Tag: Paul McGillion

Update on Higginson, McGillion Projects

Fans most likely know of the recent news articles and publicity surrounding the departures of Torri Higginson and Paul McGillion from the regular cast of Stargate Atlantis in Season Four and might be wondering what the two have been up to since then.

Torri Higginson

Torri Higginson as Dr. Elizabeth Weir

Torri Higginson (Dr. Elizabeth Weir) has a new guest spot on CBS Television Network’s NCIS. The episode is called “Identity Crisis” and will premiere on Tuesday, October 16 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT). Higginson plays Dr. Jordan Hampton in the episode (visit The Futon Critic website for more plot details).

Higginson recently spoke to Gateworld about what she’s got on her plate, “Well I just shot an episode of NCIS, which was really enjoyable. And I just came back. I cancelled our talk this morning because I had an audition for a new series called The Journeyman, which is very exciting series. I’m going to go back to Vancouver this weekend to re-shoot a couple of scenes from those gorgeous Smile of April girls. Bless their heart. So I’m keeping myself busy, which is nice.”

Dr. Elizabeth Weir will be in four episodes in Season Four: “Adrift”, “Lifeline”, “This Mortal Coil” (Part 1 of the mid-season two-parter), and a yet-to-be-identified episode, which executive producer and co-showrunner Joseph Mallozzi has kept a secret because he doesn’t want to give away major spoilers. (See Season Four episode index for more information about the episodes).

Paul McGillion

Paul McGillion (Dr. Carson Beckett) has recently auditioned for the role of the Scottish engineer Montgomery Scott in the new Star Trek movie! Filming is likely to start very soon, so the announcement as to whether or not he got the role could come within the next few weeks (the movie is set to be released December 25, 2008). Fans should visit the Save Carson Beckett Campaign website for more information about McGillion’s audition and backing. McGillion stated in one press release, “Obviously it would be a great honour to follow in James Doohan’s footsteps.”

Even though Dr. Carson Beckett was killed off in Season Three, the character will be returning for a two-part episode in Season Four called “The Kindred” (see story). Quite a lot of publicity has been obtained by the Save Carson Beckett Campaign to get Carson back for Season Five, but as of this moment, Stargate Atlantis has not yet been renewed (that announcement, too, is expected to come within the next few weeks).

McGillion: "It feels like coming home"

Actor Paul McGillion has returned to the sets of Stargate Atlantis to reprise his role as Dr. Carson Beckett in two episodes in the back half of Season Four, “The Kindred Part I” and “The Kindred Part II”. Executive producer and writer for Part I of the “return of THAT character” episode, Joseph Mallozzi, even posted pictures of McGillion on the set in his personal blog while the two episodes are currently being filmed.

Dr. Carson BeckettSCI FI WIRE’s Cindy White had a phone conversation with McGillion while he’s in Vancouver and reported it in her article, McGillion Talks Atlantis Return. In the article, McGillion talks about his return to the set after nearly a year away, and said, “Honestly, it feels like coming home.”

The circumstances behind Carson’s return after his death in Season Three’s “Sunday” have not been revealed, but Mallozzi did promise the fans at the Save Carson Beckett Campaign website that “when he returns for the two-parter, it will be Carson Beckett in the flesh.” Mallozzi continued, “Late in season three, we discussed the manner in which the character had been written out and the possible ways in which he could be brought back. I threw out an idea that not only brought Carson back, but answered a very big question I had concerning a late-season arc. In order to lay the groundwork for his possible return, we threaded a subtle hint into one of the late season three episodes. So, if fans want to know how we plan on bringing the good doctor back from the dead, they should seek out the hidden clue when the back half of season three returns to SciFi […] Well, I don’t want to give too much away but I can say it won’t be an AU version of Carson – or a time-hopping Dr. Beckett either.”

Mallozzi has described Part I of “The Kindred” as “Fargo-esque” and has said of Part II, written by Alan McCullough, “There won’t be a dry eye in the house when this one airs.”

McGillion didn’t reveal any secrets about how Carson returns, but did say in the SCI FI WIRE interview, “They gave me a really great storyline. I think the fans will appreciate it. Beckett has a lot to do in the storyline that they’ve given the character. So I’m really happy with it. I think it’s a really great way to bring Beckett back. Without going into any details, because I really can’t, he’s heavily, heavily based in the episodes. They’ll see a lot of Beckett.”

McGillion gives much of the credit for his return to the fans who have organized the Save Carson Beckett Campaign. He said, “A lot of people have called him the heart of Atlantis. And I think the fans really stood behind that and rallied behind the character a lot. So I was flattered and obviously thrilled to come back.” Even after the campaign was started and received a lot of publicity, McGillion still admitted in the interview that he was surprised when he got the call to come back. But now that he’s back for these two episodes, McGillion says, “I don’t know what their plans are for the character or where I’m going to be, but it’s always a pleasure to come back and work on the show, that’s for sure. So I’m not ruling anything out.”

To read the full interview, visit SCI FI WIRE.

Paul McGillion Q&A on Atlantis, Fans, and the Future

Paul McGillion discusses the response to the demise of his character, reflects on his time on Atlantis, and looks to the future in an exclusive new Q&A conducted by SaveCarsonBeckett.com. Paul is especially humbled and grateful for all the letters and gifts that have been sent his way, and for way fans have rallied to try to reverse the decision to “shake things up” by writing Carson out. From the interview:

SCB: Have you seen anything on the campaign and fan response? They’re calling your character the ‘Heart of Atlantis’; what are you feelings on this?

Paul: I’m sort of humbled by that. The ‘Heart of Atlantis’ — that’s a really nice thing for people to say. And I do think in a lot of ways the character did have that ‘everyman’ sort of feel and I think that there is a sensitive side to Carson. He wears his heart on his sleeve as a lot of the Scots do and I’m glad it translated that way onto the screen. Again, it’s very flattering and I’m sorta humbled by the whole thing. I know there’s been quite a big campaign. I certainly didn’t expect that. As an actor you’re kinda like. “Wow, I really did happen to have an effect on a lot of people”. So, it’s really flattering and I don’t know what’s going to come of it but it’s certainly nothing I’ve ever experienced in my life.

To read the entire interview in English, visit The Gateroom. For the German version, visit The Stargate Project.

And, to hear a special “thank you” audio message from Paul, not included in the interview, visit this article at SaveCarsonBeckett.com. Solutions is very proud to support the Save Carson campaign and the class act that is Mr. Paul McGillion!

SGA: Carson Beckett's story

Please be advised, there are spoilers for the second half of Atlantis Season 3.

A short history of “Saving Carson Beckett”…

The first hints of Carson Beckett’s fate came in August 2006, when both Torri Higginson and David Hewlett warned of shocking developments to come in the latter half of Season 3 that would “set the internet on fire.” [Note: they were not referencing Weir’s change in status; they did not yet know about it.]

Next came rumors that an extra who had been on set during the filming of “Sunday” had seen the filming of a funeral scene in which a coffin was draped with a Scottish flag.

Then in October, Jewel Staite announced at a convention in the UK that she was considering a recurring role as a doctor on Stargate Atlantis. She let slip to a table of fans that Paul McGillion would no longer be on the show, but this was not said in public. Jewel quickly backed away from her statements, declining to provide any information about her role. But, a casting director at the New Jersey Stargate convention that same month told fans Jewel was contracted for 12 episodes, nearly as many as Paul had been appearing in even as a regular.

To this point, it’s fair to say many fans did not believe that the rumors and various bits of news added up to Carson Beckett being written out of the show. The campaign to save him had started in September, with many expressions of support but also a fair number accusations of overreaction by fans.

Then on the weekend of 17-18 November, at a con in the UK, producer N. John Smith explained that Carson Beckett would “disappear” by the end of Season 3. He softened the news with the much-used cliché that “no one ever dies sci fi,” but fans were still shocked to hear it. It later became clear that Smith was not supposed to have given this news publicly.

The campaign certainly gained momentum with this news, but Smith’s reported use of the term “disappeared” leant enough doubt for some fans to declare Carson’s absence must be temporary and that surely he’d be back.

Once the news was public, Jewel Staite admitted it was true Paul was leaving, but claimed her new character, a prodigy doctor, would not be “replacing” Carson in the sense she would be playing a different character of a different gender. As much as no one blamed Jewel for taking a job, fans were led to question the swap and whether some assumptions about “desired demographics” played a role.

Final confirmation that Carson Beckett was to die and that Paul McGillion was being dismissed from the cast came on the weekend of 13-14 January 2007, when someone at MGM put unedited, raw video interviews of crew and cast members of Stargate on their web site. In David Hewlett’s interview, which was not supposed to be released until Season 3 had aired in the US, he talked about the loss of Paul from the set and of Carson from the show, and how it would happen in the episode “Sunday,” just as the campaign had said all along.

The next day, on 15 January, “Sunday” aired in Canada. Finally, it was shown that Carson died irrevocably, his body sent home to Earth for burial. Fans should not be comforted by his spirit “appearing” to Rodney in the final scene. Taken all together, it is unavoidably true that Carson and Paul are gone from Stargate Atlantis. In fact, in true Stargate tradition, Carson was not even mentioned in the next episode of Season 3, “Submersion.” As usual, he was killed off and forgotten as if his loss meant nothing to those remaining.

We don’t know why this decision was made. Carson was a very popular character, the “Heart of Atlantis,” and by all accounts, Paul McGillion was absolutely loved by the cast and crew. Paul has also made it clear it was not his decision to leave and that he would love to “play the good doctor” again.

Those of us who started fighting this decision in September are fighting even harder now, both because we love Carson and because, based on what we know, Paul McGillion did not deserve to be “fired.”

If you’re a fan of Carson, we invite you to join us in fighting to return him to his place on the show. Please visit us: SaveCarsonBeckett.com to read the details behind each discussion point above, sign our guestbook, write a letter to TPTB for us to send for you… in other words, join our fight!

SG-1 and SGA Casting Updates/Spoilers

There were at least 3 Stargate-related conventions going on this weekend, and various bits of news came out of them related to casting of the remaining S10/S3 episodes, as well as upcoming SG-1 DVD movies and Season 4 of Atlantis.

  • N. John Smith confirmed at Collectormania in Manchester, UK, that Carson Beckett will disappear in the second half of Season 3, and that Paul McGillion won’t be a cast regular in Season 4. He did promise Beckett would return for some number of future episodes. This confirms rumors that have been floating for months, and fans have already started a campaign to make their objections to this change clear. Visit SaveCarsonBeckett.com for more info.
  • Amanda Tapping said at the GABIT convention in the UK that she will be appearing in “a few” episodes of Atlantis next year, but that it wouldn’t be a full-time role. Michael Shanks said at Creation Con that he has heard we will be seeing a familiar SG-1 face on Atlantis, but that it won’t be him. We assume he was referring to Tapping. Torri Higginson declined to give any details on who might be crossing over, but was supportive of the idea. She also said she had no idea what is in store for Weir in Season 4.
  • David Hewlett at Creation Con mentioned that Michael Beach, formerly of ER, has joined the cast of Atlantis, presumably as a recurring character. David used the term “has joined the cast”. His role in SGA is already listed in Beach’s wikipedia entry, but might be new to many fans. David said that Michael is very good a long passages of dialog. He will appear in Season 3, since he has already filmed at least one episode. It’s not known how many episodes he will be in.
  • Cliff Simon at Creation Burbank said he expects to reprise his role as Ba’al in at least one of the two SG-1 DVD movies.
  • Michael Shanks at Creation Burbank seemed quite committed to being in both movies, and in movies beyond that if the DVD’s sell well and MGM asks for more.

Visit our forum for brief snippets on the conventions from attendees, and stay tuned for a complete A Dog’s Breakfast Screening and Creation Burbank report.

David Hewlett Writes, Directs Indie Film

From Sci Fi Wire comes the welcome news that David Hewlett did indeed film his own movie script during the Stargate Atlantis haitus. He had mentioned planning to do so during recent interviews. From SCI FI Wire:

Atlantis’ Hewlett Directs His Pals

Stargate Atlantis star David Hewlett, who plays the irascible genius Rodney McKay, told SCI FI Wire that he has enlisted fellow Atlantis stars and crew members to work on his independent feature film, A Dog’s Breakfast, in which he makes his feature writing and directing debut. The movie centers on squabbling siblings Patrick and Marilyn, who are driven over the edge when Marilyn brings home her new TV-star fiancé from the space soap opera Starcrossed. Patrick tries to drive a wedge between the happy couple … then he reaches for sharper instruments.

In addition to Hewlett, the movie features Atlantis co-stars Rachel Luttrell (Teyla) and Paul McGillion (Dr. Beckett), as well as Stargate SG-1 star Christopher Judge (Teal’c). The film’s crew includes Stargate producer John G. Lenic, cinematographer Jim Menard and an amalgamation of the Atlantis and SG-1 shooting crews. The cast also includes Amanda Byram. Hewlett is also working with his real-life partner, producer Jane Loughman, and his sister, actress Kate Hewlett.

Is the film’s storyline a thinly disguised version of Hewlett’s own life? “Let’s just say that it’s based on a true story,” he said in an e-mail interview. “Starcrossed is just an excuse to see Rachel (Luttrell) dressed as a sexy alien again, as it’s been far too long.”

A Dog’s Breakfast is wrapping production, which took place in and around Vancouver, Canada, where the two Stargate series also film. The movie does not have distribution yet. “At the end of February, we should have a cut of the movie together and will start sending it out to festivals and for distribution,” producer Lenic said.

Does A Dog’s Breakfast mean Hewlett really wants to direct? “All I really want right now is a holiday,” he said. Stargate Atlantis airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT, immediately after Stargate SG-1.

Gateworld has obtained a synopsis of the movie’s plot and some wonderful production photos. Enjoy those at Gateworld.

Sci Fi Magazine Q&A Transcript

We’ve created a full transcript of the already-released February 2006 Sci Fi Magazine Q&A that used questions submitted by fans. Included in our article are all the print and on-line Q&A’s for Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, arranged by cast and crew member.

Enjoy the Q&A here!

All Actors Return for New Season

Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis return with full casts, plus one

FROM SCIFI WIRE: SG-1 Adds Black As Regular

Claudia Black (Farscape) joins the regular cast of SCI FI Channel’s original series Stargate SG-1 in its upcoming 10th season, and the principal cast members of both SG-1 and its spinoff series, Stargate Atlantis, have signed on to reprise their roles in the recently announced new seasons, the network said.

Black, who plays the recurring role of Vala in SG-1‘s current ninth season, becomes a regular, joining stars Ben Browder, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Michael Shanks and Beau Bridges, who will all return.

Meanwhile, Joe Flanigan, Torri Higginson, David Hewlett, Rachel Luttrell, Paul McGillion and Jason Momoa will all return to Stargate Atlantis.

Stargate SG-1 becomes the longest-running SF drama on U.S. television and will mark its 200th episode in the upcoming season.

SG-1 wraps up its ninth season with new episodes starting on Jan. 6, 2006, paired with the final new second-season episodes of Atlantis and new episodes of Battlestar Galactica.

[Thanks to Aurora for the tip — DeeKayP]