By Christina Radish

Summer Glau at the Fox Television All-Star Party held at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif. on July 23, 2007.

The 26-year-old Los Angeles resident spoke to MediaBlvd Magazine about playing a Terminator and kicking some serious butt.

MediaBlvd Magazine> Cameron not only has the action scenes, but the comedy is very central to the character. How flat do you have to play it, and what is that deadpan attitude like to play?

Summer Glau> It was Josh Friedman’s idea, and it was a fine balance from the pilot to the series, deciding exactly how Cameron was going to relate to the people around her. And, we all felt that it was a great comic opportunity. It’s been really fun for me. I always told Josh it’s just me trying to be as honest as possible, as Cameron. I never want to ask the audience to laugh at me because then it just doesn’t feel real. And so, I just approach everything and try to be really sincere, as Cameron would be. What is so funny about her is just that she can’t be anything but genuine. She’s very open, like a child. She absorbs the behavior around her and tries to understand it as best she can, and sometimes it ends up being extremely funny.

MediaBlvd> The most discussed promotional piece for any show this year was that poster of you. What does it feel like, to see that strange picture of your disembodied head and torso with some wires coming out of the bottom of it?

Summer> I remember when we were on set and James Middleton, who is one of our producers, was describing this concept to me about this awesome poster. He said I was going to be naked and I wasn’t going to have any legs, and my guts were going to be hanging out. I was trying to act excited, but I was terrified. I thought, “Oh my gosh, this sounds so scary! I’m going to be up on a billboard looking like that?” Then I said, “Oh, come on, let’s just use a normal picture of maybe Lena holding a gun. That sounds good.” Then I saw the poster, and I thought, “Wow! I understand the concept now.” I thought it was really different. It made people wonder.  It was interesting. And, it said a lot about the show. I can’t even describe how it felt. It doesn’t feel like me. When I look at it, I just think about the team of people that put it together. It doesn’t even really register that it’s me. It kind of represents all of us to me.

MediaBlvd> You play a character that, unlike everybody else, is not a recast of the characters that we’re familiar with from the films. Does that make it easier, or does that make it harder? As an actor, how does it actually work, when you can really create a character as your own?

Summer> I think that Lena and Thomas have done an amazing job, and they’re both very brave actors, who are very independent and strong. I completely trust their version of their characters.  But, for me, it was easier. People still ask me about Arnold Schwarzenegger, and how it feels to be the new Terminator, but I can laugh about it because no one can possibly compare me to him.  He is an icon, and I’m doing something really different, so it is a relief for me. But, I’m only one person who is working on this character. It’s an entire team that helps me shape Cameron. Josh Friedman created her, and then the writers develop her, from episode-to-episode. Even Joel Cramer, our stunt coordinator, helps me decide how Cameron moves and fights. So, I always take comfort in the fact that I have people around me who are helping me make decisions about who she is, but I’m getting more and more comfortable.

MediaBlvd> As a female, what has it been like for you to play a role that, until now, is so hyper-masculine and reserved for people who look like Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Summer> It’s been a surprise, every day. I almost didn’t go into the audition because I just had such an idea in my mind of what a terminator should be, and I did not fit that mold, in any way. I’m short, and I just didn’t think that I had that terminator look. Arnold Schwarzenegger is such an icon. He’s such an action hero that Josh Friedman decided to take this Terminator on a completely different path. We’re not trying to recreate Arnold Schwarzenegger. We’re doing a completely different Terminator, and that makes me feel safe because I don’t have to try to follow in his footsteps. I’m just doing something different. And, it’s been great, as a girl, playing a role like this. I always look for roles that make me feel good about being a woman, and that’s not always easy. But, on our show, in particular, we’re so empowered and we have a place of importance in the script. It’s really gratifying, as an actress.

MediaBlvd> Were there a lot of changes between Cameron in the pilot and Cameron in the rest of the series?

Summer> Yes. We did make some changes that people will notice. We were experimenting with Cameron quite a bit, and we wanted her to be able to seem human. We especially wanted John to be fooled by her, so that he would let her into his life. And so, in the pilot, I do act very human.  And then, as I go through the series, it appears that I’ve taken steps back and that I am acting more like a Terminator would. It’s fun because I get to take more time for her human development. Once her cover was blown with the Connors, she was able to drop that persona and become who she really is around them.

MediaBlvd> As you spent more time in the role and got to know Cameron better, did it get any easier to play a character that isn’t human, or is it something you were always conscious of throughout filming?

Summer> As you do a series, you become your character, and it does get much more comfortable, when you read a scene. You have an idea of how you want to do it. Whereas, when you first begin a role, you’re really exploring it and you’re making big decisions about how you want to play her. But, at this point, all of us in the cast have really gotten comfortable with how our characters would react in a certain situation. I would say that the hardest part is still looking at my scene partner, who might be spilling their guts to me or crying or yelling, and I can’t give anything back. I’m always giving energy back to my scene partner, but I can’t respond in a way that I would if I was playing a human. That never quite feels natural to me. 

MediaBlvd> Do you think there will ever be an exploration of Cameron’s point of view? 

Summer> Right now, it’s The Sarah Connor Chronicles and we’re trying to find Sky Net, but Cameron obviously would have a very unique point of view in all of this. We do work as a dysfunctional family, right now, and it’s a mystery, at this point, if Cameron’s intentions are what she presents them to be. I don’t even really know what’s going on with Cameron. I do know that maybe she has a mysterious past.  And, it’s unclear what she ends up being in the future. At this point, all three of us, as far as what I know from the script, are all fighting for the same goal. But, that might turn out to be sort of a front. Cameron might have come back from the past for a different purpose.

MediaBlvd> You’re best known for your role as River Tam in Firefly and Serenity. What are some of the differences between playing River and playing Cameron?

Summer> I actually see some similarities between them. They’re both foreigners in their surroundings. River was never good at being able to relate to people around her, and she always seemed to be somewhere else in her mind, and Cameron is the same way. She’s from a different place and time, she’s not human, and she doesn’t really know how to relate to the people that she’s living her life with now, so they’re similar, in that way. But, River was so emotional and so vulnerable, and Cameron can’t really be those things. The biggest challenge for me, when I first was cast in the role, was trying to define how I could make her relatable and how I could relate to her, as an actress. It’s been an interesting balance. I’m still finding out who she is, and I think that she’s constantly growing. She’s constantly changing, from scene-to-scene, and absorbing human characteristics, so I think that she will continue to become more relatable, as time goes on. 

MediaBlvd> If River Tam fought Cameron, who would win?

Summer> I played River for a little bit longer, and I know more of her moves. But, River was all about finesse and creativity, and using her form as best she could because she wasn’t the strongest person, or the biggest girl, in the room. Now, playing Cameron, I don’t really break a sweat because she just gets to pick things up and throw them, and bash through walls. I think it would be an ugly fight. 

MediaBlvd> Who would win, your terminator or the TX from Terminator 3?

Summer> I don’t know. She’s really tall, in real life. She’s very imposing. But, we haven’t actually gone at it. Maybe she’ll come be on the show. Maybe she’ll help me out.

MediaBlvd> How much training and martial arts did you have to do to play Cameron, especially after having played River?

Summer> When I met with Joel Cramer to talk about the fighting, I told him that I didn’t know how a Terminator fights, and he said it was going to be very different from what I did before with River. I was not going to be doing all these beautiful martial arts movements, and it wasn’t about being creative and having to use dynamic movement. It’s just about brut force. It’s been a really fun change of pace for me because I worked so hard on Serenity. I had to learn all that martial arts. I did it myself, from start to finish, in every fight scene, and it was incredibly challenging. For Cameron, it’s challenging in a different way because I have to constantly remind myself not to react humanly, and not to move in a human way, even with things like crossing your legs, or touching my hair to move it out of my face. I have to really re-program my mind. But, as far as the actual fighting, it’s really fun. Most of the training I did was just going to the shooting range with Joel. We had a great time.

MediaBlvd> What are some of your favorite things about Cameron, and what are some things that you feel Cameron couldn’t hurt to learn, or have, as part of her characteristics?

Summer> I love the fact that I get to be very physical and that they’ve chosen a girl to be John’s bodyguard. That’s really exciting for girls, and it’s a great role for an actress. As far as her personality, if you could call it her personality, l love how open and curious she is. That gives me a lot of opportunity, as an actress, to try different things, and for her to grow and change. But, one of the interesting things that I’ve been thinking about is whether or not the Terminator understands what death is, and what the value of life is. That’s something that Sarah has a really hard time with. She needs Cameron, and she keeps Cameron around because she understands how valuable Cameron can be to keep John safe, but it constantly breaks her heart to watch Cameron and her coldness. I love that part of their relationship.

MediaBlvd> What do you think the prospects are for a Cameron/John romance?

Summer> The writers are keeping me guessing. At this point, I can’t tell. I know that it’s a possibility. And, in her own way, Cameron does love John because her entire existence is to protect him. Her purpose in life is to keep him safe and to be with him always. I think that she does love him, as best a robot could. But, at this point, their relationship is very complicated.  John is still trying to figure out how he wants to treat her and what his relationship with her should be. It’s really complicated, but anything is possible, at this point.

MediaBlvd> Can you give the viewers any hits or spoilers as to what we might see in upcoming episodes?

Summer> People are going to be surprised at the direction of the show is going in. We have a lot of really strong subplots and a lot of great guest stars constantly coming in. I’m always amazed at what our writers come up with. People have a feeling of what they think the show is going to be, but there’s going to be a lot of interesting twists because, when you take a concept from film and you put it into a television show, you can really take time to develop the story. So, there are things that people haven’t thought of.

MediaBlvd> Have you heard anything from James Cameron, or has anybody from the show interacted much with him?

Summer> Not that I know of. I would be very interested and nervous to hear what he had to say about the show, but I haven’t heard anything. I’m not sure if he’s seen it. 

MediaBlvd> What are some of the other shows that you watch on TV, when you get time?

Summer> My favorite show is Brothers & Sisters. I’m so addicted to that show. And, I watch anything that Anthony Bourdain does. I love all of his shows. And, I watch the Food Network.  I’ll watch anybody cook.

MediaBlvd> Can you cook?

Summer> I’m constantly trying. I have deep respect, and I’m working on it. I guess I have my whole life to try.

MediaBlvd> What were your thoughts about the cancellation of The 4400?

Summer> I was heartbroken. I love all of those actors. I enjoyed my time there immensely, and I thought it was an excellent show. They had a really long run, though. The show was on for a long time, and I’m sure all those actors are going to do great in new projects. I wish I could have been there for the finale. I had to leave before the last episode because I was shooting Sarah Connor, and I always thought, “Well, maybe I’ll come back.” Maybe some of those actors can come be on Terminator, so I can get to see them. 

MediaBlvd> Are you a sci-fi fan?  Is there something about the genre that attracts you and makes you want to be in it, or is it a case of the people who make sci-fi also watch sci-fi and you’re already on the radar?

Summer> Firefly was the first sci-fi show that I ever auditioned for, so I got lucky. And, once I became a member of the Josh Whedon family, it is sort of a small world. Those actors that are in sci-fi shows tend to make an easy transition into other sci-fi shows. And, of course, I’ve always been a fan of science fiction. I would say more of sci-fi books. When I was little, my mom used to always read us science fiction, and it did a great service to me, in developing my imagination. Sci-fi actors have to have a very vivid imagination. Playing River was difficult because I don’t know what it’s like to be a psychic, or to be a government experiment and live on a spaceship and fly around in space. You have to really go there as an actor, and it’s not as easy as playing someone that might be your friend or your sister. It’s very different. In general, sci-fi actors are very imaginative, creative people, and it’s been really fun for me. I’ve loved being a sci-fi actress.

MediaBlvd> Do you keep in contact with any of the Firefly gang? And, is there any word on another movie, or is that series pretty much put to rest?

Summer> It’s never over. We thought it was over, after the series got cancelled, and that wasn’t the case. We’re really close. I get to see Nathan the most because he lives the closest, but I still see everyone whenever I can. Jewel lives in Vancouver and she’s working up there, so I don’t get to see her as much as I’d like, but we all have such a strong bond. That was my first experience.  I didn’t even know how to stand on my mark. I lost the camera all the time. I ran into people. But, they treated me like an equal, and as family, so I think that we would all come back, if we got the opportunity.

MediaBlvd> Was there a pivotal moment in your life that compelled you to be an actor, or was it something you just fell into?

Summer> When I was a little girl, I just had a feeling that I was going to be an actress. I don’t know why. But, I never did it. I started dancing when I was five, and I did it all day, every day.  I traveled, I danced, and I was in ballet companies. I was a very serious dancer. Then I got hurt, and it’s the cliché story of the girl who put all her eggs in one basket. That’s all I ever learned how to do. When I got hurt, I thought, “What am I going to do now?” And, I ended up coming to L.A. to dance tango for a year because I couldn’t dance on point anymore. I started auditioning for acting jobs, and something just fit for me. I felt this peace that I was supposed to be doing it. And, after a year, I got enough acting work, where I could completely switch over. I was very lucky.

MediaBlvd> Do you feel like you’re getting to do the range of roles that you would like to play? Or, would you like to play a more comedic role, at some point?

Summer> I have three new goals, and one of those is that I’d like to do a movie about dance, which is something that I’m working on right now. It’s something that Josh Whedon is working on. He’s had this idea for a while, and we haven’t had the opportunity where both of us were available, but it’s something that we’re working on, as much as we can. I also want to do a western. That’s been one of my dreams. And, hen I was a little girl, and I thought about being an actress, I always wanted to do period films, like the romantic, Jane Austin kind of movies. That’s not what I’m doing right now, but I hope that I can do it all, at some point.