Interview – Page 7

INTERVIEW: Aaron Douglas ready to wear some ‘earth clothes’ on ‘The Bridge’

Aaron Douglas ready to wear some ‘earth clothes’ on ‘The Bridge’
By: Tyrone Warner
Date: February 24, 2010
Source: CTV

After four years of appearing in the sci-fi hit “Battlestar Galactica,” this Canadian actor says he’s ready to play a character with his feet planted firmly on the ground.

“I loved Battlestar Galactica and I’m proud of it, but it’s nice to put on ‘earth clothes,’ drive in a car, go to an office, answer a phone, and eat a hamburger.. doing real-life, real world stuff,” Aaron Douglas tells CTV.ca.

Douglas played the space-craft bound Chief Galen Tyrol on “BSG” until the series wrapped on its fourth season last year. Now Douglas is moving on to a starring role in the new CTV original series, “The Bridge,” which premieres Friday, March 5 at 9pm ET.

“The Bridge” is a police drama that focuses on beat cop Frank Leo (Aaron Douglas) and the understaffed Bridge Division, where good cops are being blamed for drug rip-offs. Framed by corrupt police brass, Frank’s mentor commits suicide. But when the brass won’t give him a police funeral, Frank puts his career on the line and leads a walk-out strike.

With the series resting entirely on his shoulders, Douglas admits that taking on his first major starring role has proven to be harder than any other experience he’s had before.

“The challenge with this role — literally — is for me being in 90% of the scenes and having 10 pages of dialog a day. And when I’m not working I’m in interviews, getting pulled in this direction, that direction — even in my downtime on set, in my trailer, the door never stops knocking. Being #1 on the call sheet is a new thing for me… but I’m quickly adapting,” says Douglas.

The actor has also had to get a feel for shooting “The Bridge” with an all-new crew in Toronto, unlike “BSG” which was filmed on the other side of the country in his native Vancouver.

“I had the same crew there for six years, and had the same routine. Suddenly to come out here, the little things that are different make you go, ‘Oh… I have much different way to do that.’ Not that my way is better — it’s just a different way that I’m used to. But our crew here is amazing, and our guys are great.”

Douglas, born in the Vancouver suburb of New Westminster, BC, who after graduating from the William B. Davis Center for Actors, began steady work in various roles on TV and in movies. He’s appeared in films including “X-Men 2,” “The Chronicles of Riddick” and “I, Robot.”

For Torontonians, themes and storylines from “The Bridge” will ring familiar, with the series being inspired by the notorious ex-police union head Craig Bromell, and written by Alan Di Fiore.

Douglas credits Bromell’s hands-on advice on the set of “The Bridge” with adding a heightened level of realism to the series, adding little details and suggestions for every police procedure.

“He’s always there, he’ll answer any question. He’ll always talk about what to do, how to stand, how to walk. He’s a remarkable man, and I’m proud to call him a friend,” says Douglas.

“I’m glad to have that resource, because I wasn’t a cop, and he has a lot of information that informs me what to do.”

“The Bridge” premieres with a special two-hour premiere on CTV, and returns to it’s regular timeslot at 10p.m. ET.

Filed Under: Interview - Online Tagged With: Television: The Bridge (Interview)

INTERVIEW (AUDIO): Aaron Douglas Battlestar Galactica interview

BLOG Aaron Douglas Battlestar Galactica interview
By: Kelly Harker
Date: February 18, 2010
Source: SFX

Questions submitted by SFX readers:

Filed Under: Interview - Audio

INTERVIEW: Aaron Douglas Battlestar Galactica interview

BLOG Aaron Douglas Battlestar Galactica interview
By: Kell Harker
Date: February 18, 2010
Source: SFX

It’s not 100% confirmed until my test results are in, but I may be a Cylon. At the very least, I’m a Cylon sympathizer. You could imagine my excitement then, when a comline was established with my favourite character from the series: Chief Galen Tyrol, played by the charming and hilarious Aaron Douglas. Lucky for us, Aaron was kind enough to take time out of watching the Olympic games on television to answer a few questions for SFX.

You’ll be in Nova Scotia this next October for HAL-CON. Have you visited the Maritimes before?

“I’ve been to every single province. When I was 14 years old our family drove all the way from Vancouver to Newfoundland and back. I’ve been all across the great land of Canada. I absolutely love the Maritimes and I’m very excited to go back, particularly in the fall when it’s one of the most beautiful places on Earth.”

Because you’re a sci-fi cult favourite, do you attend a lot of conventions internationally?

“I go to as many as I can, but sometimes it’s hard with my schedule. I love going to conventions and I love spending time with the fans, and going to parts of the world where I wouldn’t normally go. It’s fun doing the conventions and meeting people who love the show; just being able to hang out at the bar and have a beer with a fan and talk to them about football, and about Battlestar, and about life. That’s the really great part about being a sci-fi actor.”

What’s the strangest fan request that you’ve ever had?

“Signing boobs is always up there. I’ve also had, ‘Hold this teddy bear and let me take a picture.’ You know, you get some fans who try to go out of their way to do something silly so that it’s memorable… but for the most part people are just interested in talking about the show with me. 99.99% of them are very sweet. Although I do know that the female actors get it much worse than I do. [Laugh] Yeah, no one wants to see my boobs.”

BSG has really resonated with science fiction fans. Do you think it’s fair to say that Galactica is the most important sci-fi show of the decade?

“Wow, of the decade?! I really don’t like to compare one show to another but yes. Yes it is. Star Trek put sci-fi on the map and changed television, and Battlestar has changed it in another direction by making it a little more mainstream and acceptable to people who wouldn’t normally watch sci-fi.”

In the show there’s really no good guy or bad guy, but how did you feel when you found out that your character was a Cylon?

“I hated it at first because I thought that they were taking a character that the fans really loved, and making him someone that fans would really detest. I fought Ron Moore on it at first, but I love it now and I could not be more proud because it was a great story idea. The thing that ultimately made a lot of sense for that character is how he went on in his life with the world never quite making any sense, until he suddenly found out that he was a Cylon.”

The show did take a lot of risks with its characters, but I think that’s what made it so interesting…

“I completely agree. I don’t like shows that are predictable. I like it when you’re shocked and you have no idea who’s about to die.”

What’s your favourite memory of playing Chief Galen Tyrol?

“I have a couple favourite memories. I really like the scene in the bar when Adama bumps the Chief down to Private. But the greatest shooting day that I’ll never forget is at the end of the ‘Dirty Hands’ episode, and there’s a scene with the Chief and the President – that was about six hours of Mary McDonnell and I just sitting and talking. She is just the loveliest person on the planet, and by far the greatest actor who I’ve ever worked with. That’s a memory that will stick out for a very, very long time.”

You’ll be starring as police union head Frank Leo in the Canadian drama series The Bridge, which will premiere on CTV/CBS on 5 March. Can you tell us a little about your move from sci-fi to a drama series?

“Well, I wear a suit instead of jumpsuit. [Laugh] And I’m in a car instead of in a big giant spaceship. [Laughing] It’s interesting because The Bridge still deals with human drama and the struggle between people and relationships. I think it should be really good. I think people are going to enjoy it. It’s definitely a different thing because we shoot seven days a week, and five or six of those days are on location. We’re constantly moving around – we’re inside and also outside – whereas on Battlestar I was 95% filmed on the stage. It’s easier when you’re on a stage because you can control the weather. While filming in Toronto last year I got rained on a lot. Everyone told me it wouldn’t rain in Toronto! They obviously lied. Those liars. [Laugh]”

Thanks Aaron! It’ll be great to meet you in person at HAL-CON. in October.

“Oh wait! I forgot that I wanted to say, GO CANADA GO!”

Stand alert! Here’s some great questions submitted by SFX readers:

Filed Under: Interview - Online

INTERVIEW (AUDIO): Roger Noriega – NDB Radio (February 8, 2010)

Aaron Douglas of BSG and Final Destination is in the house!
By: Roger Noriega – NDB Radio (BlogTalkRadio)
Date: February 8, 2010
Source: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/ndbmedia/2010/02/09/aaron-douglas-of-bsg-and-final-destination-is-in-the-house

Today (February 8th, 2010) Aaron was interviewed by Roger Noriega of NDB Radio.
The interview is available to download on iTunes and the BlogTalkRadio website.

Aaron comes on around the 03:56 time stamp. The interview is about 55 minutes long.

[audio:http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ndbmedia/2010/02/09/aaron-douglas-of-bsg-and-final-destination-is-in-the-house.mp3|titles=NDB Radio – Interview with Aaron Douglas (February 2010)]

Aaron Douglas Interview – Roger Noriega: NDB Radio (BlogTalkRadio)

Filed Under: Interview - Audio

INTERVIEW: Ask The Chief (Q&A with fans) Nov 2009

Ask The Chief
Date: November 16, 2009
Source: The Chief’s Deck (Aaron Douglas LiveJournal Community)

Note: The questions were posted in March 2009 but not answered by Aaron until November 2009.

QandA

Sorry I took so long to get to the questions.
I also realize I didn’t answer every one. I did that because the question had already been asked and the answer is somewhere above.

I have a lot of fondness for BSG and the more time passes the more that fondness grows. It seems that time heals the frustrations and annoyances of working, whether it be in TV and Film or anywhere else.

I do miss the show and the people from it. I am thrilled with the way it ended, I think Ron Moore made something incredibly special and life changing for many of us. I also truly believe that BSG changed the face of TV in a significant way.

Having seen the new Star Trek, which I think is just plain incredible, I can see the influence of BSG particularly in the Viz FX. Those battle scenes are wonderful and very much resemble the Viz FX from BSG.

I am happy that the Chief walked off and I don’t want to see him again. I will let my imagination tell me a story of what he is doing now.

Maybe when the Bridge airs we will do another of these.

bye for now.

Source: THE CHIEF’S DECK

now_all_is_well: Did you have input on how your character arc was wrapped up? Did you feel like your character had enough closure? If not, what would you have liked to have seen happen to Chief in the last episode?

Thank you for an amazing 4 seasons.

Sorry I have taken so long to get to these questions.

I love the way the show ended. I am very pleased with the way the Chief finished up. Nuts to the humans and nuts to the Cylons. I am heading off alone.

thespos: Hi, Aaron. Thank you for your great work.

As I was thinking about the end of BSG, it seemed to me there were several other stories that would work well as a mini-series or movie, besides The Plan – like more about the Final Five on their Earth, and the events leading up to their departure, or the Exodus from Kobol in the first place for the 13th Tribe or the other tribes.

Do you know if there are any plans to explore these ideas?

Thanks again for being a part of television history with such a quality program.

I have no idea about anything upcoming. I know they tore the sets down immediately after we finished so I would assume it is done and done.

I would not like to see anything further of the Chief. I would do more backstory but following him through the Highlands doesn’t make for compelling TV.

baterista9: We know you’re a musician. Which instrument(s) do you play? Do you sing, and if so, what range?

*trying to make up for my poor question at Dragon*Con*

Guitar just a little.

I sing but not as well as I used to. I would consider myself a crooner.

elektra_lite: Thank you so much for your work on the show – it’s been consistently amazing. I’d like to know what the Chief’s motivation for strangling Tory to death was – I mean, apart from the obvious! But what was going through his mind at the time – love, anger, hatred, etc? Also, what did you think of the finale as a whole – love, like, not so much, hate?

I’m looking forward to seeing you in The Plan, and good luck with the new series!

I think the Chiefs motivation for killing Tory was pretty simple. She killed his wife and lied to him and betrayed him.

oriencor: Hello Trouble!

I know you said you had thousands of songs and listened to a lot of different music, so..

Do you have a favorite by:

Tom Waits?
Flogging Molly?
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds?

Have you ever played a role paying game? If so, which one?

(Wish I had a more clever question, but I’m currently medicated as hell due to wrecking my knee!)

Waits? Nope

I like a lot of Flogging Molly.

I have never heard of Nick Cave

sorry

Role playing? nope

juliet_demarcus: Hi, Aaron. First of all, thank you for your consistently incredible work on the show, from the miniseries all the way to the finale!

How do you personally imagine Tyrol’s life on “new Earth” playing out once he leaves for the northern island he spoke of? Do you think he would survive very long, entirely cut off from others, with just whatever provisions he had? Do you think that the mental place he was in when he made the choice to set off on his own would ever dissipate, or do you think he would feel the need to be removed from other people until the day he died due to all that he had been through? In other words I suppose, would he ever regret the decision to go off alone?

Also, was there any other character you would have really liked Tyrol to have had a parting scene with on the planet, in addition to Tigh and Ellen? If so, who would that be, and why?

Thank you again for all your amazing work! I very much look forward to seeing you in The Plan and your new series The Bridge as well!

I liked the fact that the only scene was with Tigh and Ellen. They were there since the start and they are there at the end. Galen realized he had no ties to the humans and I think he psychologically left them behind on the ship.

I love that he went off alone and I picture him getting on very well alone.

Samiface: How do you feel about the progression of characters now that the bsg series has ended? how do you feel about the chief’s ending? is the closure for your character as perfect as we as fans see it?

Some characters I really liked and some I didn’t care for at the beginning and still didn’t care for at the end.
I think it is an amazing show, well written, well directed, well acted and well told.

It really is an incredible piece of TV.

Iheartcylons: Hi Aaron, thanks for taking the time out to answer questions for us. Congrats on your new show, I can’t wait to see more of your great work.

What do you see yourself involved in a few years from now? Meaning, do you have any specific goals set for your career, or are you just wanting to see where life takes you?

Do you plan to keep going to cons? (*Crossing fingers, hoping to get to meet you again. LOL.*)

I go where life leads. The universe has been very good to me thus far and I trust it will continue to take care of me.

Yes to cons

jessie187: First and foremost, My husband and I felt that your performance on BSG was beautifully authentic and even. Never over the top which is incredible considering the major transitions, emotions and obstacles Galen had to face. He always rang true for us. You did a brilliant job- so Thanks

Now for a query or two, We enjoyed the back stories on Caprica and we would have loved to see the Chief. Was there any discussion about showing Galen and his life before the fall? If so, what were the ideas? Secondly did you have a hand in choosing Galen’s final destination-we thought it was perfect!

We are looking forward to meeting you at Emerald Con-our first-and once again excellent work!

have no idea what goes on in the writers room.

Ron Moore wrote the final destination as an island off the Northern continent and I asked if it could be Scotland. He said sure…..

stogam612: You had some amazing storylines and episodes during the run of the series such as Dirty Hands. Did you ever have any input as to the writing or the direction of your character?

the writers and Ron were always available to talk about story lines and direction.

I had questions from time to time, not often, but mostly I simply trusted them to take the story where they felt it should go.

They did an amazing job and I disagree with nothing.

blue_crow: Overall, what was your favorite arc for Tyrol? The beginning as Boomer’s boyfriend, the Union Man/Resistance Fighter on New Caprica, the Blackbird construction arc, the Final Five discovery arc? What was the most fun, and what was the most rewarding acting experience?

What did you think about the decision that the pro-worker, union Chief who seems to prefer sweats and duty tank tops was totally metro on Earth and wore emoglasses?

Also, I really liked the interview that you did with Bear McCreary not long ago, and I was really curious about some of the experiences you talked about having with other cast members. Would you care to elaborate on any of them? I’d love to hear any good stories.

I hope to get to thank you in person for all your incredible work on BSG at Emerald City Comicon.

The final five for sure.
Working with Mary. She is pure genius and wonderfully lovely.
That was a different person.

Interview with Bear? I don’t remember that.

The interview with Bear was emailed questions. That is all I can remember. We didn’t do a sit down Q&A.

boonav: So I fell in love with the Chief so very long ago and have enjoyed your intrepretation of him from season one. There have been so many wonderful scenes for you to play. Nope, not gonna ask you which was your favorite, ’cause after 5 years how the hell do ya pick? What I do wanna ask is what will you miss by not being able to play this role any longer?

Second question… Can you tell us a little about your next role? I call him Chief Frank (LOL). Gotta have Chief in there.

Third question…If there was a brewery on one side of the street and a fine whiskey maker on the other.. what do you do? Do you just stand in the middle of the street drooling, or do you pick one?

Forth question…How does it feel to know that you will ALWAYS be known to a lot of fans as the Chief, no matter what role you are offered? Would being the Chief be like being Captain Kirk? ALWAYS being known as that character? How do you feel about being an icon like the Chief to people for years to come? Legacy or curse?

And last but not least Number 5…We have Frank Leo to look forward to and THE PLAN also. Any other irons in the fire? Or are you gonna become a con addict. I know how you feel about us rabid (in a good way) fans!!

Lastly thank you for being cool. Not a breezy-wind-blowing-in-your-hair kinda cool, but the gotta-be-my-own-kinda-guy-and-you-can-kiss-my-a$$ kinda guy. We need more of you out there and you ARE appreciated.

I miss the crew and some of the cast but the story is done and it is good to move on.

Frank Leo, President of the Police Union. When cops get in trouble it is up to him and the union to help them out. This show will be dark and hopefully real. I hope real life police officers look at The Bridge the way Military people look at BSG.

Start at one then move to the other.

I LOVE being the Chief.

I love the fans and anyone that has ever seen me at a con knows I love those as well. I am doing a new show called Emissary with Phil Morris starting in 2010.

damaged_hearts: Dear Mr Douglas,

First may I congratulate on your amazing work on BSG, it has been a privilege to see you on our TV screens.

Ok questions: Were you initially surprised that the Boomer/Tyrol was brought back near the end of S4 and also, I’m sure there are lots, but what were your funniest moments on set..

BSG, best show ever made, Mr Douglas, I salute you! :)

I like that the Boomer Tyrol line came back to be dealt with.

Funny moments? Those usually happened off set.

shaylyn29: Hi Aaron, thanks for taking time to answer questions again.

1. What did you think of the last episode of BSG after seeing it all done and put together? Do you have a favorite part?

2. Have you ever read anything by Stephen King or Dean Koontz? If so what and did you like it? I recommend Insomnia or The Dark Tower series by Stephen King.

3. What would you consider the most perfect date with someone?

Thanks for being part of BSG the last 4 seasons. You and the rest of the cast made it was it was. And thanks for being so cool, hope to be able to meet you one day.

I thought it was amazing and I love the way it ended.

I really liked the Dark Tower series. King is hit and miss sometimes but I liked that. Never read Koontz.

Perfect Date? Not sure…. there would be beer…. and gambling….and hilarity…

lls_mutant: Hi Aaron,

Thanks so much for doing this. Tyrol was one of my favorite characters from the beginning, and one of the few to actually stay that way consistently throughout the show, and I really enjoyed your work.

Question:

Knowing how the story all turned out, if you could go back and rewrite anything in the series with 20/20 hindsight, what would you add in/subtract/change? (And saying “Black Market” is cheating.)

If you were a soldier on the Galactica without the viewer’s omniscient viewpoint, do you think you would you have mutinied during the Gaeta/Zarek mutiny?

Thanks again!

I wouldn’t change a thing. BSG is the sum of its parts, warts and all. And there were not many warts.

No mutiny. I always thought, ok so you take over the ship…. then what? it changes nothing.

taragel: Thanks for taking the time out to answer our questions Aaron. Your portrayal of Galen has been one of my favorite elements of BSG.

My question is about how you felt regarding the escalation of violence as one of Galen’s personality traits (beating Cally, taking a wrench to Helo, clubbing the random worker eight to help Boomer, finally murdering Tory). Such actions always felt so uncharacteristic (as did him dismissing Cally as someone he never truly loved and just settled for) to me, but was wondering what your thoughts on that was.

Looking forward to watching you in The Bridge this summer!

Chief always loved Boomer. That never ended. If you watch from the start there was never real love between Cally and Galen. More of a sense of duty.

Beating Cally had nothing to do with it being her. Anyone who woke him up during that nightmare would have gotten the same thing.

Helo was rage born from Helo being with a Boomer look a like.

Clubbing the random worker was done to serve a greater purpose. That was a mistake.

Murdering Tory was just desserts….

mmegiry: Hello, Aaron! Thank you for everything, for developing a character as complex and fascinating as Chief Tyrol and I look forward very much to seeing more of your work.

Now the show is on hiatus until Season Five(*is in denial*), is there one particular storyline, other than any of the Chief’s own story arc’s, which you look back on and think think WOW more than the others?

And other than the Chief, (and feel free to ignore this question if you’ve been asked it before!) do you have a favourite character?

I hope to see you in London at some point!

I think all of the work of the writers was tremendous.

I like everything Tricia Helfer did in the show. And Tigh

dirty_grrl: My question was already asked, so you get this completely lame question instead.

Would you rather
A) be able to fly, or
B) have the ability to read peoples’ minds?

There’s really no point to this question and in all honesty, it should probably just be ignored. However, I’ve chosen and reasoned it all out, so I’m curious to see which way you’d go. Dazzle us, Sir!

people minds for sure

greatest poker player ever

madelineanne: Hey Aaron!

Thank you so much for all the wonderful work you’ve done on BSG and the generosity you’ve shown to your fans!

I have 3 questions so here goes…

1. Which is your favorite Pendergast novel? I’m in the midst of re-reading the series and I’m so torn between my love of “Relic” I think because it was the first and a great story and due to my love of the Museum of Natural History (the only museum I’ve ever been able to explore after hours and make out in the fake rainforest). But as the series progresses Pendergast and D’Agosta as characters are just getting more and more fascinating and their relationship becomes so entertaining. So I’m curious about which novel you feel was the best.

2. There was some mention in interviews of your flamingo. Was that by any chance referring to something my friends and I used to do, namely using plastic lawn flamingos to shotgun beer? I hope, if you have never used a lawn flamingo as a beer bong you won’t think our actions too too lowbrow. I was living in central Illinois at the time and frankly think that shotgunning beer through a lawn flamingo is a step up from cowtipping. :)

3. What was your favorite relationship on BSG? And by relationship I don’t necessarily mean romantic relationship. I mean, it could be a romantic relationship, or it could be a friendship, or a love someone had for Galactica, or a familial relationship.

I love them all. I like Relic and the one with the Crows.

We didn’t use flamingos. We used a GIANT glass boot. Flamingo refers to one of my best friends in the world who happened to be a producer on BSG

I cherish a lot of the friendships I made during the making of that show. I love my friendship with Tricia, Jamie, James, Tahmoh, Grace… I should stop before I miss someone.

The person I stay in touch with a lot and who I absolutely adore is Candice. She is so lovely and sweet and we always have great chats when we find each other in the same city and have a dinner.

ninety6tears: What are your big aspirations or ideal dream jobs? Are there any projects or directors you would particularly love to work with in the future?

Thank you for your amazing work on this show and for being so cool to the fans! :)

Tim Burton for sure!! Love his films

Peter Weir. Master and Commander is one of my all time favorite films.

I would really like to do a film with Kenneth Branagh.

shastastar: Hey Aaron-

Besides your anticipation of being able to speed as much as you want wherever you want, what was your favorite thing about getting to play Frank Leo so far ( in the pilot) , and ( part 2) What aspect of portraying this new role do you anticipate is going to be the biggest challenge for you moving forward?

Thanks!!!!
SS

On the Bridge I work 15 hours a day 5 days a week. It is exhausting.

that is the biggest challenge.

jeebs83: Hey Aaron, thanks again for doing this. :)

Can you talk a little about working with Michael Nankin? What is his directing style? His shows seem to bring out something special in each actor, making them some of my favorite episdoes of the whole series.

Oh, and AMAZING working in Someone To Watch Over Me. Really amazing.

He is not only a great guy he is a great director.

He makes us all feel very safe as actors and gives wonderful direction. He is very knowledgeable and has a very clear vision of what he wants. He is prepared and simply is a great story teller.

od0_ital: Hey, Aaron!

Thanks so much for all your work on Battlestar Galactica! And, personally, it was so cool when ya found out I’m “that guy” from All-Con. Good memory, man.

Anyway, I’m just curious, now that you’ve done a miniseries, four seasons and a movie on BSG, has it spoiled you from doin’ any other scifi work? Is gettin’ cast as the lead for The Bridge a sign for your fans to follow you away from scifi? Or will the right material bring ya back to the geeky side of entertainment?

Good luck with the new series, hope to see ya in Dallas again next year, maybe with a couple of your really articulate & educated castmates! Or Starbuck.

If there is a great script and role and situation I would love a return to scifi sometime.

annabella: Aaron –

First, Thank you for being willing to do another Ask the Chief! Second, thank you for bringing the Chief to life for all of us to enjoy. :)

And now onto my question(s) –

What’s the one thing you would say to someone who can’t decide whether or not to attend a convention? I ask because I’m trying to get up the desire to go, I mean I think it would be awesome to meet people who are into the things I am but all those people in the same place for days? Gives me the willies.

What material souveniers did you get to take away from BSG?

If this last one is too personal, feel free not to answer it – It appears that several of your Angels are looking forward to watching you make out on screen again. Do you like or dislike doing “romantic scenes”? Why or why not?

Thank you Thank you Thank you! :-)

Go to the con. My boys and I will be there and we will have a beer with you.

You will have a blast.

There is nothing romantic or hot about shooting those scenes. There are 100 people watching and it is really artificial.

amysisson: Hi Aaron. I do have a question, but first, I’ve been waiting to type this sentence forever — had to see the finale first to make sure it still held true: this is the best television show I have ever seen. Your role played a huge part in that.

OK, question: did you think it was in character for Chief to vote to leave the fleet? I have to admit I think Tory would really be the only one who would want to leave. But I think for suspense the writer(s) wanted Ellen to be the deciding vote, so they needed another “leave” vote and they handed it to Chief by default. Maybe you have some insight that I’m missing.

Hi from NASA Abell, by the way.

HEY AMY!!!!

how are ya sweets?

I think it was in character, absolutely! He had had enough of all of the BS. It was not his life anymore and he had no ties to the ship or humanity. I liked the choice.

But maybe they did need the Ellen vote suspense.

Hey to Abell for me

grammarwoman: You, sir, are a truly great guy to answer more questions for the fans.

In thinking back to the miniseries and the first season, did you ever ponder what arcs Tyrol and the other characters would go through, and if so, which one(s) turned out the closest and the farthest away from what you pictured?

Do you see Tyrol visiting and/or living in Boomer’s or a projection of his own creation during his solitary exile on that northern island?

Are there any good drunken BSG cast/crew stories you can share with us? *grin*

On what big or frivolous purchases did you spend your first large “I’m an actor now!” paycheck?

Thanks for taking the time for our questions!

I had no idea where they were taking any of it. I was along for a pleasant ride.

I think the Starbuck thing was confusing but that is it.

No, I see Galen blocking it all out and spending his days building a still.

there are many many drunken stories….. i just don’t remember them…..

Vegas…..

imfiery: My question already got asked as well. And you have been so awesome about answering questions at the cons I’ve seen you at. So I will just continue a conversation that I had with you in Phoenix. Battlestar was my show of choice when I was sick and it became a carrot to getting through my treatment. You said you thought that was a result of the excellent writing. I agree with you in part. They are still only words on a page until an actor breathes life into them. So thank you to your castmates for their amazing work and to you for making Chief Tyrol a wonderful and complex character to watch and get into. I’m disappointed about the scenes that got cut, but that’s show biz and I do think you did the best work I’ve seen you you do in “Someone to Watch Over Me”. I cried like a baby. The bar has been set Mister. Looking forward to more in The Bridge.

So how are you enjoying your iTouch?

And what is your favorite moment with Callis?

I love my itouch. So much better than a blackberry. I can’t wait to get an iphone.

Every moment with Callis is pure gold

rebelliousrose: Welcome back and thank you for taking the time to answer questions.

I miss BSG and Chief already.

You said that you did a journal of the last couple of months of BSG and that you were planning to share- any hope of seeing some of that, because speaking as an addict whose supply has just been cut off, I’d be delighted to know what BSG folk ate for lunch! I know I was really interested in the idea of your set diary (especially because you can be relied on to tell a good story) and, well, might we have a peek or two?

The diary is a little to honest to print at this point…..

whiteindigo: Hey there. I’ve done my best to weed through all the other questions, so hopefully these haven’t been asked!

As has been said by many others, thank you for an amazing four seasons and I look forward to seeing what you will be up to in the future! The Bridge looks great!

1) Was there anything in the Tyrol story arc that you felt was really out of character?
2) What memory (or memories) stick out most in your mind when you think of your time working on BSG? Do you have a favorite memory? (Sorry! I know this is a bit of a tough question!)
3) Do you know your Meyers-Briggs (personality type)? If so, what is it!?

Thank you!!

……. not sure….. I think taken in view of the entirety of the series and his arc it all makes sense.

Working with Mary. Silliness with Hogan, Trucco, Callis. Working with Nankin, Hardy, Rymer and Hemmingway.

And wine with Angeli

jamieaddict: Hey Aaron just a few questions, I hope they are not lame…

Do you ever see yourself directing?

-What kind of movies do you like?

-I felt bad for the Chief when he decided to go to an island alone. Do you think in time he changed his mind, met someone and had a shitload of kids?

-If Tory would not have killed Cally and we he found out Nicky was not his, how do you think he would have reacted towards her?

I would love to direct. hopefully soon.

I like scifi movies and fun action films. I love almost anything by Tim Burton.

dk_siberian: Hey Aaron.

First off, I just wanted to say thanks for doing your part in giving creative life to the character of Chief Tyrol. Amazing job.

So I have an unusual question/scenario. If you, Aaron, could go back to meet Galen Tyrol on Earth, maybe to see him for one last time, would you? What form would that meeting take? Would you have a drink, just talk, chop some wood? What would you say? What would you want to learn? How might you say good-bye?

No, let the man/machine be. It is what he wants.

katie_9918: Dear Aaron,

First of all, thank you for your portrayal of the Chief and your candor with the fans. And from what the other actors had to say at D*C, thank you for nudging some of them in the right direction. Our gratitude probably eclipses theirs.

As a major Star Trek fan, I was wondering if you (having been directly involved with BSG) have any objection to the crazy crossover fangirl in me imagining that this is the human race that broke the cycle and grew up to nearly destory themselves in World War III, made first contact with the Vulcans, and grew up into the Star Trek universe?

Before you answer, remember that the two best Trek engineers of all time, Scotty and O’Brien, came from Scotland and Ireland! Your Chief, being the father of mitochondrial Adam or Eve of the Scotch and Irish? *bouncy*

Also, I really appreciate the fact that Tory was found out regarding Cally’s murder. There are a lot of people who didn’t like the character and made fun of her and just thought she was a waste, but I really loved her even in her most whining and annoying moments (and I’m fully aware of just how many of those moments she had) and I just have to ask: I know there were times when the Chief didn’t like Cally, but there had to be underlying affection there, wasn’t there? Why did he say it wouldn’t have mattered to Captain Kelly when he said, “I could’ve told you she was trouble,” if there wasn’t at least a little love there?

There was a little love there but more duty than anything.

As creepy as it sounds I think Galen saw her as a little sister type rather than a love interest. I still don’t know why or how they got together. Nicki and I thought it really weird when it happened. Did you ever see Galen and Cally kiss? no

fanfiction is fun. make up whatever you want. just make sure Chief has a beer

xanthopsira: You seem like a pretty funny guy in all the interview clips I’ve watched. My first question is (1) what comedians/TV shows do you enjoy watching?

I’m hoping to make it to DragonCon this year (my first convention ever). Someone already asked you if you’re going, so next question!

If it wasn’t for acting, what career path do you think you would have taken? Or what career path were you on prior to landing acting roles?

PS. You’re an AWESOME actor. Can’t wait to see you in The Bridge. Also, thank you for doing this and always treating your fans so well! I wish you tons of success. :)

family guy, american dad, cleveland show.

i have no idea what i would do if i wasn’t making a living acting.

I did a little of a lot of things. floorlayer, sports nutrition rep, etc etc

canadiangirl_86: Hello, Aaron. I’m gonna be a pain in the ass and add to all the questions you’ve already been asked.

I was wondering about your thoughts on Chief/Boomer. I don’t think I realized how much I enjoyed the complexity of that relationship until they brought it to the forefront of the storyline for those couple of episodes this season. Their ending was probably one of the more tragic ones in the entirety of the series, particularly because it ended with Chief right back where we all started at the beginning of the show – believing that the Cylons are “all the same”. While Boomer totally screwed him over and betrayed him, I still believed that there were genuine feelings on her part. Seems as though Galen would never believe that, and it strongly informed the lonely and cynical end of his storyline on the series.

What was your take on the way the relationship between Chief/Boomer ended?

Also, I saw the trailer for The Bridge and it looks effing awesome! Can’t wait to see you on my TV again.

All the best, Aaron.

I thought it was incredible. As an actor it was a great opportunity and it was especially special because that ep was written by Bradley and David.

meshel73: How do you take your coffee from Starbucks?

grande dark
3 raw sugars
half and half

NOTE: Aaron posted the following message after he finished replying to the questions …..

Subject: QandA

Sorry I took so long to get to the questions.

I also realize I didn’t answer every one. I did that because the question had already been asked and the answer is somewhere above.

I am happy that the Chief walked off and I don’t want to see him again. I will let my imagination tell me a story of what he is doing now.

Maybe when the Bridge airs we will do another of these.

bye for now.

Source: The Chief’s Deck (Aaron Douglas LiveJournal Community)

Filed Under: Interview - Online Tagged With: Ask The Chief

INTERVIEW: Bits + Bytes: Inner Techie: Aaron Douglas

Bits + Bytes: Inner Techie: Aaron Douglas
By: Chris Atchison
Date: October/November 2009
Source: URmagazine

Battlestar Galactica vet Aaron Douglas loves talking tech – just don’t ask him to Tweet about it.

There’s no easier ticket to nerd immortality than a role on a hit sci-fi show. Just ask Battlestar Galactica’s much bloggedabout star, Canadian actor Aaron Douglas. But while he appreciates the attention, things get a little too weird when fans can’t separate the actor from the role. A lead part on the new CTV police drama The Bridge should help forge a new character, but not before he patches up Raptors and Vipers in the TV movie Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, due this fall. We beamed into Douglas’ world to learn why possessive fans forced him to forego Facebook, how he hustles colleagues with a Wii and why Twitter is a waste of time.

Playing an engineer on BSG, you must have some favourite tech tools.

I love my Wii, which I have in my trailer to play Tiger Woods Wii Golf against my co-stars and take their money. We play skins, so every hole is worth $2 to $5. We usually play a random 18 holes so it takes us to different golf courses around the world. I think my best score was +3. But no one’s allowed to play as Tiger Woods. It would be like picking Gretzky in your hockey pool – it’s just not allowed.

Do fans assume you know a lot about tech?

They really do. They ask in-depth questions about how Vipers fly. I just remind them I’m an actor and have no idea.

It seems as if the fans know more about the show than you do – is this a good thing?
Sci-fi fans are the best. When I’m doing a Q+A and there are 2,000 people in the audience and someone asks about the launch sequence or something, I usually say, “That’s a really good question. Why don’t we let someone else take it?” Then I let the fans answer each other.

Do you interact with fans online?

At the outset I enjoyed talking to people online, and then it got a little creepy. Some people took it too far, into some really odd places, attacking each other because one thought they were more of a friend of mine than another person. That’s why I don’t interact on Facebook anymore.

But surely you’re on Twitter now?

I will never use Twitter. This incessant need for constant updates and information on the minutiae of people’s lives staggers me. I have no idea why people would want to know that “Aaron just walked into his trailer and he’s about to have lunch on set.”

The Chief’s Top 3

He may be trading in his ratchet set for a badge, but once a Cylon, always a Cylon. Here are Aaron’s all-time favourite sci-fi flicks.

1. The original three Star Wars movies
2. Time Bandits
3. Ghostbusters

[click thumbnails to enlarge images]

Filed Under: Interview - Magazine

INTERVIEW (VIDEO): CAC-TV (October 16 – 18, 2009) Wizard World Big Apple Comic Con 2009

Below is a video of Aaron being interviewed at Wizard World Big Apple Comic Con 2009 (October 16th – 18th, 2009).

Aaron Douglas From Battlestar Galactica

Video Description: I got to kick it with actor, Aaron Douglas who was doing autographs at the Big Apple con. Aaron’s been in a ton of movies and TV shows. Check out the clip!

Source: Crazy Al Cayne TV

Filed Under: Interview - Video Tagged With: Convention: Wizard World Big Apple Comic Con 2009, Video: Convention

INTERVIEW (VIDEO): UFragTV (October 16 – 18, 2009) Wizard World Big Apple Comic Con 2009

Below is a video of Aaron Douglas, Michael Hogan, Rekha Sharma and Luciana Carro being interviewed by UFragTV at Wizard World Big Apple Comic Con 2009 (October 16th – 18th, 2009).

Battlestar Cast Aaron douglas, Michael hogan & Luciana Carro @ Big Apple Comic Con 09 UFragTV

Thanks to Luciana Carro Fans for the heads up about this video.

Filed Under: Interview - Video Tagged With: Convention: Wizard World Big Apple Comic Con 2009, Video: Convention

INTERVIEW (AUDIO): Comic News Insider (October 2009)

Comic News Insider (#229)
Wizard World Big Apple Comic-Con 2009
October 2009
0:08:40
7.94 MB

Jimmy Aquino from Comic News Insider interviewed Aaron (and Michael Hogan & Luciana Carro) at The Big Apple Comic-Con in NYC.

You can download the Comic News Insider podcast at the link below
http://cni.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=545358

This is the time stamp of their interviews …
Aaron Douglas: 32:14 – 40:51
Michael Hogan: 49:26 – 58:37
Luciana Carro: 01:01:03 – 01:06:12

I’ve downloaded the above podcast and edited it to just Aaron’s interview.

Comic News Insider – Interview with Aaron Douglas (October 2009)

Episode 229 – BSG Spectacular with Luciana Carro, Aaron Douglas & Michael Hogan! Plus, a Ben Templesmith Drive-By!

It’s a Battlestar Galactica spectacular as Jimmy chatted with Luciana Carro (“Kat”), Aaron Douglas (“Chief”) and Michael Hogan (“Tigh”) at the recent Big Apple Comic-Con. He also had a quick chat with Ben Templesmith over drinks last week in which Ben dropped an exclusive! News includes convention craziness about SDCC, Angouleme, and Heroes, Marvel on iPhones, Liefeld & McFarlane together again, Heroes kills off major character, Tennant’s last Doctor Who episodes, a yankee-fied Being Human and more!

(Interview by Comic News Insider)

Filed Under: Interview - Audio Tagged With: Convention: Wizard World Big Apple Comic Con 2009

INTERVIEW (VIDEO): Dork Shelf (August 30, 2009) Fan Expo Canada 2009

Below is a video of Aaron being interviewed by Dork Shelf at Fan Expo Canada 2009 (August 30th, 2009).

FanExpo 2009 – Aaron Douglas Interview

Video Description: Dork Shelf had a chance to chat with Canadian actor Aaron Douglas at FanExpo a few months ago. Douglas, best known to audiences for his work as Chief Tyrol on the acclaimed Sci-Fi series Battlestar Galactica, had just wrapped filming on the new police-drama The Bridge when we spoke with him. We talked about his new show, his work on Battlestar Galactica, what’s on his dork shelf and most importantly who he thought would win in a drunken brawl: the Chief or Colonel Tigh?

Source: Dork Shelf

Filed Under: Interview - Video Tagged With: Convention: Fan Expo Canada 2009, Looks: The Porno Moustache, Video: Convention

INTERVIEW (VIDEO): rgbFILTER (August 30, 2009) Fan Expo Canada 2009

Below is a video of Aaron being interviewed by Ryan from rgbFILTER at Fan Expo Canada 2009 (August 30th, 2009).

Aaron Douglas or Mary McDonnell Interview

Video Description: You decide. Hint: we interviewed this actor at Fan Expo last year as well.

Filed Under: Interview - Video Tagged With: Convention: Fan Expo Canada 2009

INTERVIEW (AUDIO): Ramble With Russel (August 30, 2009)

Ramble With Russel (#166)
Fan Expo Canada 2009
August 30, 2009
0:04:46
4.36 MB

http://aarondouglas.livejournal.com/189496.html

Filed Under: Interview - Audio Tagged With: Convention: Fan Expo Canada 2009

INTERVIEW (AUDIO): Hardcore Nerdity (August 28, 2009)

Hardcore Nerdity
Fan Expo Canada 2009
August 28, 2009
0:03:10
2.90 MB

http://aarondouglas.livejournal.com/262629.html

Filed Under: Interview - Audio Tagged With: Convention: Fan Expo Canada 2009

INTERVIEW: Playback – 10 to Watch

10 to Watch
By: Mark Dillon
Date: August 17, 2009
Source: Playback

Aaron Douglas – Actor

Age: 37
Residence: Vancouver
Agency: Pacific Artists Management
Buzz: Graduates from supporting role on cult fave Battlestar Galactica to lead on upcoming CTV/CBS police drama The Bridge

Aaron Douglas is not your typical leading man. But then The Bridge is not your typical cop show.

Douglas is one of the boys as Frank Leo, a city cop and head of the police union in the drama series that will launch on CTV mid-season as well as on CBS.

Snagging the lead role is just the latest example of the confident Douglas proving he’s not to be underestimated. He is best known for his portrayal of Galen Tyrol, aka The Chief, on the now-defunct sci-fi drama Battlestar Galactica, and as series producer Ronald D. Moore has said, Tyrol was initially written as a more minor character, but he was so impressed with Douglas that the role was quickly expanded.

And he nearly missed out entirely on The Bridge. He was not on the original list of actors being considered, but a champion at CTV floated his name and John Fawcett, director of the pilot – which will air as two one-hours – supported the idea. Douglas, too busy on Battlestar for a proper audition, then taped a couple of scene-readings for the producers, and a week later was offered the gig. Joining Douglas in the cast are Paul Popowich, Inga Cadranel, Frank Cassini, Theresa Joy, Ona Grauer, Michael Murphy and Stuart Margolin.

In the opening episode, Leo is put in a spot when he learns that some members of his union have stepped outside the law. The show is grittier than the more common police procedurals, with morality painted in shades of gray, making it like a cable series on network television.

“We’re a little more real-life in that sometimes bad things happen, and sometimes retribution and justice just don’t come around,” Douglas says. “We’re going to be a little bit more difficult to watch, but in a good way.”

E1 Entertainment, which is producing and handling international distribution, hopes viewers all over the world will be watching. The series was originated by 990 Multi Media Entertainment’s Adam Shully and Craig Bromell, whose experiences as head of the Toronto police union provide the series’ inspiration. The show was developed with Barna-Alper Productions before that prodco was acquired by E1.

Laszlo Barna, now E1’s president of TV production, credits Douglas’ maturity. “To play Frank Leo we needed someone who had subtlety, charisma, had to be understated but powerful when necessary, and someone with the technical skills to put all that together, and our inevitable choice was Aaron, because he’s got all those qualities,” says Barna, who exec produces with head writer Alan Di Fiore, Robert Wertheimer, Shully and Bromell.

Although the Leo character is based on Bromell, Douglas says he’s not aiming for impersonation.

“I’m just trying to make Frank right for me and right for the direction I think Alan Di Fiore is taking him in,” the thesp says. “My conversations with Craig are mostly based around how do you wear your belt and how do you stand and what do you do in this situation and do you wear gloves and how do you drive and who gets out of the car first – that sort of real cop stuff. I want real-life police officers to watch this show and go ‘That’s exactly how we do it and they get it right.’ That’s the best compliment you can get.”

[click thumbnails to enlarge images]

Filed Under: Interview - Online Tagged With: Dennys Ilic Photography, Television: The Bridge (Interview)

INTERVIEW: Battlestar Galactica’s Aaron Douglas

Battlestar Galactica’s Aaron Douglas, Veronica Mars and Flashpoint’s Enrico Colantoni
By: Kat Angus
Date: June 5, 2009
Source: TV Casualty

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending CTV’s UpClose party, where they had stars of all their fall shows mingling and taking photos with us regular schmoes. As if that weren’t enough, there was an open bar, a barbecue and, oh yeah, an ICE CREAM TRUCK. Best party ever? Possibly. The Degrassi kids were all there – they’re all, like, four feet tall – as was (bleh) Ben Mulroney, some Corner Gas people (double bleh), plus a few of the So You Think You Can Dance Canada people dancing on podiums. Except that the podiums were so narrow that for all the moves they could do, they might as well have just hired mediocre go-go dancers.

But. But! I did get to speak to two people who made me, on the inside, squeal like a little fangirl. (On the outside, I was, as always, the consummate professional.) I am speaking, of course, of Aaron Douglas and Enrico Colantoni. Douglas was there to promote his new show, The Bridge, while Colantoni was there with the rest of the Flashpoint crew. I have to say that Enrico is one of the most delightfully goofy men I’ve ever met in real life, though, as he later told me, it was probably just for show. So! For your reading pleasure, here are my interviews with both of those lovely men, including what Colantoni wants to see from any potential Veronica Mars movie (fingers crossed).

Aaron Douglas

How does working on The Bridge compared to Battlestar Galactica?

Oh, it’s so much work. With Battlestar, I was in a cast of 15, 16 people, so there would be weeks where I worked five days or weeks where I worked one day. Now, I’m working every day, all day 15 or 16-hour days. It’s long. It’s fun, but it’s long.

How did you connect with your Bridge character, Frank Leo?

That’s an interesting question. I don’t know; I don’t really go in for any of that method stuff. I just go in, say my lines and hope someone likes it. And I still have a job, so I guess I’m doing a good job. I like to think that if the Chief had been a cop, he’d have been Frank Leo. He and I have a stuff in common, too.

Like what?

We both like cigars and Scotch.

How did it feel to have The Bridge picked up by CBS?

Well, great. It’s CBS, the biggest network in the States. You can’t ask for much more than that, really.

Do you feel any pressure, since it is the biggest network?

Not really. Like I said, I just go in and say my lines and hope for the best. If people like it, great; if not, onto the next thing. I don’t waste my time worrying about how the show’s going to do, because what happens, happens. But CBS has been great.

Are you enjoying being on display at this party?

You know what? It reminds me a lot of the cons, except I’m not signing anything, which is nice. It’s nice to meet people who like what I do, and this way I’m not answering the same questions over and over again.

Which question do you get the most often?

“How did it feel when you found out you were a Cylon?”

…So I won’t be asking that question, then.

Thank you.

I’ve spoken to other Sci-Fi stars who say that at the cons, there will be tons of screaming and attention during the panels, but as soon as they go out on the floor, nobody will talk to them.

Oh, no, I get stopped. You can’t just walk through the floor, because people point and take photos and ask you to take pictures with their baby. It can take hours. But it’s great, you know, because these are people who just really loved the show and supported it, and to actually see the people who kept you working is great.

Filed Under: Interview - Online

INTERVIEW (VIDEO): The Comic Book Syndicate (May 15 – 17, 2009) Motor City Comic Con 2009

The Comic Book Syndicate have posted a video interview with Aaron from Motor City Comic Con (May 15 – 17, 2009).

Aaron Douglas int. (CHIEF from Battlestar Galactica) SYNDICATE

YouTube: Comic Book Syndicate – classic episodes

Published: March 29, 2010
Video Description: Mike-EL attempts to bond with Douglas and fails miserably !

Source: The Comic Book Syndicate

Filed Under: Interview - Video Tagged With: Convention: Motor City Comic Con 2009

INTERVIEW (VIDEO): eTalk – Extended Interviews (on the set of ‘The Bridge’) (May 7, 2009)

Below are video interviews with Aaron Douglas, Paul Popowich, Frank Cassini and guest star Aaron Ashmore, that aired on the CTV player on May 7th, 2009.

etalk visits the set of the new hit show ‘The Bridge’ to get the inside scoop on this hot new cop drama!

etalk : extended – The Bridge : Aaron Douglas
We find out what its like to be part of a Canada-U.S. production from “The Bridges” Aaron Douglas.

Source: http://watch.ctv.ca/etalk/tv/extended—the-bridge/#clip169797

Below are some video interviews with Aaron’s co-stars on THE BRIDGE. In the interview with Aaron Ashmore, ‘our Aaron’ walks past him (time stamp 01:24) and says something. I won’t spoil it. You’ll have to watch it :)

etalk : extended – The Bridge : Paul Popowich
Paul Popowich tells etalk what makes a good TV cop.

Source: http://watch.ctv.ca/etalk/tv/extended—the-bridge/#clip169796

etalk : extended – The Bridge : Frank Cassini
“The Bridge” star Frank Cassini tells etalk what it was like to work with real cops on the show.

Source: http://watch.ctv.ca/etalk/tv/extended—the-bridge/#clip169791

etalk : extended – The Bridge : Aaron Ashmore
Aaron Ashmore guest-stars on “The Bridge” and we find out what its like to play such a mature role.

Source: http://watch.ctv.ca/etalk/tv/extended—the-bridge/#clip169796

Filed Under: Interview - Video Tagged With: Television: The Bridge (Interview)

INTERVIEW: ECCC 09 – A Conversation With Aaron Douglas

ECCC 09: A Conversation With Aaron Douglas
By Joseph Dilworth Jr.
Date: April 16, 2009
Source: Pop Culture Zoo

Over the last decade, Canadian actor Aaron Douglas has had several prominent guest-starring roles on many high profile television series. Six years ago the Vancouver, British Columbia native landed the role of Chief Galen Tyrol in the re-imagined version of Battlestar Galactica. We caught up with Aaron at this year’s Emerald City ComiCon in Seattle, Washington and he graciously agreed to chat with us about BSG and where you will see him next.

Have you been to Seattle before?

Yeah, I live in Vancouver, I come down for Mariners games and Seahawks games. I probably get down four or five times a year. I love Seattle, Seattle’s gorgeous. The restaurants are great, the people are lovely, obviously. Seattle is very much like Vancouver. Same kind of city.

BSG is done. That show had to have been a lot of work, a physically demanding, emotionally demanding, mentally demanding show.

Absolutely. Six years of getting put through the ringer day after day. Our writers are unbelievable. The stories mirror our real lives so much, a lot of it was really difficult to do, but exhilarating and fantastic. I’m really proud of the show, really proud of the work. It’s over, but it’s a good thing.

What did you think when you got the first script, where you familiar with the first Battlestar Galactica?

Oh yeah! No, I grew up on the old show. I read the mini-series and I thought that it could be really great. It’s a weird thing, you know, you read all kinds of scripts. I’ve read scripts that are fantastic, but the movie turns out to be a piece of crap and I’ve read scripts that are kind of so-so and, for some reason, it just works. You have no idea what’s going to really happen. It really depends on the actors, the crew, the director and then sort of tweaking as you go along. It’s a really interesting process.

Was it a little more appealing because it wasn’t hardcore sci-fi where you were going to be having pages of techno-babble?

Thank god I didn’t get the Gaeta role for sure! The techno-babble is tough stuff. The great thing about our show was it was really just a human drama that just happens to take place on a spaceship. So, it could be anywhere, on a battleship, it could be in a conference center, it could be anything. What’s so great about the show is the human drama and the interaction in the relationships. And that we don’t have green monsters.

Were you surprised or did you find out ahead of time that the Chief was going to be a Cylon?

They sat us down the day of the read-through before we started shooting that episode and told us initially. I didn’t like it at first, but I sure like it now.

It played out pretty well.

Absolutely, absolutely.

And in the finale episode the Chief gets to be the first Highlander.

That was my idea!

Excellent!

Yeah, Ron [Moore] wrote it to be Vancouver Island. The dialogue I think in the script was, “The last raptor out tomorrow is going to drop me off on an island off the northern continent.” My mind immediately went, “Scotland!” because I’m a Douglas and I’m fiercely, fiercely proud of my Scottish heritage. I called Ron and I asked if it was Scotland and he went, “Oh, ummm…” and I said, “Can it be Scotland?!?” He said he was thinking more of it being Vancouver Island as an homage and I went, “No, no, no, Scotland, Scotland!” So he sure, of course. I ad-libbed the part about the Highlands and a few other things and that’s what it became. I then talked to Bear McCreary and told him the island I’m going to off the northern continent is Scotland and so then he put in the bagpipes and the Celtic flute, which I just loved. I can’t hear that stuff without crying, it just melts my heart. It’s in my blood and DNA. Bear is such a genius and it was so wonderful of him to put that in. It was very, very cool.

As the show went on, I was starting to wonder if we’d get to the end and still like any of the characters. Every one of these characters did something reprehensible…

What the hell did I do?? What did the Chief do that was reprehensible?

He killed one of the Number Eight Cylon models to replace Boomer in prison so she could escape.

(pause) Ok, fair enough. (laughs)

And then she absconded with Hera!

Yeah, well that’s true. He didn’t know she was taking Hera, though. He just whacked some Cylon.

Has there ever been anything in the show where you were like “Guys, are we sure we want to do this?”

No, I love all of that stuff. The more difficult it is to watch or read, the better it is, because it just gives you more to play and it’s more interesting. I mean, people in life are really screwed up. It really mirrors life. Not everybody is good, everybody has sides of themselves that are good and not so good. That’s really what it was.

Especially in the situation that the characters were in, that seems how people would behave instead of being a merry crew.

And that’s what they wanted to match, they wanted to match real life.

You have a new show, The Bridge. You get to be a cop in that one?

I play a guy who was a cop for eighteen years and becomes head of the police union for six. It’s based on a real guy. So, it’s the story of him being a beat cop and then also being head of the union and dealing with all the brass, all the bullshit they go through. The pilot’s amazing. Fortunateky, I have the creator of the show also being the guy who I’m playing. He’s on set everyday and he’s a great resource.

So, it’s based on a true story?

Based on a real guy, yep. It premieres July 9th on CBS after CSI. Thursdays at 10:00PM.

You’re also working on Emissary?

Yeah, yeah, we won’t start shooting Emissary until the Fall. That’s going to be a direct-to-iTunes show. That’s with Phil Morris and Thaao Penghlis. It’s sort of a sci-fi thriller and should be really, really interesting. (pause) I play a cop in that too. (laughs) I can’t get away from being a cop.

Cool. Well, that’s all I have for you. I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to me.

Not at all, it was nice to meet you. Thank you.

Filed Under: Interview - Online

INTERVIEW (VIDEO): Homorazzi (March 28, 2009) Juno Awards 2009

Below are two videos of Aaron being interviewed by Homorazzi at the Juno Awards (March 28, 2009).

Homorazzi Hangs with Aaron Douglas

As you may know, many of us here at Homorazzi.com have been avid fans of Battlestar Galactica since the show first aired 4 years ago, so it’s no surprise that we were thrilled at the chance to hang out with Aaron Douglas this weekend at the Artist Sanctuary party for the Juno Awards!

For those less-seasoned BSG fans, Aaron played Chief Galen Tyrol who has played an integral role throughout the series. Most recently, in the last season of the show, “the Chief” was identified as one of the final 5 cylon models, which afforded Aaron some great opportunities to flex his serious acting muscles with some very challenging scenes. If you haven’t watched the series, you’re missing out and should definitely get into it.

In addition to our on-screen love of Aaron for his involvement with BSG, our time spent with him at The Artist Sanctuary only made us love him even more. He’s AWESOME!! You’ll see from the interview clip below, he’s really friendly and we had a lot of laughs both on and off camera all day. After our interview, the beautiful Kandyse McClure also showed up to the party (more on that interview to come) and the two of them together were hilarious. We were laughing and joking the whole day and Aaron is definitely in tune with the gay scene… just wait until you see some of the future clips with Kandyse!

Next up for Mr. Douglas is a lead role on the new show The Bridge which is based on the life of Craig Bromell of the Toronto police force and if Aaron brings to it the same skill and talent that he brought to Battlestar, the show is destined to be a success!

Source: Homorazzi Hangs with Aaron Douglas

Filed Under: Interview - Video Tagged With: Event: Juno Awards

INTERVIEW (VIDEO): Battlestar Galactica – Season 4 Video Interview with Aaron Douglas

The SciFi Australia website has posted some video interviews with the cast. There are three videos … Keepsakes, Memorable Moments and What Will You Miss Most?

The cast members in the videos are … Aaron Douglas, Michael Hogan, Michael Trucco, Lucy Lawless and Rekha Sharma.

I have edited the videos to just Aaron’s interviews. You can download that HERE.

Remember awhile back how we did that poll about “Which look do you prefer on Aaron?”. How he looks in these videos, THIS is my favourite look on him (short hair and unshaven). This is perfection. Dear Gods, please send me that cylon copy. stat :)

http://aarondouglas.livejournal.com/158567.html

Filed Under: Interview - Video Tagged With: BSG: Video