Aaron Douglas comes to Lethbridge
By: Carey Rutherford & Rob Diaz-Marino
Date: December 2013 (Issue 122)
Source: GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine
In the last decade, Aaron Douglas has been in feature films, TV movies, web movies, several different television series (both as mainstays and not), visited David Letterman more than once, and is now starting to write scripts himself.
GayCalgary Magazine had the pleasure of interviewing him for a third time as he was out for the Lethbridge Comic & Entertainment Expo, after hosting a hilarious discussion panel and signing autographs for adoring (and sometimes intimidating) fans.
While he is probably best known for his role in Battlestar Galactica, we caught him a bit off guard by bringing up the campy series Hemlock Grove as one of his credits.
“Did you like it? I liked it too. I liked working on it. They’re doing season 2 and I’m not back, so I don’t like it as much any more. …They’re going in a different direction, I’m sure it’s going to be great. …I would have liked to come back but they went another way.”
So what else has he been up to since he last spoke with us? He was able to rattle off a whole list of projects, and a few new updates:
“This year I did season 3 of The Killing. I did an episode of Falling Skies about a month ago. I did one of those Scifi movies of the week, Zodiac… I’ve been writing for the last few years, and I’ve got a feature script that I’ve been meeting with a studio in LA for the last couple of weeks and it looks like they’re going to make it! So, we’re going to be somewhere filming a movie I wrote, in the spring, which will be very cool. I got a call last night from my agent saying there’s a movie shooting in Salt Lake City that has offered me their bad guy role – you’re the first to find out about that! It’s not sealed, contract isn’t closed, but the offer’s there and I said yeah, I’d love to do it, sounds like fun. …So next year is either going to be profoundly busy or it’s all going to fall apart and I’m gonna come work for you guys!”
So dibs are called on the position for secretary. Aaron does like to tease – this was apparent for many who attended The Aaron Douglas Meet & Greet at Telegraph Tap House, where he got slightly drunk, pitted geek against geek with a trivia contest, and allowed the sexual innuendo to flow freely.
“I was a maniac… They asked me to come up early and do a meet and greet at a pub. Everybody has a couple of drinks and I get a beer…or 17. We just tell funny stories and just hang out. I really enjoyed that night, it was a lot of fun, other than the fact that the bar didn’t have the hockey game that I wanted – which is odd being in Canada. …When you’re in a pub there’s no kids, and when it’s late enough all the ‘churchies’ have gone to bed so I get to do whatever I want. That’s very exciting for me!”
It’s no secret that the man is good friends with Star Trek TNG celebrity Wil Wheaton, from the multitude of anecdotes he has about their experiences together, and the friendly behind-the-back insults.
“Will and I met at a Con in Sacramento years ago. I remember walking in and seeing him sitting there and going Geez: that’s Will Wheaton! Wow! That’s really cool! …Later, he was doing a panel, and was coming off the stage as I was going on, and as he was passing by me, we were both doing the Hey!, and then we both turned and said I’ve just gotta tell you I’m a huge fan. We both had a fanboy moment, and I started talking about his work and he started talking about my work, and was in the middle of watching Battlestar with his son, so it was a really unique moment. …Wil and I have become really good friends. He’s a wonderful man, remarkable human being, sweet guy…FRACK YOU WIL WHEATON!”
Considering how spontaneously funny he is, one has to wonder if he would be open to doing comedy instead of his increasingly frequent role as a bad guy.
“I’d love to do some comedy. Problem is…I just do dark show after dark show, so nobody sees me being funny other than my friends and people that attend cons. …Nobody sees me as the funny guy. In the industry it’s just like he’s dark, he’s big, I’m not Mike & Molly.”
We threw around some hyphoteticals, such as an appearance on Big Bang Theory where Wheaton regularly guest stars.
“Yes! Yes! I should do Big Bang Theory! Yes, somebody listen! I would love to do a little stint on that, or Modern Family. Or Archer! …Somehow I could be on Sheldon’s bowling team. If I showed up, and Wheaton’s bowling, he’s going to beat him, and then I show and he’s really going to get his ass kicked. It writes itself!”
Aaron Douglas is well aware that the bear community loves him, so we asked whether he would ever be willing to make an appearance at a gay bear event.
“Of course I would! Any excuse to hang out with fun people and have a drink, tell some stories, and just be an idiot. Life is too short to be so serious. Invite me, bears, invite me! …I love the fact that you don’t make me go to the gym. I love you for it, I really do!”
[click thumbnails to enlarge images]
NOTE: You can watch the video that accompanied this interview at http://www.aarondouglasfans.com/?p=15985