Vala Mal Doran/Claudia Black WOW Thread

[SunKrux]

Thanks to the lovely images RinggoldGate posted recently I have two Vala icons I just made.

They are snurchable but if you use you must credit me, please. They are set for LiveJournal standards.



Enjoy!

[ValaMalduran]

[cat]

((((waves)))) at Joe and Alex!

[ValaMalduran]

Hey!

For size:

Spoiler:

A.

[valaCB]

Great run!

[ValaMalduran]

[Ladyinred]

"VALA MAL DORAN" (from Stargate SG-1 season 10 companion book by Nathalie Barnes and Sharon Gosling)


From the moment a leather-clad Claudia Black appeared in Stargate Command it was clear that we would be seeing a lot more of lovable con-artist Vala Mal Doran. The feisty alien not only gained the trust, respect and approval of the ever-cautious members of SG-1, but, more importantly, of the show's passionate fan base. Proving just as popular, actress Claudia Black found her own place in the close-knit group that is Stargate SG-1, winning the hearts of cast and crew alike and earning a regular spot in season 10.
"Vala is great fun," Claudia Black says, smiling. "It's been such a privilege to play her. And considering that she wasn't a character that was expected, necessarily, to be continued, I've had a little bit of a hand in how she grew. I've almost been an influence from day one, because it was anybody's guess as to where she was going to go, and what she was going to do. She's such a fun, brilliant character to play."
Instrumental in kick-starting season ten, Vala was not only the newest member of the show, she was its focal point. Driving the burgeoning Ori storyline forward, the season opened with Vala trapped in the Ori galaxy, having given birth to Adria, the Orici. From the outset, it was clear that the common farcical Vala moments the audience had grown to expect were going to give way to something far more serious and dramatic.
"It's an interesting turn this season as we see a lot more of Vala's backstory revealed," explans Black. "It's been fantastic. Vala's an amazing character to play. She's very different to the last character I played and that's always a real incentive to accept a role, to extend yourself and do something different, to take risks. Robert Cooper's been very supportive of that. Vala's just been a really great foil for everybody. During the last seasons of a long-running show you do need to bring in someone or something to mix things up a bit and I think she was the perfect candidate. She, of course, had a child this season and got married, so she's changed from being a single renegade who always flies solo - she's now got quite the entourage from when she started."
Surrounding herself with people she cares about, and more importantly, people who care about her, is a new experience for Vala. Throughout the season, her relationships with each member of SG-1 grow and mature in their own distinc way. Most absorbing to watch, however, is her friendship with Daniel Jackson. And just as Vala's unlikely friendship with the archeologist has blossomed, so the actors' friendship has also.
"The highlights for me this season are always any opportunity I have to do the Daniel and Vala scenes," says Black, who struck up an instant rapport with Shanks. "I really love working with Michael, we have a great laugh together. I haven't seen him that much this season on set, we haven't done as much stuff together, but just all the laughing we've had everyday is so great. No matter how bad the hours are, we still find a way to giggle our way through it."
As entertaining as she is irritating, the character of Vala is an enigma of sorts. But season ten certainly gave more depth to the character and helped the audience understand that her tough and blunt exterior is little more than a façade. It is Daniel, more so than anyone else, who sees the true Vala. Instrumental in convincing General Landry to let Vala join SG-1, Daniel consistently fights her corner.
"I think Vala's freindship with Daniel is genuine friendship now, and I think it's really sweet to see the show go that way, because they really obviously do care for each other," shares Black. "He's been a huge influence on her ability to open up and be vulnerable and clear some past issues that she hadn't had the time to, because she's been to busy trying to survive and being on the run."
A strong female character, Vala is made more human by her fallible nature. Is there a thin line between where Claudia ends and Vala begins?
"Oh, there has to be, there has to be," answers Black assertively. "I'm her in corporeal form and whatever is coming out of my mouth, there's got to be stuff from me. And I think it's hard for people that know me well to watch my performances because they'll say, 'Vala laughs the way you do,' and I say, 'Well, don't be daft, of course she does!' If I'm going to be natural in the moment, I'm not going to concoct a laugh unless I'm playing a very masked character. Though certain aspects of my performance in any character I play are going to be influenced by other people as well as myself, and contextually you hope that you give the impression that you're playing someone else. Really my job is to just convince people who are watching that it's possible that I could be that person."
In the relatively short time that she's been part of Stargate SG-1, Black has certainly convinced the audience to believe in, and care for, the character of Vala Mal Doran. Before Vala, science fiction fans knew Black for her portrayal of Farscape's Aeryn Sun. The show ran for four years, culminating in a mini-series, so Black is no stranger to working on a successful television series. With Stargate SG-1 lasting an amazing ten years, the actress attributes the show's record breaking performance to the all-important "chemistry" between the actors - amongst other things.
"It's fundamental to the show's success," explains Black. "I think that in science fiction, you have, if you are lucky, a very loyal and intelligent audience. It was an established brand, the Stargate itself is iconic, and it was a very interesting concept for a feature film, and it's an indication of the world. You turn on the TV and you're always going to find Stargate SG-1, and in a way that's what makes the show's departure not so bitter - the sweetness is that you're always going to be able to find it, like Seinfeld or Star Trek. I think the writing has much to do with the show's success - they never took themselves too seriously. I think that's important, especially in sci-fi, because that way you're never above the medium and you don't take yourself too seriously."
We know little about Vala's early life - it's perhaps the biggest loss of the show's cancellation that we won't get the chance to find out more about this interesting woman who disguises her true, sensitive nature with humor and awkward jokes. The fans of Stargate SG-1 will no doubt miss the character of Vala and Black herself will miss her new friends terribly.
"The people are the crème de la crème for me on this show in particular," smiles Black. "The overriding thing for me has pretty much just been the laughter - it's terrific. Sometimes it could have helped to take things a little more seriously, but I wouldn't trade the laughter for anything. It's been the most wonderful lesson and very, very cool people work on this show and the cast is exceptional. How they get on and how welcoming they were, where I was concerned, was just amazing. I love my new buddies and I'm not prepared to say goodbye."

[Admiral Q O]

[JennyJ]

Nice pics

[Admiral Q O]

Thanks, Jenny! New Aeryn pics...for me...

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