By Jamie Ruby
http://scifivision.com
The Stargate saga continues on Friday night with the premiere of the new original Syfy series, Stargate Universe. While it does continue the story line from previous Stargate series, dealing with the activation of the 9th Chevron, the new series feels fresh and exciting, and a lot different from the previous shows.
David Blue has appeared in television series such as Scrubs, Veronica Mars, Moonlight, and Ugly Betty. He has also appeared in the movie The Comebacks. Blue now stars as Eli Wallace, whose life is suddenly turned upside-down when he is recruited to help solve the 9th Chevron problem, and ends up stranded on the Ancient ship the Destiny.
Elyse Levesque has appeared in television in such shows as Flash Gordon, Smallville, and Men in Trees. She has also been part of various movies, including the upcoming movie Christmas Crash. She recently joined the cast of Stargate Universe where she plays the part of Chloe Armstrong, a political aide to the senator, her father. She gets more than she bargained for when she must try to help the crew find a way off of the Destiny.
David Blue and Elyse Levesque recently sat down with MediaBlvd to discuss the new series, their love of television, and everything in between.
MediaBlvd> Hi, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us today.
David> Thank you for having me.
MediaBlvd> How did you get this part? Did you audition for it or and why did you accept it?
David> Yeah, well, you know, as far as getting it the typical route. I was actually in
New York shooting another episode of Ugly Betty and heard about it. Then we set up the original, you know, audition and then I had a screen test and the whole usual process; pretty much worked hard to get the role. I was excited about it. And having watched a lot of the original Stargates when I actually got the script it changed everything for me. I mean it was just really interesting and gripping and in depth and it was a character that I really felt like I could sink my teeth into. And then during the actual screen testing process I heard about them signing on Robert Carlyle which of course just made me want it even more.
MediaBlvd> You said you've watched Stargate; did you use any of that to prepare or did you completely go away from that?
David> You know, when it comes down to it my character, Eli, is very much new to this word so the way he approaches things has to definitely be a fresh perspective not knowing anything about the program, about the aliens, about the different technologies. It does help when I read a script - when I read other people's parts to know what's going on which is how I've kind of become the go to guy; I get phone calls from my cast mates all the time saying okay explain this to me. What is this now that you guys are talking about? And it makes me I think appreciate it more but as an actor it's kind of fun because I have to act. I have to bring a set of fresh eyes to seeing something for the first time even though I've actually seen it on the show before. You know, I love it.
MediaBlvd> That's great. What's been your favorite moment or scene that you've filmed so far?
David> Oh that's loaded question. You know, that's a hard one. I think and this is just kind of a selfish thing as an actor - I love group scenes. I love scenes where it's all of us together in a room because everyone is really, really deeply talented. And we all get along; we've all become friends and we all have really good senses of humor so we just have fun. Sometimes too much, sometimes people have to kind of whip us back into line. But for the most part any of our group scenes there's always some interesting thing that somebody brings to it you weren't expecting and it makes it exciting and it reminds you why you'd want to do this for a living, you know.
MediaBlvd> For both of you what got you started in acting?
Elyse> Goodness. Well I don't even really know where it began for me. I feel like I always just kind of was acting even from like infancy. There's actual video footage my parents have. But I guess what kind of really officially got the ball rolling was in Grade 6 my teacher told me a about this open casting call for a children's television series that was shooting in my city and really just insisted that I go. And so I did and was fortunate enough to be one of 40 kids to be part of this repertoire company and I kind of just started from there.
David> I, you know, I've always been acting since I was a kid. Like - and I think it says that in my IMDB that I was in the Nutcracker when I was in the second grade. And I pretty much every year...
Elyse> Did you take ballet?
David> Yeah. Well just second grade it was more just little kids running around in costumes. And, you know, I did lots of plays after school and my brother actually did a little bit. And I still don't remember I saw him in a play when I was in middle school and I was like - I had stopped for like a year or two and I saw him in something and it just made me re-fall in love with it. And it was always just something that I loved doing on the side and I never really considered as a career. You know, I love TV, I love film. I watch so much stuff that I would watch these people and these icons that I would look up to and I never in a million years thought I could be in the same league as them.
And then somewhere around college I thought you know what if this is what I love to do and it's not just something, you know, a hobby. If I can actually make a living doing this and grow as a person doing this why not give it a try. And it's kind of taken off from there. You know, got training in theater and done TV, done film, continue to do theater and it's just been something that it's a passion inside of me that it love to cultivate. And for some reason someone out there is stupid and they think that I’m good at it and they pay me to do it. And I don't understand why but I'm not - don't tell them.
MediaBlvd> Well on that note for both of you too, which do you enjoy better, film or television?
Elyse> Television has changed so much. I mean I think a lot of the best work that's being done right now is on television. There's great networks out there that are creating these really well-written interesting show. And so I think that that whole kind of line of what's better, film or television, has sort of blurred over the past couple of years.
David> You know it's funny when you look back at the industry a long time ago, you know, you would never see film people want to go to TV or you never thought TV people could go to film. And that - like she said that line is gone. You know, you've seen Holly Hunter, you're seeing Kyra Sedgewick, you're seeing Robert Carlyle.
Elyse> Yeah.
David> You know, God rest him, Patrick Swayze. You know, just people on TV and it's because it's no longer about are you this or are you that. Now it's like this is what I do for a living; I'm an actor. And so you can do TV, film, theater. Look at Taye Diggs, you know, theater and film. Look at Idina Menzel, Christian Chenoweth. It's - and that's exactly why I got into this industry is I've always wanted - people would ask do I do theater or do you want to do TV/film? I'm like I want to do it all.
Elyse> I want to do it all, yeah.
David> And we're growing into that kind of world nowadays where entertainment is entertainment. And - I hate reality television.
Elyse> You stole my line.
David> And it's something that can all be encompassed as one big thing I hope, I hope. And the good thing about TV if I may just be even more verbose, the good thing about TV is that with film you have a character that you grow with for an hour and a half and then you have to say goodbye to. With TV you meet a character, you grow with for 20 hours, 23 hours, whatever in a season maybe over a few seasons and you really get to see the character change and develop different relationships and have things happen to them. And it's like you're welcoming someone into your family instead of just paying your - what is it like $40,000 for a movie ticket these days. And just seeing them for an hour and then having to say goodbye.
MediaBlvd> That's true. You talked about doing it all, are either of you ever interested in writing or directing in the future?
David> Yeah actually, you know, I was writing and pitching some stuff around town right before I booked this role. And the producers very much know that in the future I'd love to direct. And in a weird way a lot of the people in the cast I think we've spoken about it, a lot of people really would love to direct down the line, produce down the line. And I know Lou Diamond, you know, he has a lot of projects he's writing and pitching around right now. I think a lot of these people that we're working with are renaissance people and that's what makes them interesting.
Elyse> No, well I know who knows? Right now I'm sort of just - I'm really starting to just, you know, slowly but surely get the hang of this whole acting thing so I'm still working on that. And then maybe one day I mean who knows; I would love to. I would love to branch out into directing. You know, I don't know, we'll see.
MediaBlvd> Is there any scene like funny thing that's happened on the show that you think should be included in the blooper reel that you would like to see?
Elyse> Oh no.
David> There is so much.
Elyse> Oh no.
David> Here all - just like I've said we all get along and we all have...
Elyse> We get a long a little too much to the detriment of actually getting work done sometimes.
David> Yeah, there was actually a scene, if I may be so bold as to embarrass ourselves...
Elyse> Oh just do it, it's probably...
David> We were shooting a scene not too long ago on the Destiny where Elyse and I were kind of having to be cohorts and conspire with each other to convince someone to allow us to do something. And so we just - I never wanted to break on camera and I pride myself in that but this went over...
Elyse> I break over everything. I can't - I cannot - I don't think I could ever do comedy. I'd be the worst person in the world. I laugh at everything.
David> And we just - I think I was actually supposed to say Dr. Jackson, Dr. Daniel Jackson.
Elyse> I don't know, you were having a little bit of like a meltdown around that line for some weird reason.
David> Yeah.
Elyse> ...that line became an issue.
David> You know, you would think Dr. Daniel Jackson would be a really easy name to say and we were on like take like eight. And it wasn't even like my close-up I think it was...
Elyse> It was Louis's.
David> ...Louis's.
Elyse> Yes.
David> And I just tried to say it and it kept coming out Dr. Janiel. And I don't know why. And it was so funny to us for some reason.
Elyse> It was also like what 9 o'clock at night...
David> Yeah.
Elyse> Like we'd been there like all day so we were getting a little punchy.
David> Yeah we pretty much blew a couple of takes.
Elyse> Brian was a little delirious and late on his cue which then just sent us into hysterics. So...
David> Yeah, Brian, Elyse and I get along very well. And I think that translates to the set and unfortunately causes some problems with shooting.
MediaBlvd> If you could write a storyline for your character whatever you wanted to have happen what would you have them do?
David> Oh wow. That's hard because as soon as we tell you and you print it they're never going to write it.
Elyse> They're never going to write it, yeah. Oh man.
David> Well we've been joking - this would never happen, this is more humorous, but we've been joking for a while that one time we should dial the gate and walk through and end up on the island from Lost.
Elyse> Wouldn't that be awesome?
David> I thought that would be really cool. Just like, you know, hang out with Sawyer and Kate.
David> You know...
Elyse> I like that plotline.
David> It's be really cool.
Elyse> That'd be real interesting.
David> Crossover and it would extend Lost too so the fans would be really happy. You know, Brad, Robert, Carl, Joe, Martin, everyone they bring on I don't understand where they come up with some of the worlds that they have in their heads.
Elyse> They've been doing this for like oh my gosh...
David> Yeah, yeah...
Elyse> ...like 15 years.
David> So it's hard because sometimes we're just like oh my God where did that come from?
Elyse> Yeah.
David> So I wouldn't even try to pretend like I know the world enough to...
Elyse> Yeah.
David> ...get something. I would love in future season to see us just develop our relationships more, to really, you know, interesting things just happen or our characters, different things grow about us. You know, new situations arise that we just all have to deal with and learn who we can trust. And I mean I know it's going to happen. I know the excitement is going to be there. I know the cool sci-fi stuff will be a part of it and I know that down the line I'll find out that Eli feels different ways about different people that I never would have guessed and things from their pasts - I would love to revisit.
I would love to know more about Eli's mom, his family. Why his mom is a single mom. I mean I know but I'd love for it to translate to the screen more. And how Chloe ended up working for her father and...
Elyse> Yeah.
David> ...the world she comes from. I mean we touch on it this season, we do...
Elyse> We do, yeah, but...
David> I'd love to see it more. You know, these are characters that I personally as a fan love so I just want to learn more about them. So anything that allows us to do that and eliminates the characters I think will be good television.
Elyse> Yeah.
MediaBlvd> That's great definitely. Can you kind of run us through a typical day on the set?
David> Oh that's a hard one it changes all the time.
Elyse> Yeah, day to day it's a completely different experience. It depends on, you know, where we're shooting and what kind of scenes we're doing. But I mean if we were doing a full day I guess, you know, we kind of wake up at like 4:50, 5:00 am typically...
MediaBlvd> Wow.
Elyse> We still take public transit to get to work.
David> A lot of sky training from SGU.
Elyse> A lot of sky training. And then, you know, we rock up here looking disheveled and pale - well that's me anyway. And then they slap some makeup on us and make our hair look half decent and then, yeah, you know, you go in you do a blocking and then you shoot and that's pretty much kind of the pattern throughout the day.
David> I mean it's hard with an ensemble drama I think especially compared to sitcoms or what have you because you can - as long as you quote me on this and say that I invented this word - I call it the tectonic plates of shifting focus.
Elyse> Tectonic plates of shifting focus.
David> It's, you know, like, you know, some episodes you have to focus on a certain character; you reveal more about a character and then it shifts back to someone else, you know. You have to do that when you have a large ensemble of really interesting characters. So it really depends, you know, yeah there are some days where we come in and, you know, we shoot one scene from 4:00 to 8:00 and then we're done. For the most part especially like with the premiere which everyone will see on Friday, you know, there was a lot about introducing the audience to the show and to the world through Eli's point of view.
And because of that, you know, my typical day was showing up 4:00, 5:00 in the morning, grabbing as much coffee as I could humanly get my hands on, having some wonderful breakfast from our catering, you know, the hair, the makeup and then a whole day. We typically don't do a lot of rehearsals because - and this is a blessing - our cast and crew are just so wonderfully prepared and the way the ship is designed it's very much lit already. There's only very few things you have to add to it; it's very much a perfectly designed ship. Yeah, so you block a couple of things, set up and then you're ready to start shooting. And they - depending on the director especially people like Andy and Will Waring and Mahita, they know exactly the shots they want so even if you're spending a while on a scene you're doing it for a reason; you're not just getting coverage for coverage sake. And it's a very well oiled machine. I mean, we tend to shoot pretty quickly and pretty well. The thing that really takes a long time is the special effects. And when you see the pilot you'll know why. I mean, it's really insane.
MediaBlvd> I asked you about scenes you'd like to see in it. Are there any scenes that you filmed that were cut that you wished they hadn't cut?
David> Actually on the pilot there was. Yeah, in Part 3 for me in New
Mexico where we shot. There's just an extended version of a scene that happens in
New Mexico with Eli and a couple other characters. And the scene plays perfectly fine and I understand totally why it was. It was just fun and funny and I just enjoyed it. And I think somewhere down the line when they do an extended cut I'm willing to bet money that it's going to be in there. For the most part if a scene is cut I can understand why; I can see where they're coming from.
Elyse> Yeah, no, I mean, I'm trying to think of...
David> I think all your stuff is in it. What is that? Why is my stuff cut?
Elyse> I don't know. It explains a lot. I think in Air: Part 3 I mean there was some scenes with my mother that actually didn't make it into the final cut but we actually are going to be privy of an extended cut this afternoon so I'll get to see them.
David> We're doing a commentary.
Elyse> Yeah, we have the commentary thing this afternoon so maybe we'll get to see some of that stuff. But, yeah, it's the same sort of thing, you know, sometimes for time sake or for, you know, not dragging the story down, keeping the ball rolling it's important for certain things to...
David> If I can pat the show on the back though, you know, we had an episode called Fire that ran over pretty much and they loved the material so much that they actually turned it into two episodes and wrote more. So I think that shows you how really, you know, devoted they are to showing the good stuff, you know. So if they cut something it's for a reason; you can trust that you don't have to miss it, you know.
MediaBlvd> Definitely. Okay one more really quick question just because you both made me really curious. You talked about Lost and I know you like different Sci fi shows. What's your favorite shows on TV for both of you?
David> Mine will be longer so you go first.
Elyse> Okay, yeah, I should probably just punch them out quick. Well my favorite show right now is True Blood, love that. I just started getting into Madmen. I bought the first season and I'm almost done it and I love it; I absolutely love it. So those are kind of my two shows right now. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of time and I don't have like TiVo or - in
Canada I think we call it like TVR...
David> Yeah, they call it DVR in the States.
Elyse> Oh okay and I forget what it is up here. But, yeah, so I miss a lot of what's on television. So I just have to end up going out and buying a lot of the episodes on TV and all that stuff.
David> I however can't live without my DVR ever since I got it. So I DVR way too many; I'll try to narrow it down for you. I am a huge fan of True Blood and actually am halfway through the Sookie Stackhouse books as well because I like the show so much; which is different.
I love the Office, huge fan of the Office. I love Lost. I loved - past tense - Battlestar. 24 when it comes back on I'm going to be watching. Not just because Zach Levi is a friend but I do enjoy Chuck. Oh we just like set up our DVR for everything, Big Love, good show. I still watch Entourage because...
Elyse> I'm coming over to your house.
David> Yeah. I have every show. Like well at the beginning of the season especially I try to DVR any of the new shows out to see what it's all about in case I ever am up for it.
MediaBlvd> You sound like me.
David> Yeah, no exactly. And, you know, fan of TV that's just what we do because we want to see if it's worth it. You don't want to find out later like with Madmen, I didn't start watching right away and everyone like's you have to watch. And now I got to go back and get the DVDs because I only watched the first season and I really feel like I'm playing catch up. So to avoid that I watch them. Right now the premiere if Mercy I found really cool. Three Rivers, my new show - the new show with my friend Alex O'Loughlin from Moonlight - I can't wait to watch.
I really loved the pilot of Modern Family. I just thought it was hilarious and that's because again a friend, Jesse Tyler Ferguson is on that. There's some good stuff coming out which excites me because I feel like we're in a coliseum ready to battle it out. Yeah, but there's not a lot I don't watch. I don't watch reality TV. I'm sorry, as an actor I find it threatening. However I do watch So You Think You Can Dance because as an ex-dancer - as an ex-singer and dancer I watch it so that's on there too. I kind of hide that when people come over though.
Oh and Glee.
Elyse> Oh Glee.
David> How can we forget Glee?
Elyse> How could we forget Glee?
David> Love Glee.
Elyse> Oh my God that show is hilarious. Okay.
MediaBlvd> Thank you very much it was fun talking to you guys.
