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TV Highlights: #103 - April 2003
English Translation of the Interview with Colin Cunningham
from the German Magazine TV HIGHLIGHTS by Petra Lauer.
"I never expected to return
again" - An interview with Colin Cunningham
April 2003
Colin Cunningham plays Major
Davis, the officer who connects the SGC command to US Air Force.
Robert Vogel asked him some questions in Vancouver:
For the first time, you
are officially on Gatecon's guest list. But I've seen you here already a year ago…
I was not
an official guest back then. My agent had advised me to just
take a look. To tell you the truth,
I didn't really have a clue about what to expect a convention. "You want me to mingle with FANS?" I found this somewhat strange. I
also thought of not being worthy to be invited to such an event. Okay, but he persuaded me and I just showed up at Gatecon
without an invitation. After some
minutes I just thought it was great what was going on. It seems I was kind of entertaining
cause I was invited back officially for this convention. An appearance here is not for a boost of your ego, it's just
about having fun. I am meeting
people from all over the world here, and because I love travelling,
it's a great chance to talk about experiences with people and have a
great week and together.
Have you got used to fans asking
for an autograph?
Yes, within the last
months I guess I got accustomed to it. It
is a really strange feeling that people know me that didn't really
meet me. I mean they don't REALLY
know me, but they are having a certain connection with me through
Stargate. Whatever I say is kind of
funny, and if I open the door for someone or I am just being nice, I
am a hero for the fans and the nicest person in the universe. Everything here is exaggerated in a
positive way, but it is very nice.
Perhaps the reason is
that you are not showing negative attitudes, you just turn up in a
crowd. Last night during the auction
you heated up the female fans quite a bit when you did your show
with JR and Amanda and took off your shirt…
Forget about it, it was
all for a good cause. I have been in
the right mood for a joke like this. I
had been at the convention during the day and had already gone home. But when I had read my messages it
hit me and I came back just in time for the auction. What did surprise me that most at
this conventions was the security. I
don't consider myself to be a star who needs protection. Hey, I am simply Colin Cunningham.
It's no problem with
you I think. If Richard Dean
Anderson would show up here, there had to be security because a
stampede would happen…
Then I guess I have to be happy for not being Richard Dean
Anderson – it would drive me crazy!
Did you do research about the
military when you got your role?
To tell you the truth, I
didn't have the time to do that. Only
two days passed before I was on the set. I
met a friend the day before who had some experiences with the
military to enquire how to salute the correct way, what the rank
patches mean and similar stuff.
You have been on some
early episodes of Stargate followed by a longer break, but now you
are on more regularly (48 hours, Prometheus, Disclosure). You are getting contracts only for
one appearance every time?
Yes, since my first
appearance. I never can tell in
advance if they want me back. Because
of this it took me more than four years before I even started trying
to remember the names of crew members because I never expected to be
back again. I always thought "That's
it." I wasn't very sad about that because I had lots of other jobs. During the long breaks I did "The 6th day" with Arnold
Schwarzenegger and appeared in several other TV shows. That's why I am an actor: I am
wearing different hats and from time to time I put on a fake nose.
(laughs)
What was your favourite
moment on Stargate?
That was in "Prometheus"
in season 6 because I loved the story and I had plenty to do. These are the moments when you
really feel comfortable as an actor!
What can you tell me about
working on "The 6th day"?
I tell you what, this was
an awesome experience. I worked
three months together with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Boy,
this was cool. As an actor, you're
reacting pretty normal if you meet such a celebrity. But there were moments when I was thinking "Good god, I
am on screen now with Arnold Schwarzenegger!"
You're living here in Vancouver.
Is it easier for a local to get acting jobs?
I think there is no other
job in the world where you get work harder. I
didn't get any jobs during the first 10 years of my career. Back then I lived in Los Angeles,
and it is almost impossible there. There
are 100,000 actors who are members of the acting union. I gave up in the end and moved to Vancouver. I intended to found my own production company here to
make my own films to get work to do. This
was my attempt to get a little control over my own life. I couldn't give up acting anymore
because I would have kind of given up on myself in this case. I had the luck of getting an agent who got me jobs over
and over again. During the course of
time one thing lead to the next, and now I am sitting here being
interviewed my a German journalist. This
is somehow unreal…
What was the most funny
experience you had on the set of Stargate?
This was in an episode
where I was the last person to speak in a scene with endless
dialogues. I was having problems with my text. Peter
DeLuise was directing.
When Peter is involved something
funny is bound to happen…
I had something to say
about Chevron whatever, Asgard cloaking device, quadrant XYZ and
coordinates god knows what. But
before me O'Neill, Jackson, Carter, Teal'c, the technician and I
don't know who else had something to say. I
think even the scrub-woman was before me. And
I screwed up each and every time and we had to start all over again. This happened several times in a row
and I was desperated cause I really tried. I
will never forget in my whole life when Peter DeLuise – who was
standing about half a mile away at a monitor – screamed over really
loud: "Who did you have sex with to get this job?" I almost died. That's
Peter's sense of humour…
Yes, I got some first hand
experience with that.
It somehow released the
tension because in the very next moment everybody was cracking up. Peter has been an actor himself and
understands that someone can just have a bad day. I only could join in laughing, and the scene was done
in the next take.
Please tell me something about
the theatre play that you just got back from.
It's my pleasure. Last night there was the
performance. It is a one act play
and was part of the theatre festival here in Vancouver. I was producer, director and I was acting. The reason why I did it was because
I have my roots in theatre and it took ages until I had the chance
to get back on stage. It's so great
to act 45 minutes live without somebody yelling "cut" after 2 or 3
minutes cause this is how TV work goes.
What are your next projects?
Last month I got a
permanent role on the Canadian police show "Da Vinci's Inquest". The show has already one several
prices, it's a fantastic show.
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