’d get a kick out of that! 😉

    Trish 😀

    P.S. @Chevr: Yes, you too! I do follow you on twitter! And you are a ton ‘o fun as well. I’m glad you found me on there. 😀 Funny you’re one of the possibly related posts. I was actually the one person who happened upon Joe’s blog while doing some research on eating champagne truffles while pregant. No, I’m not pregnant. I was just curious. 😉

  26. Hi Joe,

    you could have named many others. But Malcolm Scott was totally memorable particularly when he explains that he can not stand any more the chanting, praying etc of the perigrines.

    Michael Welch of course was very very good too

  27. Good choices, all.

    The only reason I agreed to even watch Twilight(aside from a guarantee of MST3K-style mockery) was our young Michael. Sadly, he’s didn’t have a lot to do and the rest of the movie was crap, but we had fun mocking anyway.

    Reed has been amazing on Dollhouse. I hope that they’ll find a way to use him again in season 2 even though he’s not an active employee of the company anymore.

    I think Ryan’s probably keeping pretty busy on Sanctuary now that he’s officially a regular. Maybe you should talk to Damian and Alan more often. (Or have you shunned them for their defection?)

  28. Isn’t Ryan Robbins busy with SANCTUARY? 😉 Although I’m not averse to seeing him in anything else …

  29. Out of all the collective Stargate seasons, I have 2 hands-down favourite guest stars: Michael Welch and Dom DeLuise.

    Dom was Dom – I absolutely loved every minute of his episode. I dearly wish we could have visited with Urgo a few more times over the years.

    Michael was stunning! The first time I watched the episode I was in absolute awe of this kid. By the 3rd time watching it I was beginning to wonder if RDA was there acting out every seen so Michael could mimic him – he was just that great. Glad you gave him the shout-out.

    Oh, do have to say that I loved Harmony too. She is also amazing.

    My corner of Alberta is finally getting rain. Off to do the dance of joy.

  30. Bonjour Joseph! Vous allez bien?

    yééé!! Martin est de retour!! Youpi!!! Il est génial 😉

    Vous avez du rencontrez des gens incroyable avec stargate!

    J’ai eu mon bultin de note du second semestre..j’ai eu 13,54 c’est pas mal pour quelque chose qu”on aime pas^^!!

    Passez une bonne journée! Bisou

  31. Someone mentioned the Flanigan fans,pouting, well,let me just say … that I think some credit should be given to Joe Flanigan for his performance in Search and Rescue, wasn’t that the epsiode he filmed he he found out his dad passed away??? How could he go on? I can apprciate him needing to do that. After my dad passed away (tomorrow will be 5 years) – I wanted nothing more than to be “normal”, I couldn’t concentrate on anything. And for him to be able to go on the way he did and deliver a great convincing, performance, I think that deserves some recgoniton.

  32. Ryan Robbins was also doing Battlestar Galactica and did a fantastic job there.

    Kari Wuhrer I saw on the first episode of the NBC show “The Listenter.” I don’t know if she is in subsequent ones (i.e., regular on the show). She looks awesome.

    Loved all the others you mention, too.

  33. You went for Alligators? Serves you right for losing one, they aren’t very well trained.

    My moat is stocked with Nile Crocodiles. They are well behaved and only eat people on command.

    Here is their website: http://www.crocodilemoatprotection.com/

    How many times have I told you – pay that little bit extra for quality work your neigbours would be proud of!

  34. Oh, wait. I just realized I wasn’t supposed to read this blog entry. Oh well. I’ve never been very good at following directions. 😛

    @ Tammy Dixon – Cute! Yeah – I hate moving furniture because I find all sorts of cat toys…and dust dinosaurs… (forget dust bunnies…mine are prehistoric!)

    das

  35. I’ve been enjoying Ryan Robbins in Sanctuary! I still haven’t seen half of those episodes, though, because for the latter half of the season it aired at the same time as NUMB3RS 🙁

  36. Hi Joe,
    Wow, I love the west coast, don’t have to stay up till 2 to read you daily blog post. LOVE IT!!!

    Thanks for putting up the list. As a person who wants to be an actor, and if the opportunities come along, a writer and producer, these people are the ones that boggle my mind and the ones I look up to and respect.

    Michael Welch – Young Jack (Fragile Balance, SG-1 season 7).

    As you said amazing. I am so shocked at how he acted like a carbon copy of Jack. It was so amazing, that such an episode as this(which to me was an average ep), became an amazing episode full of laughs and smiles and good’ol stargate fun.

    Neil Jackson – Khalek, Wraith (Prototype SG-1 season 9, Vegas Atlantis season 5)

    Amazingly talented. I mean, if you got the wrong actor, the performences could have been so corny and lame I would have just laughed. I never found myself saying, wow, that way he acted when he said that line sucked, or wow he just acted that like crap during any of his moments as either character.

    Jodelle Ferland – Young Adria, Harmony (Flesh and Blood, SG-1 season 10, Harmony, Atlantis season 4)

    She did an amazing job of playing her character(even though I didn’t like it). It got me so frustrated, I got entangled in the story and kept me interesting… instead of making me say, uggggh, a annoying character and a crappy actor, I said, annoying character, but amazing performance that draws you in and makes you itch to find out what happens later on in the story.

    Reed Diamond – Bryce Ferguson (Stronghold, SG-1 season 9)

    With this guy, you could tell his emotions so very well, just from watching his face. Pretty amazing.

    Ryan Robbins – Ladon Radim (Various episodes, Atlantis)

    A talented actor + a dynamic, colorful character= pure awesomeness. From the episode with him leading a coup to other episodes, he is a familiar face and a character that really has a presence in the episode(that many actors have) and is always a joy to watch. Should have had him over more. Well I guess cause you dropped the genii for 2 FREAKIN SEASONS, we will never see him again(sorry that gets me really ticked, one of the few things I am having a hard time letting go). Still that is another issue. Great actor, so glad you guys got him for the part.

    Kari Wuhrer – Nancy (Outcast, Atlantis season 4)

    Really sweet performance, she brought out a great side of John we rarely see, I guess I should be complimenting Joe then… lol, but she was just as good as Joe.

    Mike Dopud – Bounty Hunter, Kiryk (Bounty, SG-1 season 10, Tracker, Atlantis season 5).

    He played the tracker and the bounty hunter flawlessly. You could see no emotion as the bounty hunter(a good thing for his character) and you could see him progressing as the tracker changing as he goes. Another great casting by you guys.

    Well that pretty much sums up my (positive) feelings on those actors. (even though there were a few negatives, all the actors you talked about are good. I can’t say I think any of them really stunk.

    Oh and a few questions.

    1. I started to respond to spam like you said and my mom got kinda ticked when she found out(I forgot she told me not to when I did it the first time). So what did you say was so good at responding to spam. Like doesn’t it just make you get spam in the long run?

    2. If SGU gets a second Season, will it air in the fall, summer, or winter of 2010?

    3. What exactly are VFX temps. Are they the “first draft” of the VFX for the whole episode?

    4. Since I will be in Vancover, would it be possible just to meat you at the gate of the bridge, shake hands, say hi, meat each other in person, and leave?

    5. Will there be any reacurring/ regular character deaths in season 1 of SGU(or should I rather say, has it been considered).

    Thanks so much,
    Major D. Davis

  37. Oh and one other question I forgot.

    What the heck is with Stargate merchendise. I mean everywhere I go sci fi museum, it has farscape, firefly, BSG and every other show in the displays and stores but not Stargate. Go to the NBC shop. Merchendise for BSG, doctor who, Eureka, and if I recall, even Ghost Hunters, but no Stargate. What is up with this, who is allowed to sell this stuff, is this just the fact that stargate is underappreaciated, or is this a legal matter?

    Thanks so much,
    Major D. Davis

  38. Ha,
    Less than one minute after I submit my uber long post, it gets accepted.
    Well, anyways, sorry if I pulled a pg15/das and I look like a poser now, I just had a ton of time on my hands(it doesn’t always come around that often), and I wanted to get active on your blog again. 🙂 Hope you understand.

    Thanks Joe,
    Major D. Davis

  39. Aww crap,
    For some reason this reminds me of the time I had a dream(I had it a couple months ago, I remember telling you about it) you were mad at me for posting some comment at your blog and as I was reading over my last post, the dream came to mind as clear as day. I hope that dream wasn’t a glimpse of the future.

    Did that long post at all irritate you in any way?

    Thanks so much,
    Major D. Davis

  40. Big “yes!” for my personal favourite Mike Dopud. 🙂 He has just so great on-screen presence.
    The same goes for Michael Welch and Jodelle Ferland. They are insanely good.
    So many good actors on the show, it was pleasure. Casting people deserve a handshake and chocolate cake 🙂

    I wonder (talking about guest stars) … will there be any place for them in SGU? If there will be just a .. let’s say handful of people on a ship deep in space…? You can not bring on as many guests as in SG1 and SGA. Or?

    Ava

  41. I wish I could agree with you on Kari. I still credit her with the downfall of Sliders, a show I loved until she was brought in and the Professor left. (At the time, rumors of her and producer David Peckinpah were quite unflattering, and the taint lingers.) I do agree with the rest, though.

  42. LOL! Major D – you are just too funny for words! You’re like a pg15 jr. – it’s beautiful! I wish I could have some of the enthusiasm you two have right now. 😛

    das

  43. Hi Joe,
    I’ve been a lurker since forever. I have a sorta OT question. I’ve been paired up with a girl with 2 pugs for Christmas in July. A thing we do in the cat and dog blogosphere. I have zero ideas for what pugs might like for treats or toys. You were the first person I thought of with pugs. Can you give me some ideas? It would be greatly appreciated.
    mar123 (at) gmail (dot) com
    thanks in advance,
    peggy

  44. Hello, I am a young french and I practice cosplay, I am very interested about the costume of Adria the Orici in Dominion s10-e19. I love the costumes of Adria and I would like to know how you did it, with what materials and if by chance you know where I can find a pattern of clothing if you can’t share yours ?
    Thanks et good continuation.

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