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mandragoraI was flicking through the latest official Stargate SG1 & Atlantis magazine and, from an interview with Joe Mallozzi:
"We had discussed Ben [Browder] as early as as season one of Stargate Atlantis as a possible Major Sheppard." Turns out that Ben was working on Farscape: The Peacekepper Wars at the time, so it was a no go.
But. Now I'm trying to imagine Ben as John Sheppard and it's...weird. Really weird. I'm sure I would've still loved the character, because, well, it's Ben and I absolutely love Farscape (and John Crichton). But trying to imagine what Ben's portrayal, as opposed to Joe Flanigan's, would have been like is, hmm, intriguing, I think.
I have to say, though, that I'm exceptionally glad that it worked out as it did, because I suspect that Joe wouldn't have been enough of a 'name' to be cast as the lead on SG1 - and I think with RDA leaving they really needed a 'name', someone known to the SF watching public. And Ben fitted the bill admirably. So, although we would've got Ben snarking with David's McKay (fun!), we wouldn't have had Joe on SG1. And not seeing Joe on Stargate would have been a tragedy. *g* Plus, admirable actor though Ben undoubtedly is, who's to say that he would have had as good a chemistry as between Joe and David?
So, it's all worked out for the best. I get to perve over Ben on SG1 (and did you see Ben in that towel in the latest episode! *sigh*) and drool over Joe (alas, no towel as yet, but I have hope), as well as the whole McKay/Sheppard relationship.
"We had discussed Ben [Browder] as early as as season one of Stargate Atlantis as a possible Major Sheppard." Turns out that Ben was working on Farscape: The Peacekepper Wars at the time, so it was a no go.
But. Now I'm trying to imagine Ben as John Sheppard and it's...weird. Really weird. I'm sure I would've still loved the character, because, well, it's Ben and I absolutely love Farscape (and John Crichton). But trying to imagine what Ben's portrayal, as opposed to Joe Flanigan's, would have been like is, hmm, intriguing, I think.
I have to say, though, that I'm exceptionally glad that it worked out as it did, because I suspect that Joe wouldn't have been enough of a 'name' to be cast as the lead on SG1 - and I think with RDA leaving they really needed a 'name', someone known to the SF watching public. And Ben fitted the bill admirably. So, although we would've got Ben snarking with David's McKay (fun!), we wouldn't have had Joe on SG1. And not seeing Joe on Stargate would have been a tragedy. *g* Plus, admirable actor though Ben undoubtedly is, who's to say that he would have had as good a chemistry as between Joe and David?
So, it's all worked out for the best. I get to perve over Ben on SG1 (and did you see Ben in that towel in the latest episode! *sigh*) and drool over Joe (alas, no towel as yet, but I have hope), as well as the whole McKay/Sheppard relationship.
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Date: 10 March 2006 14:34 (UTC)I think probably Browder could play understated, but the way he plays Cameron on SG-1 would not have worked for me with McKay, unless McKay were the grim, understated one. Which he isn't.
Er, going back to work now.
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Date: 10 March 2006 16:37 (UTC)I mean, Cameron is the golden-boy, who has suffered in the past but he's just a wide-eyed fanboy at heart. I can't see John ever letting go of his repressedness to let his inner fanboy (I think he's - mostly - a fan of pretty much everyone in Atlantis but wouldn't admit it) out to that extent. I can't see John ever openly being the wide-eyed fanboy actually - I don't think he's as enthusiastic as Cameron is about anything except flying.
I'm with you in that I doubt the Sheppard/McKay dynamic would have worked as well if Ben had been playing it. It would have been different even if Ben had chosen a more restrained approach. I'm assuming as a professional and knowing the McKay character dynamic he would have done so, because Atlantis doesn't need a gung-ho, enthusiastic character (although in actuality the Cameron character is neither naive nore inexperienced) like SG1 does.