He’s one of the final five cylons, so Wizard caught up with the actor at NYCC to chat BSG and a possible role as the Man of Steel

By Kevin Mahadeo
Posted 4/24/08  - source

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This interview was conducted in a roundtable format with two other interviewers]

What I think is interesting about the show is that it combines futuristic science fiction and retro elements. What do you think about that?

Somebody at the panel touched on that. That’s something I find really attractive about the show, and I think it helps the show transcend the sci-fi genre. It’s difficult whenever you say we transcend the genre because

there’s a place for the genre and there’s great sci-fi out there. It’s just our show is more political allegory. It’s a period drama. Jamie Bamber said that. I wish I could take credit for it because it’s true. It’s a period piece. We always think a period piece is people with white powdered wigs on horses or swords and in castles. But a period drama is just that—a great drama set in a time. I like the low-tech aspect of the show. I

like that we shoot guns with real slugs and really bullets and we don’t have to shoot lasers at one another because there’s a sense of realism. It really grounds the show, and it makes the planets—the 12 colonies—very real. They look like Earth. There’s Caprica and Gemenon and there’s all these places that were real planets with real people, and that humanizes the show.

During the panel, someone pointed out that you should take the role of Superman. Is this something you were gunning for?

I would be lying if I said I didn’t have a real strong desire to play that role, I think ever since I was a kid. I grew up with the Christopher Reeve Superman. I don’t know if you guys know, but I had serious accident back in December and I broke my neck. I was perilously close to being on the same path and going to way of Christopher Reeve and never being able to walk again in my life. I don’t know if that was some sort of cosmic sign, but I’ve always been attracted to the role of Superman. It’s a childhood dream, as cliché as that sounds. It would be a real thrill to play. Unfortunately, we’re in a state of entertainment where unless you’re 22 years old…I got to be honest with you, it’s not Superboy. There’s a place for Superboy, but this is Superman. And George Reeves and Christopher Reeve were [older] when they played the role. I’m in my 30s, and I think you have to bring a certain gravitas to the role. But that just doesn’t reconcile with Hollywood. They want a 22 [year old]. They want a franchise for the next 10 years. Then they look at me and go, “Trucco’s too old. You’re out.”

With a show like this putting you in the sci-fi universe, putting you in this community of fans. How do you relate to that, and where do you see your career growing and how has it changed because of it?

Well, fortunately, I had just finished shooting a pilot for NBC. It’s a half hour. It’s a three-camera sitcom, which a complete and total departure from this. So, as an actor it’s great because I get to completely change my game. We still have yet to see the fate of it. Whether or not it goes is out of my hands. That’s up to network decision. I’m optimistic. To answer your question of where I think my career is going, I’m optimistic. I think for somebody in my age and in my genre there’s a lot of great parts in television. There’s a lot of great parts in film. And I feel like, personally, I’m just starting to get into my own. I’m more comfortable in my own skin than in the 10, 12, 15 years that I’ve been doing this now more than ever. Because I didn’t have it figured out in my 20s. I wanted to. There are some days where I wish I could have met the little success that I’m getting now 15 years ago so I could have set the groundwork for where I am now. But somebody said, “Yeah, but you weren’t ready then. It wasn’t your time.” And this happens to me now, and I’m taking cues of careers like George Clooney. He was working his ass off in pilots—one after the other—that failed and failed and failed. And he showed up as guest stars and had a recurring here and there. Then all of a sudden, he found his groove in his mid-to-late 30s. I admire the hell out of his career. I love what he’s doing. If I can try to pattern myself off someone like him, great! So be it. I’m ready to go.

You’ve got this complete universe in show. When you see the show afterwards, are you amazed you are able to keep everything consistent?

It’s very helpful to have the scripts. It’s very helpful to get a sense of what’s going on in the show. But the way I work as an actor is that I don’t want to know too much. I live my life day by day, so I don’t want to know what’s happening tomorrow. I’ve never been a fatalist like that. I don’t want to know. If somebody told me that this accident was going to happen, I didn’t want to know. I’m glad I didn’t. It happened. I move on. For the character, I’m also first and foremost a fan of the show. I’m lucky enough to be in the show, but I watch the show with my fiancé. We TiVo it when we’re not home. We have the DVDs. I like watching the show. I don’t want to know too much. I like going for the ride. For Andres, I don’t need to know. People are talking about what’s happening at the end and what are the implications for finding Earth? I don’t know. Why would I want to know? Anders doesn’t know that. So, I can’t bring a degree of truism to the character if I know too much. I want to be able to discover as it happens.

You shared a lot of scenes with Katee Sackhoff. When her character died, what was your reaction? I assume you two had a friendship?

Yeah. We were all part of the ruse, really. David Icke and the Ron Moore decided it would be best for the security of the show to tell everybody that Katee was in fact written off the show. Starbuck was dead. They took Katee’s name out of the credits. She was on “Bionic Woman.” And we were like, “Shit, this makes sense. She really is.” Even her mom was on set for a week crying. And her mom was like, “Michael, give me a hug. You know Katee always loved you, and when you came on for two episodes she said that they should write you back in.” I was like, “Oh man. I know.” Katee is very dear to me. I think she’s an excellent actress. We have a great report. Our characters work great together, even in this love/hate tug-of-war that’s going on. I love it, you know. I was like, “I can’t understand how you could do it. You can’t have a series.” I remember looking at Eddy Olmos and going, “No offense, Eddy, but we’re done. You’re awesome, don’t get me wrong, but you can’t take Starbuck out of the show.” And that lasted for about two or three days, and I think it was Eddy and Mary [McDonnell] that finally went to Ron and David and said, “What the frack?” Literally, “What are you guys doing?” And they realized people were pissed, and they go, “You know, no no no. She’s coming back.” And we had to keep up appearances.

What do you think about the universe your character exists in?

It’s dire, it’s depressing, and it’s dark. Every time I go to work I have to remind myself that there’s only 40-something thousand people left, and to understand what it would be like every single day just merely trying to get to the next one is huge. So, when somebody said, “Hey, what’s your attraction to Starbuck?” I thought about that question. I knew they were going to ask it today. They always do. There is a certain survival instinct. You’ve got 20-something odd thousand people to pick. Let’s see. It’s survival of the fittest. I’m going to go with the strongest, the fittest. She’s in the best location. She’s on Battlestar. She’s a warrior, a fighter. That’s good odds. So, no matter how much love, hate there is, I’m sticking with her.
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