More than a Mouthpiece: An Interview with Colin Cunningham - March 24th, 2006
By: Michael Ricci
Source: Scifibrain

For the past eight years, Major Paul Davis (stoically portrayed by Colin Cunningham) is often times the bearer of bad-news. Serving as attaché between the Pentagon and the SGC, he seems to only pop in when wormholes turn into black holes and state-of-the-art spaceships get stolen. Even with a gloomy cloud hanging over him, Davis has proven to be an essential part of the show's elaborate expanded story.

While Cunningham's first appearance was in season two's episode, A Matter of Time, his involvement with the show stretches even further back. He said, "I auditioned for Stargate, maybe at least a dozen times. I originally auditioned for Michael Shanks' part in the pilot. For the first year—year and a half, I must have been out there at least twenty times. I don't know what it was, but I know it was a lot. But, I know talking with [executive producer] Michael Greenburg later on, when I got Major Davis, he said, 'We were wanting to hire you for something and we were not putting it off, but we just keep looking for something better to come along. And then when Major Davis came along, we said let's hire Colin!' It was great, and you know, the rest is kind of history."

Since then, the character has returned for a total of fifteen episodes—proving to be a fan favorite. Of all the episodes Cunningham has done, his personal favorite is 48 Hours, in which his character and Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) were sent to Russia. There, the two negotiated for the use of a DHD with another longtime reoccurring character, Colonel Chevok (Gary Chalk).

"It was me and Shanks in a board room with a Russian [Colonel], Gary Chalk. I will say that is my favorite because it was like doing a stage play. On the day we were doing that episode, I remember Michael and I rehearsing that a lot. I just remember really, really liking it a lot, because it wasn't about a green screen. The stakes were high and it was actors doing their thing."

The most challenging (and embarrassing) episode Cunningham has done, he admits, would be season three's finale, Nemesis. In this episode, Davis informs the SGC of the growing threat of the approaching disabled Asgard vessel commandeered by Replicators. The reason he found this episode particularly challenging was of a complicated scene involving techno babble. "It was like a nine person scene, and I had the last line and it was like the 'chevron Asgard cloaking device quadrant.' I couldn't get the line and it was in one shot. So, it went to 1-2-3-4-5 and so on and it got to me, and I screwed up the line!" he says with a laugh. "I kept on screwing it up, that was embarrassing. Horrible! I wanted to die and the more times you screw it up, the more times you screw it up!

"But also Prometheus," Cunningham continues on about the season six episode in which a high-tech spaceship, the Prometheus, gets hijacked by terrorists disguised as journalists, "was also very challenging. A lot of dialogue, heavy stuff for me, and I remember for whatever reason, I kept stepping on Richard Dean Anderson's lines. I kept thinking, 'I can't do that, this is bad!' So, I was prepared, but I was just nervous. Jumping my line before he got to finish his. So, I remember with Prometheus, I really, really worked hard on that to make damn sure I knew—not just my own [lines]—I knew absolutely everyone there's as well. It was a bit of brain work for me to do that whole thing."

The "scariest" episode he did was Foothold, an episode in which bug-like aliens invaded the SGC and used small devices to impersonate human beings. Cunningham considered it the scariest episode he did, not because he played an evil doppelganger of Major Davis intent on killing everyone, but because most of his scenes were with the show's star and executive producer, Richard Dean Anderson.

He muses, "It was the first episode I was really doing so much with Richard, cause I thought, 'Oh God! This is a bit of a trip!' "

When it came to discussing his costars, he had nothing but high praise for his fellow actors. "Teryl [Rothery] (Dr. Janet Fraiser) is just a beautiful person, she has a beautiful soul—beautiful human being. Amanda [Tapping] (Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter) is an amazing human being, she is fun and spontaneous and gorgeous and incredible! She was probably the warmest, the most welcoming for me and the kindest of them all. Chris Judge (Teal'c) has a heart the size of Texas! He is a great guy. Michael [Shanks] (Dr. Daniel Jackson) is simple, the thing that always stuck to me about him is he's an exceptional actor. I'm constantly amazed at the stuff he has done to bring his character above what is often considered a disposable genre. Let me see… Good old Don Davis (General George Hammond). Don is like an anvil of integrity. I love that guy. I would cut off my right arm if he ever needed anything. And, as far as Richard Dean Anderson, he is a kind of anchor for everything. He sets the tone of the show. He is the captain of the team and it is always a great privilege to work with all of them."

Because Major Davis was a supporting character on the show, his personal life has never been shown. It's been left to audience interpretation and actor imagination to fill in the motivations. In his eight years of playing the role, the Los Angeles native said he's only been asked once before about Davis' personal life and where he comes from…

"I always saw him as kinda of a sad guy, not at least a very lonely guy. I didn't see him as a human being who lived in a big house with a wife and kids. I see him in a one bedroom apartment and his entire life being devoted to his career, being devoted to the gate, to SG-1 and everything that has to do with it." A truly career oriented guy by Colin Cunningham's explanation. Yet, beyond the strategic reports and staff meetings, he believes there is a human element of desire and dreams. "Yet, I think he, secretly, he was the kind of guy who had always dreamed of going through the gate. The guy who had dreams of being a part of the SG team, opposed to simply being a mouthpiece of the President. I think it was a secret passion of his. He loves it. I think he is the kind of guy who was really devoted to it, for that his social life and personal life would suffer."

Yet, the most quintessential moment in Davis' life yet to be shown is his first venture through the gate. Many fans have gone as far as to hold an internet petition for the character to step through the shimmering, rippled portal way of the stars. While Cunningham isn't as determined as his fans to see this scene play out in future episode, he said he would like to have it shown someday.

"I always thought, I always hoped, especially as an actor, [for that] moment when Davis would actually get to see him go through the gate. And, that moment on his face just before going in, you think, 'Wow! This is it. I am actually going to do this!' But, I have that scene played out more and more in my head than anything else."

Colin Cunningham's last venture on the small silver screen of Stargate was in season eight's finale, Mobius Part One. If asked if he's been contacted about returning for season ten, he's said, "Not as of yet, but I know there certainly has been a shuffle behind the camera. RDA is no longer there, Don didn't come back—going back a ways and that was considered to be the end of the show. We didn't think anything was going to go on. It has been quite a pleasant surprise and wonderful to see the show continue on, but there has been a lot of changes in the crew and the production staff. I don't know what will happen. You know, Major Davis seems to be living on in infinity."

Beyond the 'gate guise of Major Paul Davis, the American-born actor has built up an impressive career in Vancouver. Some of his credits include three different roles on The X-Files, Beggars and Choosers, a re-occurring role on Da Vinci's Inquest, and most recently, the role of the Devil, on The Collector. He's even worked with high profiles actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger The 6th Day and Jennifer Garner in Elektra.

"They are just talented people, not only are they enthusiastic and passionate about what they do, but they are grateful for what they have. That is always a nice trait to see in someone who is just really happy to be there. Arnold had certainly paid his dues, and it didn't surprise me at all when he became governor. You know the guy—talk about confidence! Believe in it and you can accomplish anything you want.

"And sometimes I have to keep my professional cool here. Working with some big actors I have admired since I was a kid and you kinda got to suck it up and put it in your back pocket. But, later on you take it out and that is cool! I am working with Arnold! How cool is that! And, you have to keep that enthusiasm, because once you lose that your life becomes a sadder place."

For the three different X-Files episodes he's done, he credit's director Rob Bowman for the opportunity of being cast in each role. "I have to thank from the bottom of my heart, Rob Bowman, who directed those three episodes of The X-Files way, way back when, because he kept bringing me back. A lot of those things I didn't even have to audition for, he just had great faith in me. The first one was submarine 731, and Rob was just a great and incredibly talented, loyal director. One of the most loyal I have ever met in my entire life."

Rob Bowman also kept Colin Cunningham in mind when casting the role of McCabe, in the high-budget spin-off movie staring Jennifer Garner, Elektra. McCabe served as confidant and middleman to the crimson clad assassin-for-hire. Like it's predecessor, Daredevil, Elektra did poorly at the box office and was nearly crucified by the press. However, Cunningham was quick to Bowman's defense.

"Here was a guy [who was] absolutely adored as a human being and helped me out when I was just starting out, and I was able to be on this big budget film with Jennifer Garner and I think he got totally screwed. I liked Elektra, I liked it a lot. My God, the critics were just merciless. I just felt you can like something or you can think it is ok, but they just pulled the plug on that thing and it was such a shame. I think it was so unnecessary. It was a lot better than the critics [said]. They just needed something to trash. A lot of good people worked on it, and I think it was worth the ten dollars you pay to go see it."

In the film, McCabe was decapitated while defending Jennifer Garner's character, Elektra, from the horde of super villains in her wake. The eventual scene was removed from the final theatre release, but is available on the DVD release. When asked how odd it was to see a bleeding, oozing prop with an uncanny, eerie likeness, Cunningham took it with a humorous spirit.

"It is so weird, because you look at it and you literally look at it like a dog would a stuffed animal—like a teddy bear doll. Cock your head to the side and say that it is weird. You know, they did a great job of the likeness of his head." On why the scene was removed, he stated, "With all the stuff going in the Middle East, they said, 'I don't think we need to see a decapitation right now.' It wasn't politically the best thing in the world, so that scene was cut from the film."

While shooting the film, Cunningham was nominated for his third Leo award, in which he won for his portrayal of a crooked cop, Detective Brian Curtis. Because he was on location, his parents attended the ceremony. His father accepted the award on his behalf.

"That was a real trip," he conveys with a humble attitude. "The only thing that could have possibly been any greater than winning that was the fact that my Mom and Dad were there and I was actually shooting Elektra at the time. My Dad had to get up and receive it. Cause talk about the greatest thing! I never graduated high school, and in a way it is like your kid did all right. It was one of the proudest moments of my life."

When the casting directors were looking for potential actors for the role, they didn't think he was right for the role. They believed he was too good-natured and well-humored to play such a dark, forbidding character. On how he prepared for such a role, "It wasn't just the preparation, it was the fight to get an audition! They wouldn't see me originally, they thought, 'Colin is totally wrong for this. He's got blonde, spiky hair.' You know, my hair is always blond and spiky, but I always darken it for auditions, colored moose in it, then go drying it for auditions." Stories from conventions also mention how Colin has had to hide his lightened hair while playing the role of Major Davis.

He admits it was a real struggle to even get in the door. That his comical background didn't suit well with the image they had of the character, but eventually, he did. The producers, however, were still unconvinced about his believability for the role. But, instead of calling it quits, he called in the help of an old friend.

"So, I called up a friend of mine who makes phenomenal wigs, and I told her, 'I need a long brown haired wig!' and she came on out, and I forced myself on an interview and I put on the wig and a goatee, and the rest is kinda history. See, they wanted a dude with really long hair, and I just happened to fit the bill. It was great that way. It was like I am an actor, this is what I do. I love putting on rubber noses and funny teeth. I thought this is what I do, and I thought I would only be on a couple of episodes. I never thought it would last three years!"

His career, that has spanned ten years, has earned him a large following of fans—not just for his work within Stargate. His fan club president, Michelle Munro, he's said is a generous and endearing woman who he seems grateful to know. "I am going to have to mention my fan club president, Michelle, who is from Australia. She has done so much for me with publicity. I hang out at conventions and she makes up T-shirts and buttons for all the fans and stuff like that. That is such a sweet, generous thing to do. I appreciate that very much.

"I would also say the most memorable would be doing the conventions," he continues. "The education I have had, because you think Trekkies—they're nuts," he pauses for a laugh. "But, they aren't nuts. They are some of the coolest people I have met. They have been so warm and so kind and giving and fun, and that is the education I didn't expect to find friends in fandom."

On what it's like to have entire websites devoted to him, "[It's] very, very strange. In fact, I still can't get up the fact that when they do hold conventions that there are people actually there to see me! You see people looking at you like they know you, because they have known you for years. You see that familiarity in their eyes, yet you have never met them. Very, very, very surreal thing. I have never got use to that, so you put on a hat called, 'Celebrity' and you better learn how to wear it. Everywhere else I go, people don't look twice at me for that matter and they really don't care [what I do]. [They] don't give a damn who I am. So, that is always interesting to see people that are interested or happy to see you, and they are total stranger."