With the official launch of Stargate Universe only days away the online promotion and advertising mill is currently in overdrive. Multiple new videos, spoilers and cast interviews are flying off the press shelf almost on a daily basis.
In this latest interview by Lou Diamond Phillips he discusses the personal challenges of entering a popular science fiction series and much more.
You can read an excerpt of the interview below:
Q: Were you aware of Stargate before this?
Lou: I was 100% aware of it, yes, but it’s not a show that I followed. That’s certainly no disrespect to the show itself, but for me, I was able to come into this entirely fresh and with new eyes. Since these guys are creating a new hybrid of the beast, there is no baggage. I’m coming onto it trying to create a character that isn’t like anything they’ve done before, and inject my own sensibilities and world view into it.
Q: Was that important to you, with so many spin-offs?
Lou: The beauty of it is that there’s a great deal of interest from the fans that do exist. We don’t want to alienate them, but I think that the appeal of the show is starting to spread to people who are not hardcore sci-fi fans. The presence of people like Robert Carlyle and Ming-Na makes people suddenly go, “Okay, this is going to be a different approach.” It’s obviously much more character-oriented and not as much about a superhero state of mind.
Q: Do you ever have to worry about being the token ethnic character?
Lou: Not on this show, and usually not in anything else I step onto. Fortunately for me, my body of work speaks for itself. I obviously will play ethnic characters. The last film I did was Che, with Benicio Del Toro playing Mario Monje, the Bolivian Communist secretary. So those roles are open to me, but fortunately I’ve played enough leading men and enough character roles that I get to play the white guy every once in a while, too.
Q: Is it even important to this character?
Lou: No, it’s not. We haven’t really delved into Col. Telford’s background, as of yet. It may play a role in the future, but it is certainly not the be all, end all.
Q: What sort of cool action will you get to do on the show?
Lou: So far, I get to fly the fighter jet, which is always kind of bizarre. It’s a big model where you sit in front of a green screen. I think some of my more interesting plot points are going to be coming in the future.
Q: Do you have stunt work?
Lou: Hopefully so. I’m trying to stay in shape, for whatever might come up.
Q: What’s your work-out routine?
Lou: I have a dear friend, Daryl Chan, who was introduced to me by another dear friend, Brandon Lee. He taught me a lot of tricks and, ever since Courage Under Fire, I’ve tried to stay within striking distance. So, whenever I play a military character, like Col. Telford, I try to present a physical aspect to the character as well. I find myself in the gym an awful lot. I do a mix of weight lifting and cardio. And, I try to eat right, although I like my beer. I just try to eat smart and not do pizza at two o’clock in the morning.