Aaron Douglas – gallactic amongst fans
By: Scott Casey
Date: April 13, 2007
Source: Brisbane Times
Aaron Douglas, the star of science fiction favourite Battlestar Galactica, is taking time out of his busy schedule of fighting robots and defending the human race to visit his fans in Brisbane.
The Canadian native is best known as Chief Tyrol in Battlestar – a role which has launched him into science fiction stardom. The show won a cult following in its first incarnation in the 1970s – and the remake, in which Douglas stars, now has a massive following on the Sci-Fi Channel. Douglas has also had smaller roles in hit movies such as The Chronicles of Riddick and X-Men 2, and television shows Dark Angel and Smallville.
He spoke to brisbanetimes.com.au entertainment reporter Scott Casey this week.
You entered acting later than most of your contemporaries – what led you into an acting career?
For four years after high school I was a floor layer – I did a lot of construction work until my knees gave out. So I went and worked for a software company doing marketing, then a sports nutrition company… and quit when I was 26 or 27. After a year at acting school, I got an agent and here I am. My mom says I used to say I wanted to be an actor but I’m sure I wanted to be a lawyer…now I’d only be a TV lawyer. If I had to sit in front of a computer for 16 hours a day I’d want to shoot myself in the head!
Battlestar was your big break – why do you think the show has been so successful?
Battlestar’s popularity really starts with it’s great writing. It’s real human drama, with real human emotion, and the writers don’t pull an punches – they really tell it like it is, hold a mirror up to the world and start discussions. It’s just top to bottom an outstanding show to work. Compared to the other shite that’s on TV, you don’t have to go far to whip them.
How intense is the filing of Battlestar?
We take eight days to film each episode. When you are in scenes that are in different locations then you’ll work a lot – they go to one set and shoot all the scenes from that set, so if you’re in multiple scenes then you’ll work a whole bunch. Battlestar starts filming on May 14, so once we start we’re going we’ll shoot until March 2008, so we don’t really have time to do much else.
So here’s the Sci-Fi geek question, how would you react if you were fleeing the Cylons?
I hope and think that I’d respond in the same way that Tyrol does. He’s a pretty courageous guy and he’s tough – everybody’s a hero sitting on their couch but once the bullets start flying it really separates the men from the boys.
The Chief has developed a stronger role in the series, what do you think of that? And where is it going?
I have no idea where it’s going in season four, but I’m thrilled with what they’ve done with the Chief. He was a pretty small character in the mini-series and he wasn’t supposed to amount to much – he’s just grown and they’ve given me more to do. I identify with him in a lot of ways.
So what else is in the pipeline for you?
I just finished a film called Blood, A Butchers Tale, it’ll be out next year – it’s all green-screen like 300 or Sin City – a very stylised, comic book sort of video game look, it’ll be very cool. I play the Butcher in that, the main guy, so I’m looking forward to that.
Its been leaked on the internet that Battlestar is ending after the next season, how would you like to see it end?
I would like us to find Earth and then discover that Earth is completely populated by Cylons – that the people on the ships are the only humans left in the entire universe and the Cylons have been on Earth the entire time…
What are you looking forward too about the conference and about Brisbane?
I’m looking forward to seeing (Lord of the Rings star) Karl Urban again. I really want to see the sites, meet the locals and get a real taste for the culture, have a pint and talk sports. I’m looking forward to some sunny days…sunshine and a couple of beers, that’s all I need.
Aaron Douglas will be in Brisbane for the Supanova Pop-Culture Convention at the RNA showgrounds this Saturday and Sunday, April 14-15. Entry is $20 for a daily pass or $30 for the weekend. Children under 12 are FREE.