Category: Press

Catching Up with Alaina Huffman

Stargate star Alaina Huffman has had a busy schedule this week and is showing no signs of slowing down!

Huffman, who portrayed Lt. Tamara Johansen in Stargate Universe, recently did some shooting in Toronto for Syfy’s new show Alphas. The show is scheduled to premiere as the third show in the channel’s new “Powerful Monday” line-up, which starts out with Eureka at 8/7c, Warehouse 13 at 9/8c, and then Alphas at 10/9c. Alphas centers around “five ordinary people are brought together to form one extraordinary team of Alphas — people with the unique power to stretch the capabilities of the human mind giving them superhuman physical and mental abilities.” You can visit their homepage at Syfy.

Here’s Syfy’s promo for the new line-up that’s coming July 11:

Agent Mom PosterRight now, we’re not sure which episode Huffman was filming earlier this week, so we’ll have to keep an eye open for that. Most likely, the busy star will be updating her fans at the Comic Con being held this weekend in Philadelphia. If not there, then perhaps on her Twitter, where she first announced her guest spot in Alphas.

Huffman is also busy with her comic series Agent Mom that she created along with her husband John Huffman IV and Tony Lee. She also writes for the series, which is described at its first issue’s homepage at MTV Comics: “Taylor Jane has it all: a mom and homemaker by day, and a daring agent for the secret organization S.E.C.U.R.E. by night! Add in a hi-tech supersuit, a mysterious leader, and a daughter who’s a teenage hacker — and you have the latest MTV Comic, Agent Mom!” They just released #2, Part 5 last week. New issues are posted on Mondays and can be accessed from the MTV Comics New Releases page.

Taking a breather to keep in touch with her Twitter followers, Huffman proclaimed, “I’ve been slammed but busy is good.” Make sure to visit Alaina at her Twitter or through our Stargate Twitter Superfeed. We also have a page dedicated to her in our actor feature Beyond the Event Horizon.

Ben Browder Cast In Graphic Novel Film

Ben BrowderCinema Blend and Bigfanboy.com first reported that Stargate and Farscape alum Ben Browder has been cast in the film Bad Kids Go To Hell, currently filming in Texas. The film is an adaptation of the comic book series and graphic novel of the same name, written by Matthew Spradlin and Barry Wernick. The movie centers on some grizzly goings on at a prep school, and Ben plays Max the mysterious janitor.

The franchise has a Facebook page, which describes the movie:

Six private school high school kids find themselves stuck in detention on a frightfully dark and stormy Saturday afternoon. During their 8 hour incarceration, each of the six kids falls victim to a horrible “accident” until only one of them remains. And as each of these spoiled rich kids bites the dust, the story takes on a series of humorous and frantic twists and turns. Is one of the kids secretly evening the school’s social playing field? Or have the ghosts of prestigious Crestview Academy finally come to punish the school’s worst (and seemingly untouchable) brats? One thing is for sure…Daddy’s money can’t save them now.

The FB page has already published a picture of Ben on the set, so be sure to check it out. Show your support for Ben’s casting by “liking” Bad Kids Go To Hell.

Michael Shanks to Shoot CTV Pilot in Toronto

Michael ShanksStargate star Michael Shanks has written to his official website (MSOL) that he has a new role in a pilot that will be shooting in Toronto:

Been cast in a pilot for Canadian/US TV for the CTV network called Saving Hope in the role of ‘Harris Coles’. Erica Durance is the leading lady in this one. Start shooting it on the 22nd of June in Toronto, and leave to go do prep/rehearsals on the 16th.

Durance guest starred on SG-1 as Krista James in “Affinity” and played Lois Lane in the record-breaking Smallville. News of her casting was reported in our LJ Companion earlier this month.

Michael’s role is emphasized in the following synopsis provided by CTV in a press release:

“Saving Hope” centers on young, idealistic neonatal doctor Alyse Joy and her rival and one-time lover, flashy cancer surgeon Joel Gottlieb, as they take on the fundamental questions that define medicine today. Who gets to live, who gets to die, and why? The story goes into uncharted territory when the charismatic, inspiring and golden-tongued Chief of Surgery, Harris Coles, becomes a patient. Comatose, locked-in and unable to communicate that he’s aware of everything around him, Coles is the voice and the eyes that guide viewers through the world of “Saving Hope.” The drama, which is inspired by Ian Brown’s The Globe and Mail “Mount Hope” series based on stories from Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, is written and created by Morwyn Brebner (“Rookie Blue”) and Malcolm MacRury (“Deadwood”, “Crash & Burn”) and executive produced by Ilana Frank of Thump Inc. (“The Eleventh Hour”, “Of Murder and Memory”, “Rookie Blue”) and Lesley Harrison in association with CTV.

Stargate Planner: Week of June 13-19

We’ll update this article if something comes to our attention during the week. Also, if you’ve got more to add, please don’t hesitate to announce them in the comment section below.

Calendar

Monday,
June 13		 SGU S2 GauntletSTARGATE UNIVERSE on Sky One at 8 PM with “Gauntlet”, SGU’s series finale: The suspenseful space saga drops out of orbit and comes to an end. In a satisfying conclusion, Eli devises a high-risk plan to outwit the drones once and for all.
Tuesday,
June 14		 MICHAEL SHANKS‘s Red Riding Hood is released today on DVD and Blu-ray in North America.
Wednesday,
June 15
Thursday,
June 16		 BEAU BRIDGES is part of the Honorary Committee of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), which will be having its national conference starting today and ending on the 18th in Los Angeles. Bridges was selected for this honor because of his “deep engagement and significant commitment to live theatre over the years.”
Friday,
June 17		 ALAINA HUFFMAN will be attending Wizard World’s Comic Con in Philadelphia that starts today and runs until the 19th. Supporting and guest stars will also be present, including Julia Benson, Adam Baldwin, and Sean Patrick Flanery. Visit Wizard World for more information.
CHRISTOPHER JUDGE will be attending the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, which begins today and runs until the 19th. SG-1 guest star Julian Sands is also scheduled to attend.
Saturday,
June 18
Sunday,
June 19		 Colin Cunningham in FALLING SKIES (TBS)COLIN CUNNINGHAM co-stars in the new Noah Wylie starrer Falling Skies, which premieres tonight at 9/8c on TNT. The show is about survivors of an attack by aliens that Earthlings call “Skitters.” Wylie plays Tom Mason, a history professor who forms a resistance group named the 2nd Mass because of its location in Boston. Cunningham’s character is described at his site ColinCunningham.com: “John Pope, the leader of a band of marauders, introduces himself to the 2nd Mass by taking a group of hostages and offering to exchange their freedom for weapons. For reasons known only to him, this smart, resourceful and charismatic ex-con takes great pleasure in killing skitters, even hunting them like wild game. A shameless opportunist, Pope considers the invasion the best thing that ever happened to him. He also happens to be an excellent chef.”
BEAU BRIDGES and his daughter Emily Bridges will be at Theatre West in Los Angeles at 7 PM PT for the musical reading of Something for the Boys, “featuring music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields,” according to Broadway World.

Reminders

For news as it happens, make sure to visit the STARGATE TWITTER SUPERFEED for tidbits directly from the Stargate stars and production crew. And don’t forget our new feature BEYOND THE EVENT HORIZON, which consists of “home pages” with dynamic feeds from our LJ and Blog for the stars of SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe.

SG-1 and General Hank Landry in 'Ripple Effect'Our LJ COMPANION has news bites, polls, and glimpses into the lives of the actors that we don’t necessarily cover here in our more formal news blog. Make sure to visit the LJ’s feed on our front page or visit the site directly to see its mostly fun little tidbits. Some of our recent posts include:

  • Joseph Mallozzi has started reminiscing about Stargate SG-1‘s SEASON NINE. Visit the excerpts at Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. There’s more to come.

For the latest in convention appearances, which are subject to change, make sure to visit Stargate Actor Appearances.

Paul McGillion Wins Leo Award for Short Drama

Grant and White from A FINE YOUNG MAN
McGillion as Mr. Grant and Wesley Salter as Mr. White in A FINE YOUNG MAN
Stargate actor Paul McGillion was awarded the Best Performance by a Male in a Short Drama Leo Award for his short A Fine Young Man! Congratulations!

The short film, which runs thirteen minutes, is set during the Cold War days of the 1960s. McGillion plays Mr. Barton Grant, one of two government men who go to a young man’s home to interview him for an important task. McGillion’s long-time friend Wesley Salter, who plays the other government man Mr. Bill White, co-produced the short, which was shot on 35mm film to give it the look of the period. The up-and-coming young Vancouver director Kevan Funk, who has had several short films accepted by film festivals world-wide, helmed the film.

A Fine Young Man was nominated for four Leo Awards and took all four of them home! The other awards were in the categories Best Short Drama, Best Direction in a Short Drama, and Best Screenwriting in a Short Drama, all of which were given to Kevan Funk.

One of the hopes for the short film was that if it were well-received, the production may seek to have it developed into a feature-length film. If the many awards this short has received both at film festivals and at the Leos are any indication, McGillion just might see that dream become a reality.

In other Leo Award news, Stargate Universe‘s only nomination did not see an award (Jennifer Spence in “Malice”), and Amanda Tapping‘s Sanctuary took home three of their possible seventeen awards (Overall Sound, Costume Design, and Supporting Performance by a Male).

To review the results of this year’s awards, visit the Leo Awards 2011 Winners index, where you’ll probably recognize several of the names as having participated in the Stargate franchise over its 14 years.

Stargate Planner: Week of June 6-12

We’ll update this article if something comes to our attention during the week. Also, if you’ve got more to add, please don’t hesitate to announce them in the comment section below.

Calendar

Monday,
June 6		 SGU S2 BlockadeSTARGATE UNIVERSE on Sky One at 8 PM with “Blockade”: After discovering that the drones have found a way to pinpoint the stars that Destiny is planning to draw power from, Eli comes up with a plan: a high-risk one…
PAUL McGILLION guest stars in the first season finale of Canada’s Showcase’s Endgame. The episode is called “Deadman Talking” and premieres tonight at 10 PM ET. Paul plays Sebastian Wilks, a powerful lawyer who might be a murderer. This role was meant to be recurring, but the show has been cancelled.
AMANDA TAPPING‘s Sanctuary returns to Syfy at 10 PM ET with “Carentan.”
LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS will be on stage this week (June 6-12) to reprise his role as the King of Siam in The King and I at the Kansas City Starlight Theatre.
Tuesday,
June 7		 MICHAEL SHANKS‘s Australian film Arctic Blast is released today on DVD in North America.
JOE FLANIGAN‘s Syfy original movie Ferocious Planet is released on DVD today in Region 1 (North America)!

Wednesday,
June 8		 A Fine Young ManTonight is the Leo Award’s Celebration Awards Ceremony and we’ll find out if PAUL McGILLION has won any of the four nominations received by his short film A Fine Young Man. Visit the awards’ homepage for the details.
Today is LEXA DOIG‘s birthday! Tweet happy b’day wishes @LexaShmexa.
Thursday,
June 9		 SGU star ALAINA HUFFMAN will be attending the SUPERMAN CELEBRATION in Metropolis, Illinois, which starts today and runs until the 12th. Huffman play Black Canary in Smallville. Make sure to visit the con’s website for details.
Friday,
June 10		 JEWEL STAITE is scheduled to attend the CONTAGION: OUTBREAK! con in Omaha, Nebraska. The con starts today and runs until the 12th. Visit the con’s website for more information.
LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS hosts the next installment of the Military Channel’s An Officer and a Movie: Code Name: Emerald. Check out the production’s homepage for more information.
Today is MIKE DOPUD‘s birthday. Tweet happy b’day wishes @MikeDopud.
Saturday,
June 11		 SGU MaliceTonight we’ll find out if SGU’s JENNIFER SPENCE will receive her LEO AWARD for her performance in “Malice.”

AMANDA TAPPING is also up for an award for her performance in the Sanctuary episode “Breach,” which is one of the 17 nominations the show received this year. Visit the awards’ homepage for the details.

Sunday,
June 12

Reminders

For news as it happens, make sure to visit the STARGATE TWITTER SUPERFEED for tidbits directly from the Stargate stars and production crew. And don’t forget our new feature BEYOND THE EVENT HORIZON, which consists of “home pages” with dynamic feeds from our LJ and Blog for the stars of SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe.

The cast of Stargate SG-1 in Season EightOur LJ COMPANION has news bites, polls, and glimpses into the lives of the actors that we don’t necessarily cover here in our more formal news blog. Make sure to visit the LJ’s feed on our front page or visit the site directly to see its mostly fun little tidbits. Some of our recent posts include:

For the latest in convention appearances, which are subject to change, make sure to visit Stargate Actor Appearances.

Stargate Planner: Week of May 30-June 5

We’ll update this article if something comes to our attention during the week. Also, if you’ve got more to add, please don’t hesitate to announce them in the comment section below.

Calendar

Monday,
May 30		 United States

Memorial Day (Traditional and Observed)

SGU S2 EpilogueSTARGATE UNIVERSE on Sky One at 8 PM with “Epilogue”: Destiny arrives at Novus, an abandoned planet caught in the throes of seismic destruction. Curiosity gets the better of the crew though, which has dire consequences.

Due to the Memorial Day holiday, AMANDA TAPPING‘s Sanctuary will not be on tonight, but will return to Syfy at 10 PM ET next week.

From PR-USA.net: “Documentary Channel (DOC) commemorates U.S. soldiers with a line up of outstanding military themed documentaries in a two-day tribute to Memorial Day on Monday, May 30 and Tuesday, May 31. Never seen before on television, the two-hour theatrical version of “Operation Homecoming” airs Monday, May 30, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). […] The Oscar nominated “Operation Homecoming” is a unique documentary that explores the firsthand accounts of American troops through their written words, and offers a profound window into the human side of the war in Iraq. “Operation Homecoming” evolved out of a National Endowment for the Arts project that gathered the writing of soldiers and their families who have participated in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Interviews and dramatic readings by such actors as Robert Duvall, Josh Lucas, BEAU BRIDGES, Blaire Underwood and Justin Kirk transform selections from this collection of writing into a deep examination of the experiences of the men and women who are serving in America’s armed forces.”

Tuesday,
May 31		 SGU S2 DVDStargate Universe Season Two is released on DVD today in Region 1 (North America)!

Solutions’ Summary: Through many difficult situations, the crew of the Destiny finally become a family, working together to continue Destiny‘s original mission. Along the way, they encounter remarkable civilizations and technology, and eventually have to resort to incredible measures to ensure their continued safety and existence.

Wednesday,
June 1		 Today is PATRICK GILMORE‘s birthday! Tweet happy b’day wishes @PatrickGilmore.
Thursday,
June 2		 Today is JEWEL STAITE‘s birthday! You can tweet your happy b’day wishes to her @JewelStaite.
Friday,
June 3

LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS hosts the next installment of the Military Channel’s An Officer and a Movie: Kelly’s Heroes. Check out the production’s homepage for more information.
Saturday,
June 4		 BRIAN J. SMITH and ROBERT PATRICK star in Syfy’s original movie Red Faction: Origins tonight at 9 PM ET. This movie bridges the gap between the video games Red Faction: Guerrilla and Red Faction: Armageddon. It follows the hero Alec Mason (Patrick) and his son Jake (Smith) as they search for Jake’s sister Lyra (Tamzin Merchant) only to find that she has become their enemy twelve years after her kidnapping.

CORIN NEMEC will be at the SALUTE TO SUPERNATURAL convention in Nashville, Tennessee, that is being held this weekend. Make sure to visit the website for the scheduling details.

Sunday,
June 5

Reminders

For news as it happens, make sure to visit the STARGATE TWITTER SUPERFEED for tidbits directly from the Stargate stars and production crew. And don’t forget our new feature BEYOND THE EVENT HORIZON, which consists of “home pages” with dynamic feeds from our LJ and Blog for the stars of SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe.

Our LJ COMPANION has news bites, polls, and glimpses into the lives of the actors that we don’t necessarily cover here in our more formal news blog. Make sure to visit the LJ’s feed on our front page or visit the site directly to see its mostly fun little tidbits. Some of our recent posts include:

For the latest in convention appearances, which are subject to change, make sure to visit Stargate Actor Appearances.

New Poster for Browder’s "Naught for Hire"

Stargate star Ben Browder appears on the new Naught for Hire poster that was just included on the webseries’ Facebook page, provided below for your viewing pleasure:

Naught for Hire poster featuring Ben Browder

The new image is perhaps a peace offering following the rather teasing message of May 12, when “Naught For Hire” wrote, “Fabian (and others), the admins who talk the most on this page are Jeffrey Berman (the producer and co-writer) and me, John E. Stith, (the other co-writer and author of the original stories). In general, I do all the fake news headlines and Jeffrey does the news updates. We don’t mean to be coy, but there are some significant discussions under way right now that will likely result in a much clearer view of who/what/where/when and we’re eager to share but have to avoid saying anything prematurely. We really do feel some key good news is imminent and it will be posted just as soon as things are official.”

This announcement might have to do with some of the news recently reported by the fansite Naught P.I. Agency in an article on the fact that Naught producer/writer Jeffrey Berman is one of the screenplay writers of the new J.K. Rowling biopic Magic Beyond Words (in which Stargate star Paul McGillion will be portraying Rowling’s father, by the way). They said, “Mr. Berman’s web series Naught for Hire starring Ben Browder is currently in development with Paramount Pictures.” Is it possible that Naught for Hire will be making the move from a web-based series to a television or theatrical production? We’ll have to wait for the official announcement, which apparently is coming soon!

Stargate Planner: Week of May 23-29

We’ll update this article if something comes to our attention during the week. Also, if you’ve got more to add, please don’t hesitate to announce them in the comment section below.

Calendar

Monday,
May 23		 STARGATE UNIVERSE on Sky One at 8 PM with “Common Descent”: In an action-packed instalment, the crew stumble upon a human settlement, before discovering that the Drones have figured out a way to track Destiny.

AMANDA TAPPING‘s Sanctuary continues on Syfy at 10 PM ET with 3.17 “Normandy.”
Tuesday,
May 24
Wednesday,
May 25
Thursday,
May 26		 PAUL McGILLION will be at the PHOENIX COMICON, which starts today and runs until the 29th. Additional Stargate stars scheduled to be there include William Atherton, Adam Baldwin, Aaron Douglas, and Ernie Hudson. John Scalzi, creative consultant for SGU and award-winning sci-fi author, is also scheduled to attend.
Friday,
May 27

LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS hosts the next installment of the Military Channel’s An Officer and a Movie: Heartbreak Ridge. Check out the production’s homepage for more information.

DAVID BLUE is scheduled to appear at the COLLECTORMANIA 17 convention in Milton Keynes, England, which starts today and runs until the 30th. Additional Stargate guest stars will also be there, including Nicole de Boer, Robert Patrick, and John de Lancie. (Lou Diamond Phillips had to cancel.)
Saturday,
May 28
Sunday,
May 29

Reminders

For news as it happens, make sure to visit the STARGATE TWITTER SUPERFEED for tidbits directly from the Stargate stars and production crew. And don’t forget our new feature BEYOND THE EVENT HORIZON, which consists of “home pages” with dynamic feeds from our LJ and Blog for the stars of SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe.

Our LJ COMPANION has news bites, polls, and glimpses into the lives of the actors that we don’t necessarily cover here in our more formal news blog. Make sure to visit the LJ’s feed on our front page or visit the site directly to see its mostly fun little tidbits. Some of our recent posts include:

For the latest in convention appearances, which are subject to change, make sure to visit Stargate Actor Appearances.

Bridges Honored by Theatre Communications Group

Beau-BridgesStargate star Beau Bridges has been chosen as a member of the Honorary Committee of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG) because of his “deep engagement and significant commitment to live theatre over the years.”

As of May 17, the list of Honorary Committee members also includes Jason Alexander, Ray Bradbury, John Cho, Gordon Davidson, Richard Dreyfuss, Jane Fonda, Ed Harris, Neil Patrick Harris, Allison Janney, Jane Kaczmarek, Alec Mapa, Gates McFadden, Laurie Metcalf, Alfred Molina, Chris Pine, Phylicia Rashad, Tim Robbins, James Roday, Herbert Siguenza, and Noah Wyle. Profiles for each member can be found at the TCG website.

Here’s what they have to say about Bridges:

Beau Bridges has appeared in over 60 feature films, including The Other Side of the Mountain, Norma Rae, Heart Like a Wheel, Sordid Lives, Max Payne, and The Fabulous Baker Boys, opposite his brother Jeff for which Beau received the Best Supporting Actor Award from the National Society of Film Critics.

In television, Bridges has received 13 Emmy nominations and won three, along with two Golden Globes, for Without Warning: The James Brady Story, The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom, and The Second Civil War. His recent guest star roles on My Name Is Earl, Desperate Housewives, and The Closer have all garnered Emmy nominations.

On the stage, Bridges performed in the original productions of The Trial of the Catonsville Nine by Father Daniel Berrigan at the Mark Taper Forum, on Broadway in William Inge’s Where’s Daddy? and Peter Ustinov’s Who’s Who in Hell, and Looking for Normal by Jane Anderson at the Geffen Playhouse. Bridges recently appeared with his daughter Emily in Acting: The First Six Lessons, a play they co-authored that will soon be published by Samuel French.

He won a 2009 Grammy for Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth in the category of Best Spoken Word Album. He is currently playing Sally Field’s boyfriend in the TV series Brothers & Sisters and will soon be seen in Alexander Payne’s The Descendants with George Clooney.

Bridges serves on the Board of the Wishtoyo Foundation, which protects the culture and history of coastal communities and fosters responsibility to our marine habitats through education, community action, and citizen enforcement. He also works with Plan USA, an organization that provides support for struggling communities throughout the world by providing financial aid, education, and awareness.

Congratulations, Mr. Bridges!

Read more about the TCG and its Honorary Committee, which will be celebrating their 50th anniversary at a convention in Los Angeles from June 16 through June 18, at Broadway World (Press Release) or visit the TCG website directly.