|
Jody Racicot Plays Dr. Zarkov As A Man of Thought in SCI FI's Flash Gordon |
|
Tuesday, 07 August 2007 |
By Kenn Gold
|
|
|
Jody Racicot at the SCI FI Channel Digital Press Event, June 26 2007. Photo by Eike Schroter/SCI FI Channel. | Jody Racicot plays Dr. Zarkov in SCI FI Channel’s new series Flash Gordon. “He’s the science major, the reclusive genius who assists Flash and Dale through their adventures on both Earth and Mongo,” says Racicot. Racicot spoke to MediaBlvd Magazine, along with other members of the online press at the SCI FI Digital Press Event in June. He told reporters that he feels this is a great role for him. “As it is, I just roll out of bed in the morning, and I’m perfectly groomed and ready to do the job, so it hasn’t been much of a stretch for me. I think the most recent work I did, was again was very easy for me to do, quite naturally in the morning; I played a Neanderthal in Ben Stiller’s Night At The Museum,” says Racicot demonstrating the quick with that he brings to the role.
Jody is well aware of the history that is inherent in the Flash Gordon story, and has done a bit of research on the internet to prepare for his role. “I remember going to the theatre to see that film (the 1980 film version staring Sam Jones), and I think I just went because of the soundtrack. As far as a connection with earlier interpretations of Flash Gordon, when this project came up, I got online, and found one site. It was a fan based site, and hyperlinked to just about everything that was available on just about every incarnation of Flash Gordon. It was really amazing, the wealth of knowledge that was out there. I knew there were a lot of deep ties for this series, historically”, he says.
Racicot related his experience when an acquaintance found out that he had landed the role of Dr. Zarkov. “His father is 80, and he delivered newspapers as a kid. When he found out I was doing this, he went into the connection that he had [with the character]. And I found that connection that he had as a child, was much different than the connection I had with the 80’s film version- but still the same excitement. Hopefully what we are going to be able to do too is bring a whole new generation, to be able to have that kind of connection when they do Flash Gordon again in 2035. “And they say, oh I remember the 2007 thru 2015 version!” “And they still have the same Zarkov! Yes, I’ll be riding this sucker to the grave!” he laughs.
|
|
|
Dr. Zarkov (Jody Racicot) is confronted by Flash (Eric Johnson) | Racicot feels that the themes explored in previous incarnations of Flash Gordon are still very valid today. “The great thing is that we are able to do it today. These themes are still relevant. This archetype, these themes, they’re still there. That’s one of the things that we can harken back to every Flash Gordon is that the archetypes have not changed. The faces may have changed, times have changed”, he says. “We don’t consider race any longer to be the alien threat, we consider the alien threat to be aliens!” he says, pointing to co-star Karen Cliché who plays an alien from Mongo. “Again, because it’s got a lot of heart, we don’t feel like we’re participating in something that might be less than tasteful.”
“One thing I really don’t like to do personally is promote a lot of violence,” he says. “In this show, we have a lot of action, and a lot of fighting. But it’s not the kind of violence that makes one uncomfortable. That’s one of the things that buoys us, and keeps everybody interested and enthusiastic. We’ve got this great history to call upon, and we’re able to tell these stories in a relevant, modern way, and with a lot of heart. It’s really easy to show up for work and to promote this type of project. I think a lot of other shows would be well off to be able to say that as well. We enjoy it because it’s good stuff to be putting out there.”
|
|
|
Jody Racicot and Flash Gordon co-stars Karen Cliche and Gina Holden at SCI FI Channel's Digital Press Event. Photo by Eike Schroter/SCI FI Channel. |
Racicot is glad that the latest incarnation of Zarkov in this version of Flash Gordon is much closer to Flash’s age. “I looked at a lot of the artwork for Professor Zarkov, and he reminded me of a sort of stodgy English professor. What I realized is he’s less of a patriarchal figure, because I certainly couldn’t cut that image. I believe we play Zarkov as more of a contemporary, albeit with a different set of skills. That’s the complimentary relationship we have. Flash is a man of action, and Zarkov a man of thought. I think that dynamic will play out a little differently than the Zarkovs of lore,” he says. |
|
|
