Stargate SG-1 was one of the best science fiction series of the past few years. Alright, so we had BSG but I was more of a hardcore gater fan myself. SG-1 was a series that did a great job of portraying scientific concepts and issues. Plus, like all self-respecting proper sci-fi series, they covered a lot of ethical issues. Of course, there was also a lot of space battles and pending apocalypse type of disasters. Well, I wanted to mention a few trivia facts about the main characters from the show. This week I will cover Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge and Michael Shanks. Next week, it will be Don S. Davis, Beau Bridges, Ben Browder and Claudia Black.
We all know him as Major General Jack O'Neill. He started out as the leader of team SG-1 and ended up being the big boss of the base. Good for him! Well, sounds like he had quite an interesting life off screen as well. Here are some fun facts:
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Before his acting career took off, he did a few odd jobs here and there which includes being a mime, juggler and jester-singer!
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In both MacGyver and Stargate SG-1, he always comes across as a laid-back, down-to-earth kind of guy. Turns out, there might be a reflection of his own personality as it is what convinced the guys to nab him as MacGyver. Story goes that he was so casual about wanting to wear glasses to read the script that the auditioning folks were won over.
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Guns have always been a topical issue for two of his popular characters, MacGyver and Gen O'Neill. And so, is it surprising to learn that Anderson is one of the directors of the group known as “Handgun Control, Inc.”?
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During the shooting of Solitudes (Season one, Episode 18), the good folks played a prank on Anderson. He is stranded on a cold planet with Tapping and they have to find a way to get the gate working without a DHD. As part of the prank, Tapping goes off at him about working for several years as Macgyver and yet still not knowing how to fix a gate! Watch that clip here.
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She certainly was someone to be reckoned with, wasn't she? First, she was the nerdy scientist on SG-1, the leader of the base in Atlantis and recently, is part the up-and-coming science fiction series called Sanctuary. So, more about Tapping:
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When she was auditioning for her part in SG-1, apparently she threw in the phrase “Macgyver a system for the gate” or something to that effect. Seems like that was what got her the role and they actually left that in for the original episode.
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She is British-born and immigrated to Canada at a young age. This little bit of information is aimed at everyone complaining about her accent on Sanctuary.
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Tapping contributes to a number of charities including the Multiple Sclerosis Society and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
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According to her official website, her parents aspired for her to go into the sciences. In fact, she is said to be really good at maths. But her heart was in performing arts and hence, that became her career. I'm still impressed with the science/maths reference.
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Come on, he was Teal'c, the super cool, hardcore Jaffa. No one else can say “Jaffa kree” and sound like he really means business. Here's a little bit more about him:
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The story about how he got his role is quite interesting. Apparently, he came across the script through an actor friend whose roommate was prepping up for the audition. And Judge was hooked as he found out more about it!
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Seems like he has released an album. Well, it does not look like it was sold here; rather it was launched in parts of Asia where it was quite a hit. One of the popular songs was called “Gonna Take Our Clothes Off”.
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His partner Gianna (model/actress) has established a photography studio with Judge. Apparently photography is one of his major passions.
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Ah, Daniel Jackson! Also known as the guy who was, at one time, competing with Buffy for I-just-died-in-this-season/episode statistics. Well, Daniel is the bookish guy in the series who also acts as the moral voice at times. He points out how some decisions are just not easy to make, you know, because of it being on shaky moral ground. For those who are ardent fans, you will enjoy these fun facts:
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You learn something new everyday. Remember Sha're in SG-1? His wife from the sandy planet, the one where he stayed behind? The one who had a rather explicit nude scene in episode one? Yes, apparently she was his partner in real life for a while.
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Like Tapping, Shanks also grew up in Canadian; in his case, he is Canadian by birth.
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Shanks and Judge have been talking about starring in a series that is penned by the latter. Both guys are said to be executive producers of the series. I've also read about Rage of Angels, a show starring both these guys. I am assuming this is one and the same series both news sources are referring to?
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