SGU Casting ,News and Tidbits (Spoilers S1 & 2)

[morjana]

SGU - SciFi Wire: Lou Diamond Phillips, Ming-Na join Stargate Universe cast:

At SciFi Wire:

(Please follow the link for the complete article.)

Lou Diamond Phillips, Ming-Na join Stargate Universe cast

By Patrick Lee
ON 02/25/09

SCI FI Channel announced the casting of Lou Diamond Phillips, Ming-Na, Elyse Levesque and Alaina Huffman in its new original series Stargate Universe, which began production last week in Vancouver, Canada.

... The two-part premiere of SGU is being directed by Andy Mikita (Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1) and shot by Rohn Schmidt (The Shield, The Mist). Brad Wright and Robert Cooper (Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis) will serve as executive producers and writers on the new series.

... Here's how SCI FI describes the cast:

... Phillips is Col. Telford, a proud lifelong military man, who puts his faith in the chain of command. Stubbornly confident, he's highly regarded by his superiors. He is the chosen leader of the ill-fated expedition.

... Levesque stars as Chloe Armstrong, the daughter and aide of a U.S. Senator. Politically savvy, but with a wild side, she is considering following in her father's footsteps until she finds herself trapped on the ship. As tensions rise, her character will be tested and her place among the group revealed.

... Huffman portrays Master Sgt. Tamara Johansen. Unable to afford medical school, the strong-willed field medic saw the Air Force as the best option. Faced with the mounting pressure and a lack of in-depth experience, she will be forced to rise to the occasion as she treats the seriously wounded.

... Ming-Na is Camile Wray, a human resources executive with the international oversight committee that governs the Stargate program. Now the highest-ranking member of that division left stranded on the ship, she carries herself with a misguided sense of superiority over the other military and civilian survivors.

[morjana]

SGU - NBCUMV: Stargate Universe's Cast Additions:

From NBCUMV:

(Please follow the link for the complete press release.)

LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS, MING-NA, ELYSE LEVESQUE AND ALAINA HUFFMAN CAST IN SCI FI'S 'SGU: STARGATE UNIVERSE'

Published: February 25, 2009

NEW YORK – February 25, 2009 – SCI FI Channel has confirmed Lou Diamond Phillips, Ming-Na, Elyse Levesque and Alaina Huffman as cast members of the highly anticipated new original series SGU: Stargate Universe, which began production last week in Vancouver. They join the previously announced stars Robert Carlyle, Justin Louis, David Blue, Jamil Walker Smith and Brian J. Smith in the latest adventure of the Stargate franchise produced by MGM television.

Edgier and younger in tone, SGU will take the franchise in a dynamic new direction, appealing to longtime Stargate fans and first-time viewers alike. The two-part premiere of Universe is being directed by Andy Mikita (Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1) and lensed by Rohn Schmidt (The Shield, The Mist). The series is expected to premiere in October 2009.

SGU follows a band of soldiers, scientists and civilians, who must fend for themselves as they are forced through a Stargate when their hidden base comes under attack. The desperate survivors emerge aboard an ancient ship, which is locked on an unknown course and unable to return to Earth. Faced with meeting the most basic needs of food, water and air, the group must unlock the secrets of the ship's Stargate to survive. The danger, adventure and hope they find on board the Destiny will reveal the heroes and villains among them.

The cast includes:

Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting, The Full Monty) stars as Dr. Nicholas Rush, one of the most brilliant scientific minds, whose motives are not what they appear to be.

Lou Diamond Phillips (Che, La Bamba) is Colonel Telford, a proud lifelong military man, who puts his faith in the chain of command. Stubbornly confident, he's highly regarded by his superiors. He is the chosen leader of the ill-fated expedition.

Justin Louis (Hidden Hills, The Fighting Fitzgeralds) portrays Colonel Everett Young, an experienced Stargate team leader. Married, with years of tough decisions under his belt, life has taught him never to take anything for granted. He stays on top of his team so they stay alive.

Brian J. Smith (The War Boys, Hate Crime) is Lt. Matthew Scott, a junior member of the Stargate team. Green and rough around the edges, he is thrust into the role of leader well before he's ready for the responsibility and must learn to command, earn respect through action, and manage the diverse personalities aboard the ship.

Elyse Levesque (Smallville, Men in Trees) stars as Chloe Armstrong, the daughter and aid of a U.S. Senator. Politically savvy, but with a wild side, she is considering following in her father's footsteps, until she finds herself trapped on the ship. As tensions rise, her character will be tested and her place among the group revealed.

David Blue (Ugly Betty, Moonlight) stars as Eli Wallace, a total slacker, who just happens to be an utter genius with anything he puts his mind to - mathematics, computers, video games. A lack of confidence has left him with an acerbic sense of humor.

Alaina Huffman (Smallville, Painkiller Jane) portrays MSGT. Tamara Johansen. Unable to afford medical school, the Air Force was the best option for the strong-willed field medic. Faced with the mounting pressure and a lack of in-depth experience, she will be forced to rise to the extraordinary occasion of needing to treat the seriously wounded.

Jamil Walker Smith (Waynehead, Sister, Sister) portrays MSGT. Ronald Greer, a Marine with a temper you don't want to mess with. His past is mysterious but it's clear something dark formed the hard shell around him.

Ming-Na (ER, Vanished) is Camile Wray, a human resources executive with the international oversight committee that governs the Stargate program. Now the highest ranking member of that division left stranded on the ship, she carries herself with a misguided sense of superiority over the other military and civilian survivors.

Brad Wright and Robert Cooper, of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, will serve as executive producers and writers on the new series.

Stargate Universe will debut as a two-hour movie event on SCI FI and will be distributed by MGM Worldwide Television Distribution.

[Skydiver]

To clarify some peoples' questions.

Commenting about an article that's been posted is fine. Short comments.

If you want to natter on and on and on and yak then take it to a discussion thread.

Commenting about the articles is okay, discussing and going back and forth is not. If you want to discuss a topic from an article in depth, find a thread or start a thread for your discussions.

(and as to what's been deleted already....you know, when i read posts saying 'yeah, i know i'm not supposed to chat in here but i'm gonna do it anyway', I find myself lacking any sympathy for those that seem to feel their enthusiasm excludes them from having to follow the rules and requests of the mods.)

The mods will determine of any discussion in here goes beyond on topic comments and into idle chit chat and need to be deleted, so chat at your own risk.

[prion]

Compilation of links to actors on the SG franchise. Contains websites, blogs, twitters, and how to find TV listings, all in one convenient post. Too big to post here.

Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Universe

[Jumper_One]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...-announcement/

February 25, 2009

Well now you know as much as we do. No, no, that’s not exactly true. We still know more than you do. But at least we ALL know the names of our cast members. The news finally broke yesterday but, on the off-chance you were in your basement watching a Lord of the Rings marathon, here are the latest additions:

Alaina Huffman (Tamara Johansen): Alaina was one of the first auditions we saw way back in December (I was in Tokyo at the time and watched the stream from my room in The Peninsula). She was so good that, quite frankly, we would’ve been crazy not to cast her. I finally got the chance to chat with her today and discovered that, besides being quick-witted and absolutely lovely, she shares my affinity for Japan. Bonus points for that.

Elyse Levesque (Chloe Armstrong): Like Alaina, Elyse delivered a wonderfully nuanced audition, demonstrating impressive range in two very different ad demanding scenes. I only got the chance to speak to her briefly at the cast dinner but my first impression lines up with what everyone else has been saying about her: she is a sweetheart!

Ming-Na (Camille Wray): Back in my January 30th entry, I wrote “Meanwhile, we inch ever closer to casting one of my other favorites roles - the character of Wray.”. She’s one of my favorites because she has so much potential. That said, as I was working on the first part of the mid-season two-parter, I actually grew nervous. Wray has some nice, meaty scenes in my script and, without a strong actress in the role, the character would crash and burn. So you can imagine my delight to hear we had closed the deal with Ning-Ma, a tremendously talented actress (and, apparently, poker player) who is more than capable of delivering bigtime.

Lou Diamond Philips (Colonel Telford): Speaking of talented actors, Lou Diamond Philips is another huge addition to an already impressive roster. He is a kick-ass Colonel Telford and incredibly charming both on and offscreen. I told him I’d enjoyed his work and, especially, his role opposite Mark Wahlberg in The Big Hit. He laughed and admitted it was one of his faves as well. Check it out!

Christopher McDonald (Senator Armstrong): Another experienced Hollywood veteran, Chris brings gravity and charisma to the role of Senator Armstrong. When I was on set the other day, he approached me, shook my hand, and told me how happy he was to be working on the show. A clas act.

**snip**

Had a nice, long chat with Brian J. Smith today. I continue to be impressed with his self-effacing, down-to-earth attitude. However, not so impressed with his NFL team of choice: the Dallas Cowboys. But fellow Romo-booster Rob Cooper certainly was. Hey, Sherry - unfortunately, the studio has put the kibosh on any behind-the-scene pics for the time being. I told Brian that I might convince you to provide some embarrassing baby pics of your son and, while he assured me that you have plenty, he strongly urged me NOT to ask. And so, in the interest of continuing to see that self-effacing, down-to-earth attitude - I’m not going to ask. For now. But I will welcome you to our little book of the month club.

If I had to give the award for Funniest Guy On Set (and I do believe I’ll be presenting the award at this year’s ceremonies), I would be hardpressed not hand it to David Blue. A very funny guy, but a professional through and through. Richard - I echo everyone’s best wishes for Buddy. Here’s hoping for a quick and full recovery that will see him bounding around that backyard in no time.

A pretty hilarious guy in his own right is actor Justin Louis who did a really nice job opposite Ona Grauer in some heartfelt scenes earlier this week. I told him: “You guys are eventually going to get tired of hearing it but - we are loving the dailies!”

Finally, late yesterday, Robert Carlyle delivered a performance in a key scene that was so outstanding it blew the doors off Stage 3 - and the entire crew away! “Masterful” would be one word to describe it. “Extraordinary” would be another. But I prefer to simply go with “Wow!”.

[prion]

Feb 26 2009 Mallozzi blog

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...eble-frenchie/

Green writes: “I would really like to know about it, if there’s going to be a gay character in the new [SGU] series.”

Answer: As much as possible, we’re going to try to have the Destiny crew present an accurate, albeit highly dramatized, reflection of our society.


Fred writes: “On a more serious note (although I am quite serious about the offer), could you please tell us which of these [SGU] actors are regulars and which are reccurring?”

Answer: Sorry, no can do. That would spoil the groundless speculation.

--------------

Inpa writes: “Hey can you confirm Carlyle’s portrayed accent yet if it will be his natural one or not?”

Answer: The Rush character will have a Scottish accent.

[Jumper_One]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...t-of-february/

March 1st, 2009

TrueCat writes: “You mentioned yesterday that Mr Carlyle will be using a Scottish accent for Rush. As a very long time fan of Robert Carlyle’s this gets two VERY big thumbs up.

But will it be a softened accent for American viewers like Beckett’s in Atlantis or will it be a proper Scottish accent like Mr Carlyle’s own Glaswegian accent he used in his old BBC series Hamish Macbeth?”

Answer: How’s this for amazing? According to Rob Cooper, Robert Carlyle offered up a choice of a good half dozen variations of his Scottish accent, effortlessly flowing in and out of each impeccable delivery. I’m not sure exactly which version they decided on but, having watched the dailies, I would the accent as “definitely Scottish”.

[prion]

An extra working on SGU has posted a bunch of candid behind the scenes shots on his blog at

http://adventuresofedrocker.blogspot...-dg-day-3.html

[morjana]

An extra working on SGU has posted a bunch of candid behind the scenes shots on his blog at

http://adventuresofedrocker.blogspot...-dg-day-3.html

Ed visited the Stargate Universe set, he's working on the Defying Gravity set.

[tfalls1]

From Joe's Blog

Quade1 writes: “Joe will the outside of the Destiny be kept a secret, seeing as they are on the ship and it won’t be visible from planets they visit.”

Answer: Nope, it won’t be kept a secret. As a matter of fact, the fans will get a sneek peek at the ship, its crew, and the show in March…

[prion]

From Joe's Blog

Answer: Nope, it won’t be kept a secret. As a matter of fact, the fans will get a sneek peek at the ship, its crew, and the show in March…

If fans get a sneak peek.... wonder if it will be doing BSG. Can't think of anything else on Skiffy that would draw in an audience at the moment...

[tfalls1]

Answer: Nope, it won’t be kept a secret. As a matter of fact, the fans will get a sneek peek at the ship, its crew, and the show in March…

If fans get a sneak peek.... wonder if it will be doing BSG. Can't think of anything else on Skiffy that would draw in an audience at the moment...

Yea I bet during the finale!

[morjana]

Yea I bet during the finale!

I bet during the premiere of Stargate: The Ark of Truth on March 27.

[Jumper_One]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...d-the-mailbag/

March 5, 2009


Ytimyona writes: “Hey Joe… do you think you could host guest blogs from some of the stars of SGU over the next break in shooting (or if, yanno, there’s an episode that is very light work for one of them)?”

Answer: Have already approached a number of them about doing a Q&A once they’ve had the chance to settle in.

[morjana]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...d-the-mailbag/

March 5, 2009


Ytimyona writes: “Hey Joe… do you think you could host guest blogs from some of the stars of SGU over the next break in shooting (or if, yanno, there’s an episode that is very light work for one of them)?”

Answer: Have already approached a number of them about doing a Q&A once they’ve had the chance to settle in.

Thank you for your updates, JumperOne!