http://www.scifitv.com.au/Blog/2008/05/Tealc-Cuts-Loose-The-Ultimate-Christopher-Judge-Interview/
(Please follow the link for the complete interview.)
SCI FI - THE SCI FI AUSTRALIA BLOG
INTERVIEWS - Teal'c Cuts Loose : The Ultimate Christopher Judge Interview
Saturday, May 31
by Captain
Christopher Judge is instantly recognisable to Sci Fi fans. For ten years, his role as Teal'c on Stargate SG-1 has resonated with audiences the world over. But Christopher Judge the actor is no stoic Jaffa warrior - in fact, the reality could not be further from the truth.
Larger than life, quick to laugh and quick witted, he brings an air of enthusiasm to everything he does.
On a recent trip to the Southern Hemisphere as a guest of First Contact Conventions, he stopped for a moment in between a whirlwind visit to Sydney and Wellington to have a heart-to-heart chat with SCI FI PI.
He talked about pretty much everything you could imagine, from his darkest fears, the highs (and lows) of Stargate, his experience as a writer, the two new Stargate films, his upcoming new series, Rage of Angels, all the way to golf with the kids.
Surprisingly candid and approachable, this is the first part of an epic two part (possibly even three part) interview with 'the world's most recognisable black man', Christopher Judge.
Grab a cup of coffee, and read on.
**snippage**
FROM ACTOR TO WRITER
But now of course, you have the experience of being a Sci Fi writer - where they expect you to know stuff that you're making up as you go along! Fans will know that you worked on several episodes as a writer, specifically with Jaffa storylines, but this has given you many opportunities, including your new show, Rage of Angels.
CJ: "I was kind of a cut-up the first five years, and I think I was having too good a time. Brad Wright and I were always very good friends and he knew that I always wanted to go more the writer/producer route and he said to me 'why don't you get serious and write something?' anything? well, come in with a couple of pitches and we'll see what you've got.
We'd always had pitches for shows about Amazons, but they always seemed a bit like Wonder Woman type of thing, so I came up with concept of these women under one particular God who so wanted warriors that he would kill off the children until he got a boy - which lead to one of their princesses spiriting their children away and so on.
The way a normal story is written - you pitch an idea, if the writers like it, then they all sit in a room and they break the story. Break the beats, break the acts, break everything. And then you basically write the dialogue. I asked Brad - 'would you mind if I didn't do that, because I would really like a real assessment if I have a future in this or not'. And he said 'sure'.
So I actually turned it in early. Then we went on summer hiatus and I didn't hear anything from Brad or Martin Wood, who I'd also given a copy to, and also to John Smith. And nothing. So I'm just sitting there thinking 'guess I'm an actor'...
Then on the Saturday before we were to go back to work, there were three messages on my phone. And they swear they didn't talk. Brad, Martin and John each saying how much they enjoyed it, blah blah blah. Structurally, Brad definitely fixed that, but for the most part, we pretty much shot what I wrote, which I learned is not the way it always happens. As a writer, especially as a TV writer or film writer, you can't be 'married' to the work or take it personally. The whole thing, I really owe to Brad Wright. Even Rage of Angels.
We were at Martin Wood's wedding, we had gone outside for a smoke - well I was smoking - and he said, 'if this show ever ends, what are you gonna do?'. And I said 'I'd really like to star in an hour drama, not a sitcom, and have it be viable'. And he said 'you know you're going to have to write it yourself - no network is out looking for that'.
And I said 'yeah, I kinda figured that'. So the week of the 200th episode, that's when we learned we were cancelled. Four days later I had written Rage of Angels."
**snippage**
Reflecting Judge
Photo courtesy of SciFi Pi
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