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IGN Exclusive: Katee Sackhoff Talks Battlestar and Bionic Woman
The Galactica star on the show ending and her villainous role in Bionic Woman.
by Eric Goldman
June 19, 2007 - At the Battlestar Galactica fan event screening and Q&A earlier this month, Katee Sackhoff was one of the cast members in attendance to talk about the acclaimed science fiction series. Battlestar has recently gone into production for its fourth season, which Executive Producers Ron Moore and David Eick have announced will be the final one. Since it began, Sackhoff has been one of the most pivotal parts of the series, as Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, a tough female version of the character played by Dirk Benedict in the original Galactica.
Fans were shocked when Starbuck seemingly perished in the Season 3 episode "Maelstrom", only for Sackhoff to make a mysterious return in the final moments of the season finale. We won't know until next season how exactly Starbuck has returned, but during the Q&A, Moore, Eick and Sackhoff all spoke about the difficulties that surrounded faking everyone out that she was really leaving the show, which extended to others working on the series.
After the event, I was able to speak to Sackhoff to discuss her thoughts on Battlestar's upcoming conclusion and the ruse involving her death. In addition, we talked about Sackhoff's very notable role on this fall's new NBC remake of Bionic Woman, which is also executive produced by Battlestar's David Eick. In the pilot to that series, Sackhoff plays Sarah Corvus, the self-proclaimed "first Bionic Woman" and a very dangerous threat to the title character, Jamie Sommers, played by Michelle Ryan.
IGN TV: What's it like to come to an event like this and see so many fans here who love Battlestar Galactica?
Katee Sackhoff: It's nice. It's nice to know that you… I don't want to say "touched people's lives," because I think that's a little strong. But that people welcome you into their living room every week and you're accepted and enjoyed.
IGN TV: During the panel you mentioned how initially you got hate mail from people who were so upset that a woman was playing Starbuck, but eventually you started receiving very positive responses. Was there a moment when you sensed it shift?
Sackhoff: I think it shifted in "Act of Contrition." So episode 4 of Season 1, where I think that it really changed and people finally said "Okay, this is Starbuck." Because I think they finally saw my acting ability, and I think they just kind of gave up the fight.
IGN TV: Did you get any nice apologies from people?
Sackhoff: Yes! I get them quite a bit.
IGN TV: You talked tonight about the whole ruse of pretending you were really gone from the show when Starbuck died. Was that the craziest, strangest secret you've ever had to keep?
Sackhoff: Well the crazy thing was that when I was successful at it, I got in trouble! Because everyone [on the show] was so pissed off about it, that I was getting killed, that it became this huge thing and people were threatening to quit. And then it was my fault, because I did a good job at lying. It's like, "Come on, guys! I'm an overdramatic actor! That's what I do. And you told me to sell it." So it was definitely a hard thing to do. It was a hard thing to keep a secret. And I told key people. I told my agent and my manager, my mom, my best friend, and my boyfriend. That's the only people that knew. My publicist didn't even know!
IGN TV: Did you have really awkward conversations with your castmates, as they told you "I can't believe they're killing you off!"?
Sackhoff: They were literally consoling me, going "You're better off! You're gonna go off. You're not going to be stuck anymore on the show. You're gonna go off and you're gonna do your thing, and you're gonna be fine, and yay!" So I was getting a lot of "You're gonna be fine!"
IGN TV: I know you can't say much, but any hints you can give about Season 4 of Battlestar?
Sackhoff: We will find Earth. And I'm not a figment of people's imaginations.
IGN TV: Ah, so you are allowed to say that.
Sackhoff: Yeah. I think it's the only thing that I can say!
IGN TV: What do you think about them deciding to end the show after this coming season?
Sackhoff: I'm happy about it. It is a choice that was made by us. The rug was not pulled out from underneath us. We're going out on a high, with our heads held high. We made the choice and we're going to be able to decide our end and our fate, instead of [having to] wrap it up as fast as we possibly can because we've been cancelled. And it was a smart thing to go out on a high. And you know, this is my fourth series. I think I've done more television than anyone else on the show, except maybe Eddie [James Olmos], because of Miami Vice. He's right there with me! But I've done s**tloads of television, and every single show the rug is pulled from out underneath you, and you're going, "What do I do now?" And this is such a great opportunity to wrap it up, say everything you want to say in your character, and put it to bed.
IGN TV: I've seen Bionic Woman, and it's great.
Sackhoff: Thanks!
IGN TV: Did David approach you and tell you he had this role for a bad guy to see if you were interested?
Sackhoff: When we didn't know if Battlestar was getting picked up or not, David called me about the [Bionic Woman] pilot. And when Battlestar got picked up, he said "I think we're gonna have to move on." And I told my agent, I said, "Call David and tell him I want to play the nemesis, please." So I went in and I auditioned, and it was a lengthy process. I went in four times to audition, and it was almost as bad as my Battlestar audition. And I ended up getting the part.
GN TV: Were you initially talking to David about playing Jaime [the lead role] or either part?
Sackhoff: [Smiles and shrugs]
IGN TV: Gotcha! Well you get to play such a cool villain in it.
Sackhoff: I always wanted to play the villain, from day one. I read that script and went "Sarah Corvus, I'm gonna do that." I'm gonna play the character that has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and I'm gonna carry it home. I'm gonna knock it out of the park.
IGN TV: I spoke to Michelle Ryan recently and she told me shooting the big fight scene you two have was really exciting. What was it like for you? You have more experience than her with those types of scenes.
Sackhoff: I do. I felt bad for her, because she was in training for about a month and a half for that fight scene, and I had about ten minutes, and I was like, "Alright, let's go!" Because I was filming another film at the same time. I was flying back and forth between another province [in Canada], Regina, and flying back and forth from Regina to Vancouver, doing double duty. So I didn't have time to learn the fight. Maybe an hour two weeks before the fight scene, and then on the day going "I got no idea. What is the combo? Oh, alright, cool. I'm good." Michelle's like "I've been doing this for like a month and a half and you can do this?" And the fight coordinator walks up to me and goes "I'm not worried about you. Just make sure she doesn't hit you in the face. She's never done this before." I'm like "Oh s**t!" But Michelle did a great job. She was superb. I'm very, very, very proud of her.
IGN TV: Did you get to pull up a lot of different facets than you have before, playing the bad guy?
Sackhoff: Starbuck wears her emotions on her face. Sarah Corvus is very… [makes a stoic expression]. You will not read her, ever.
IGN TV: On Battlestar, you had that big fight scene with Number Six, where she was the powerful robot attacking you. This time you get to play a robotic, super-strong person yourself. Was that a different experience?
Sackhoff: [Nods] Your movements are different. There's not as much erratic power behind it. It's more just that you're strong and you don't have to hit hard. You're just that strong. So it's just movement. There's more of a flow to it, instead of this [makes erratic punch movements] ugly street fighting.
IGN TV: So what kind of conversations have you had with David about how much you might be appearing on Bionic Woman?
Sackhoff: I can't say… But I will be back.
IGN TV: It must be nice to know that as one show is ending, another is beginning.
Sackhoff: Exactly! It's nice to know that my mortgage will be payable for another year!
Bionic Woman premieres fall 2007 on NBC.
The new Battlestar Galactica TV movie, "Razor", premieres in November on SCI FI Channel, followed by Season 4 in early 2008.