What's your sport?
Golf. I play a little basketball, but as I'm getting older, my joints are giving out.
Are happy with the direction your
character is going?
I think for the most part, yes. He's getting a little stagnant. I should propose something
to the writers just to shake things up a bit. It gets kind of boring doing the same thing every day. I
want to take Teal'c in a different direction for a while; kind of inject some life not only into him as a
character but into me as an actor.
How receptive are the writers to
suggestions?
Very receptive. That's what's great about my character in particular is that, you know,
the alien is always tough to writer for, so they're always open to suggestions on where to take him.
Also I don't think they had a pre-conceived idea of Teal'c should be like. So they've never really
been opposed to anything I wanted to do with him or any of the ways I've portrayed him.
All of the other actors say Teal'c is the hardest character to play on "SG-1," do you agree
or disagree?
I think that it's hard to play him because you have to bury your human emotions under
so much exterior stillness and just let so little of it seep out. But yet it has to be enough to let the
audience know how you're feeling. From that respect he might be the hardest to play. You don't get
a chance to overtly show what you're feeling or thinking. You have to be so subtle that it's hard.
Probably one reason they're saying that is because he's diametrically opposed to who I am as a
person that it makes him hard to play.
What is your favorite episode so far in
Season Three and why?
Hmmm...I think it's probably the one we're doing right now because it kind of ties up a
story line that began in the pilot. It gives closure to something we've touched on, going on three
years now. It also opens up another avenue for kind of a direction.
What are your favorite movie and TV
series?
My favorite TV series is 'Ally McBeal' because those characters give voice to things I
think a lot of people think, but don't necessarily say. I'm a huge fan. Also 'NYPD Blue.' 'The
Sopranos' is a great new show. TV, for being the most powerful medium in the world, is not worthy of
that power. It's not very creative. I'm not saying that every show has to be groundbreaking or
controversial, but TV should at least make you think a bit. It's become a deal where like my favorite
shows are on A&E and Discovery Channel. Movie-wise? I just like movies. I guess the most recent
movie - I haven't seen 'Star Wars' yet - that really made me sit up and get excited was 'The Matrix.' I
thought that was phenomenal, not just for the effects, but the message and the story. I'm looking
forward to 'Austin Powers.' I'm going to take my kids.
Teal'c has shown a little humor in
recent episodes, will this sense of humor grow and do you want it to?
I don't know if it's actually a sense of humor growing, I just think it's more his humor
coming out. I just say things that no one else gets, that to me are very funny. This season I actually
had my first overt attempt at humor that will be accessible to the rest of SG-1. I think Teal'c has
always had a sense of humor, it's just different than the Earth sense of humor. The character will
probably lighten up a bit, while still staying within the parameters of the character.
You are very deep and thoughtful; do you plan to write a
screenplay?
Actually I've already written a couple that we're in the process of
shopping now. And I'm involved with producing a film with a group of friends of mine.
That's a project we want to do just because we all dig each other and we've been
together as a collective group of friends for quite a while. The whole producing-end of the business
is starting to interest me more than the acting.
Do you want to direct?
No, because I really don't like actors. I like actors as people but I don't like people as
actors. Speaking as an actor, I know we're very catered to, very coddled, and as a director I would
find that so absolutely irritating. I would hate to direct myself, because, some of the crap I pull as an
actor, I don't think I would tolerate as a director. That's why I won't try directing any time soon.
Do you know whether you guys will be
doing a big-screen movie?
I've actually heard that something like that is in some kind of a pre-development
stage. That could just be hearsay, but that's kind of the big buzz floating around. I certainly hope
that it's true. I think the Stargate premise is more suited to the big screen than to the TV set anyway -
just because of the sheer scope of that.
Have you ever been recognized on the
streets?
Yes, actually since we've been syndicated, I get recognized a lot. It's nice to actually
know that your work is appreciated. People are really friendly when they approach. Thank God I don't
play a character that's unlikable.
What made you want to be an actor in the
first place?
I was fortunate in that I've always known. I can remember watching 'Star Trek' when I
was like in Kindergarten and thinking of going to other worlds, or watching a movie like 'Sounder'
and remembering how that made me feel. I've always wanted to be able to have other people
experience through my acting or projects that range of emotion that movies and TV made me
experience. I never wanted to be a fireman or a policeman - I've always wanted to be an actor. I
studied Drama in high school. In college I knew that acting would be tough, so I went in as a
pre-med major, so I could be a doctor in case the acting didn't work out. This is how warped a young
person's thinking can be. After college, it was the early days of FOX and they were having contests to
host regional programming. I won one of the contests so that kind of opened the door for me. It was
kind of like an MTV - talk show format. I used tape from there to get an agent.
Will we learn more about Teal'c's past
this season?
I certainly hope so. One thing that I wanted to explore is his parentage and whether
he has siblings, and how he came up. We've already touched on it a bit this year. We do find out
about his father. I want to delve into that more.
How do you like working in Canada?
Do you feel like an honorary Canadian yet?
After being here three years I certainly do. So much stuff is going on up here within
the last ten years - this is the third time I've lived here in ten years. I love it up here. I actually went to
the University of Oregon and so much was made about the rain. It rains less up here than it does in
Eugene Oregon. There's great golf courses and the skiing and people are great.
Who would you most like to work with
that you haven't worked with yet?
Anthony Hopkins. I think he is the master of stillness. I could learn a lot
from him. I'd love to work with Morgan Freeman - the master of economy. That's my
thing - how actors can portray such great strength doing so little. I think that's kind of the
secret of being a good actor. I would love to work with Deborah Unger - probably the
most underrated actress today.
Is the rest of the cast easy to get
along with?
We all get along really well. Michael, Richard and I have a kind of real brotherly
rapport. We hang out more and more. We actually went on a golf trip last weekend to the interior of
British Columbia.
How long have you had your head
shaved? Was it just for the role?
Yes, just for the role. I actually have worn my hair quite long my whole life. I actually
auditioned with very long hair.
What do you think will happen once Teal'c's Symbiot Matures, will he allow it to take
him over? What kind influence do you think he currently has over it?
As of now there's no communication between the Symbiot that he carries and himself.
He actually got a very immature Symbiot from the holy temple. So it will be another six-and-a-half
years before it matures. I think once it matures I'll be moving on to another show.
Do you think you set a good role model
as an actor?
I'm not sure what that question means. In terms of the character I play - everything he
stands for is good: honesty, integrity, doing the right thing no matter what the repercussions are.
Teal'c is a great role model. Me as a person - I try to live a good life, I try to treat people the way I
want to be treated. I'm a great father. So from that standpoint, I guess I'm a good role model. I truly
don't ever think someone should be a bigger role model than your parents - not actors.
Are you looking forward to the
upcoming trip to Australia in July?
Oh my God, yes. I've never been to Australia. I actually have friends who play
basketball there, and I have a buddy who's a golfer in Australia. I've heard nothing but fantastic
things about Australia. I've heard we have a ton of great fans there. It's going to be great to get down
there and meet some of the fans.
How do you feel about your fans and do
you read fan mail?
When we first started - just because I was so worried whether what I was doing was
getting across - I read a lot of Internet stuff. As the show got bigger and bigger, I didn't read that as
much, but I always read my fan mail and try to respond to as much of it as I can. It gets a bit
overwhelming. Eventually I will get to it all. The fan support has been overwhelming and fantastic. I
never in my wildest dreams thought that the show would be as well received worldwide as it's been.
We're now in the enviable position of being one of the last good sci-fi shows out there. The 'Star
Trek' shows are ending and so forth. We're gathering more fans as we go, and they are extremely loyal.
Ultimates TV's Chat with Christopher Judge
May 26, 1999
