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Given his stoic and guarded nature most people would consider Teal'c the strong and silent type but there is so much more to him. Although he may not always express himself in the most obvious of ways it does not mean that he is not experiencing the same pain, anger and even happiness that his teammates feel. Despite his towering presence, Teal'c is remarkably subtle when displaying emotion and this presents Christopher Judge with a huge creative challenge. "Teal'c has so many emotions and, yet, very few ways in which to show them," he explains. "I think the hardest thing for an actor to comprehend as well as trust when it comes to their performance is stillness. I had the oppurtunity to once work with James Earl Jones and he gave me some advice which I've never forgotten and that is, 'Let stillness be your strength.'
"When something amusing happens in a story I have to struggle as Teal'c to keep a straight face. There have also been moments in certain episodes that have really moved me as a human being have made me want to cry but that isn't how Teal'c would react. I have to register the emotion, whatever it may be, and relate Teal'c's feelings to the viewers but not overplay his reaction, and that can be incredibly difficult at times." Judge learned about Stargate SG-1 through an actor friend who was auditioning for the part of Teal'c. Teal'c comes from a race called the Jaffa and was chosen by Apophis to lead his guards and to defend the Goa'uld. Like all who serve Apophis, Teal'c was implanted with a symbiotic larva Goa'uld. The creature protects Teal'c from disease and injury while being nourished and nurtured within his body. Judge fell in love with the character after reading the sides (dialogue) and immediately phoned his agent to ask about arranging an audition.
"I went in and read for them and they put my audition on tape, but after a couple of weeks I still hadn't heard anything," recalls the actor. "Then they called to tell me that I'd be screen-testing in two days. When I got to screen-test there only three actors each reading for the other four regular characters but eight people auditioning for Teal'c. I took that to mean that the producers were really searching for a certain someone to show them who this character was. After the first round of read-throughs they sent home most of the actors who had tried out for the other parts but they sent home all the guys reading for Teal'c except me. At that point I knew it was either me or nobody," chuckles Judge.
"Oringinally, I believe Teal'c had one main objective and that was the liberation of his race," says Judge. "He was very straightforward in his vision and really had no interest whatsoever in such things as humor or establishing close and lasting relationships. When we first meet Teal'c, all he is concerned about is freeing his people, but as the show has progressed he has come to appreciate the complexities of personal relationships. At one time I think he would have sacrificed his own family if it meant his people would live in freedom but I don't think he'd do that now. Instead, he'd figure out some way to accomplish his task and safeguard his family. "Over the past two seasons Teal'c has allowed a bit of his emotional self to shine through, although most of it is still well hidden under quite a few layers of sombreness," laughs the actor. "I truly feel, though, he now realized that he has to give more of himself if he hoped to build solid friendships with people who he would not only die for but also laugh, eat and celebrate life with. At first, he found it difficult to believe that people would want more from him than just his protection. But there are those who care enough to want to know who he is and what he's all about, and he's just beginning to understand the importance of this in his life."
"I think his relationship with O'Neill is one of mutual respect," says Judge. "The colonel is the closest to who Teal'c is, or at least was, a soldier who obeys orders but who doesn't always agree with those orders. I think it's because they are both fighting men that Teal'c probably feels that he has the most in common with O'Neill. He has a similar rapport with General Hammond, who reminds him of his teacher Bra'tac. Here is a brave man who has fought battles, been in tight spots and survived basically in the same way as Bra'tac and, like him, is passing on his wisdom and knowledge to young soldiers.
"His realationship with Daniel is more or less based on curiosity. Teal'c is fascinated by humans and sometimes he's confused by how passionate Daniel is and how he is occasionally ruled by his emotions. Although Teal'c is getting better at understanding opposing views he still sees most things as being pretty cut and dry and either right or wrong. With him there's no standing on the fence and not being able to decide between two issues. Teal'c finds it interesting that Daniel is able to survive in the world making spur of the moment decisions and allowing his heart to guide him in certain instances. Teal'c has never really met anyone who makes a choice based solely on their heart without considering the repercussions and, just maybe, Teal'c slightly envies that.
"As far as Carter and Teal'c, their relationship has been explored probably the least on the program," continues the actor. "Teal'c has never had a camaraderie with a woman before and I kind of like that distance between the characters because Teal'c is unsure of how to approach her. He's also never dealt with a female as his equal on the battlefield, so that's been somewhat of an adjustment for his as well. I enjoy my scenes with Amanda and I'm hoping out two characters interact more with each other next season."
"It's been great working with this cast," adds Judge. "I think anyone going into a series starring Richard Dean Anderson would do so with trepidation. He's arguably one of the world's biggest television stars, so you'd expect him to have a huge ego or be on some sort of power trip but there is absolutely none of that. Richard's an intelligent, ordinary guy and, in fact, I hung out with him quite a bit during our first hiatus. Michael Shanks and I are best friends; he's like a little brother to me. Everyone as a whole gets along well and this includes the crew. We have a huge group of golfers on the set and the producers golf with the crew and the actors golf with the crew. There aren't any lines drawn that can't be crossed and that's somewhat unsusual but it also makes for a relaxed and co-operative working environment."
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Judge, whose ethnic heritage is African American and Cherokee, knew from a very young age that he wanted to act. He also had a very realistic view of the business and wanted something to fall back on. "I actually switched high schools from one that was known for partying to another that would give me a better chance of getting an athletic scholarship so I could go to college [university]," he says. He studied telecommunications and film at the University of Oregon on a football scholarship. Although Judge was serious about acting he made a temporary detour into football and as a defensive safety he was a three-time All American who played in the Hula Bowl during his senior year.
While in Oregon, the actor entered a contest to host a local morning radio show. His wity monologue got him the job as a morning disc jockey. This helped him break into acting but he also studied at the renowned Howard Find Studio in Los Angeles. Judge made his professional debut playing Officer Sikes in the 1990 film Bird on a Wire starring Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn. Judge's other film credits include Cadence, House Party 2, Little Feet and Glory Years. On television he was a regular on the series Sirens and has guest-starred on shows The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Wiseguy, 21 Jump Street and MacGyver starring Richard Dean Anderson.
"This part really came along for me at the right time because as an actor I'm more confident now that ever before with my work and in my abilities," says Judge. "I remember talking to Jay Acovone [Major Charles Kawalsky] and Michael Shanks during the pilot and, after shooting for a couple of days, I asked them, 'Do you think the viewers are going to get it [his performance]?' So much of what Teal'c is about is internal and you really have to watch his eyes and face to understand what he's thinking and feeling. They both said, 'Yeah they'll get it,' and thank God, it seems like everyone has."
