BSG: Season 3 secrets

Source: Wizard Entertainment

Ladies of space Katee Sackhoff and Grace Park help propel the hit show into a third season

Two of “Battlestar Galactica’s” loveliest ladies, Katee Sackhoff and Grace Park, portray arguably two (more than two, in Park’s case) of the most complex characters in the large ensemble cast of the series, now entering its third season on SCI FI Channel, which debuts October 6. Sackhoff portrays Starbuck as a reckless drunk with a death wish, and Park brings humanity to all her roles as multiple copies of the Cylon Boomer.

Wizard caught up with them to talk about the new season, the romantic triangles and why they want to record a drunken cast commentary for the next DVD set.

WIZARD: Can you guys give us any teasers about what’s coming up in the new season?

GRACE PARK: I can verify for sure that it is darker than the first two seasons. You are probably wondering how that can happen, but you actually start to see the characters implode within themselves and what that does to them. Not only do we focus on the heroes and the human/Cyclon interaction, but we visit the Cylon world. We go on the baseship and see what that looks like.

KATEE SACKHOFF: I can say [Starbuck’s] core relationship with Anders will be riddled with drama, as is her relationship with Lee [Adama]. That triangle is not going anywhere. By the end of season three, we will know what her purpose is, and why the Cylons keep her alive.

Your characters were both, in one way or another, part of a love triangle in the last season, and Katee, yours continues this year.

SACKHOFF: The more drama the better, right? It’s a dream job, I get to go to work and take my pick between two beautiful men. That’s always going to be a struggle for [Starbuck], these men in her life. Every time someone gets close she pushes them away. She loves really hard but she also hates herself so much that she won’t allow herself to be happy for too long.

PARK: I love having romantic interests. I enjoy them if they are genuine or organically believable. They were trying to play up my love interest with Tyrol, but none of us would have it. We could see what they were trying to do, and unless it was written in a way that we could believe it, we didn’t feel that we were honoring the story.

Let’s talk about the fans. You guys have stories, right?

PARK: [We film in Vancouver], so it’s like going to the border, and Customs are being very business-minded and not smiling at you whatsoever, and you are completely intimidated. As you are walking away, they are like, “Love the show, by the way.” It’s little things like that that make me smile.

SACKHOFF: Of course, you always have weird fan encounters. I think that’s what’s so great. The fans are fiercely loyal.

What keeps the show fresh for you, and how long do you think you guys can keep it up before it expires?

SACKHOFF: From what I’ve heard from where the storyline is going, it’s going to be even more fun. I’ll stay on the show as long as it continues to be exciting and challenging.

PARK: With all the talent and passion involved, we can easily keep it fresh. It depends on whom we are doing the stories for. If we start doing the stories for audience members and awards, good luck. You might as well throw it in the can and go home. That’s when people become uninterested in the show and the passion leaves and it becomes just a job.

So now is the perfect time to ask you ladies how the cast really gets along. All those stories about everyone loving everyone else can’t be true, can they?

PARK: We hate each other. It’s just getting worse and worse every year. She’s the biggest bitch of them all. [Laughs] We all actually do get along quite famously, it’s a bit ridiculous. We do go party together here and there.

SACKHOFF: I think it would be hysterical to get us all together, drunk, and do a commentary [track for the DVD]. The thing about the cast is that we work really hard but we also know how to play really hard together. A couple bottles of wine and a pack of cigarettes and it would be a good time. It just would go to show the camaraderie on set, and how everyone just gets along with everybody else.

PARK: A drunk cast commentary sounds like a fantastic idea! Let’s do it!


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