GW: Now you said you weren't extremely familiar with sci fi before you joined up with Stargate. How familiar were you with Stargate before you got the role?
CC: I was, probably out of all the shows, more familiar with all the shows more familiar with Stargate just because of the fact that it was done in Vancouver, and I had had friends who had shot it. So I would catch it and try to watch their episode. That kind of thing. Yeah, I think Stargate probably. And then as far as the Star Treks or the Battlestar. When I watch Battlestar, that's a very well-shot show. It's crisp. You look at it and it's "Oof! That's good!" I'm getting more of an appreciation for it, that's for sure. And then watching our show and watching to see how it's done.
Because as you know -- I'm sure you've been on set -- and you see when it's done and then you see the final product, and you go "Wow, those guys are good, because that was just green."
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As one of very few mainstay technicians, Campbell is frequently compared to Gary Jones. |
GW: Well there's so many intricate pieces that have to be moving in the right direction and at the same time all the time. It's intense. I've been on set, and I'm terrified that I'm going to sneeze and screw something up.
CC: Oh, well, get in line, pal. [Laughter]
GW: How would you contrast yourself from the technician Gary Jones has played on SG-1 for ten years now?
CC: I know. I know. Well, when I started playing the technician, everybody on set was like, "Hey, you're the Gary Jones of Atlantis!" And I was like, "I don't want to take anything away from Gary. What happens if I do this and it sucks?"
Gary pulled me to the side and said "Hey, try this." I just did it on my own as far as what I would try to do to create the character. But I tried to do it in the vein that if Gary was doing it for ten years, Gary was doing something right. And there was a reason that he was there for that long in that chair doing it.
I take the appreciation that he makes you believe that all the dials and all the things that are there are real. You know what I mean? That's the magic that he does, because he has to, as you know, do the same thing over and over again.
So for an actor, it can probably get boring or just a little stagnant for that kind of thing, but he never does. He always brings it to the table and makes it fresh. That's what I picked up from watching Gary Jones, going "OK, I get you." You got to make this work every time in that sense. You just can't fax it in. They don't believe in the Stargate, well, switch the channel.
GW: Like the base leader, like with Weir and now with Carter, there's something about the technician that allows -- because he doesn't really go anywhere -- but you get the sense that this place is real
CC: That's what I try to do. Absolutely.
GW: Some jobs may be monotonous. Some jobs may be a "Chevron one encoded," or what have you. That's one of the problems that I have. You see all these extras and you see these people constantly flowing through, but it's nice to have a couple of mainstays because there would be. Especially if you're trapped in the Pegasus Galaxy.
CC: Yes, exactly. And you've eaten all the chips in the vending machine. There's nowhere else to go! "I'm going to go back and sit down and push some buttons."
Campbell and David Nykl appeared briefly in SG-1's "The Pegasus Project." | |
GW: Has Gary every shared with you any inside secrets over dinner? Have you guys ever talked about the role?
CC: We just chatted as friends passing each other by in the set. You know, Gary, he's a consummate professional, so he'll just walk by and go "How's it going?" And you'll go "Fine," give you the wink.
There's nothing he hasn't seen after ten seasons. Like any of the main cast there he knows the score. I think that was the big thing for him. He really likes doing it. He enjoys it, and everybody likes Gary, so it's nice on that part. If you enjoy your job after ten years, you can't ask for much more than that.
GW: No, a steady thing like that. A steady gig. And still allowing you to do other things as well!
CC: Yes, yep. So very lucky. Very lucky.
GW: Now Edmond Wong seemed to be in the running for this role of the main tech until the episode "Home," and then there was a gap of gate technicians until you made your appearance in "The Brotherhood." And then he hasn't been seen since. So I guess it just didn't work out, or something.
CC: You know, I don't know what as far as Edward is concerned. I don't even know -- was he in town for a little bit, and then he had to go? From my personal position, where it was, Martin Wood was the guy who gave me my break.
GW: Oh really?
CC: Oh yes. He was directing and he actually came up to me and said "Hey, Chuck, would you like to try the technician role?" And I was, "Absolutely!" I had no idea -- it was just like you said, for "The Brotherhood." And we were going to do that and bang it off, had a little scene there with Zelenka and that was cool, and to be honest, David, I did it and it just kind of stuck for a little bit.
GW: So he actually approached you and asked if you wanted to come back as a recurring technician.
CC: Yes. Martin was the guy who basically was in my corner for that, said, "No, you try it. Try it." And then they let me try it and then of course, later on, they tried integrating the control room, making it more culturally diversified. I think that's the word -- politically correct. That's cool, I understand that. And then I got to come back again.
I don't obviously know if it was a little push from the fans, because they've been so supportive, or they just are looking for a certain type of rhythm in that control room and I just fortunately match that. I don't know. I wish I could be egotistical and say "Yes, I am the technician and I always will be!" I could be working at the gas station Thursday. Who knows?
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"I don't know if you've ever met Momoa in real life, but he looks like he could eat a small dog."
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GW: Well with SG-1 there are certain expectations, and with one of them comes a friendly, familiar face for the base that you don't always get to talk with, but is always there. And I think you filled that. And you even did in "The Pegasus Project" as well on SG-1, which was really cool too.
CC: That was a treat.
GW: Did you not expect to be doing that?
CC: No, David, I honestly didn't. Nope. It might've been Brad. He said "Gotta throw the coat on you, bud. I was like, Yeah!"
GW: How cool is that? Same set, different show.
CC: Yeah, it was great. That was a treat, that's what that was.
GW: Great. Now you've appeared in over 30 of the 60 episodes -- 80 episodes now, excuse me.
CC: That's crazy. Did we crack 30?
GW: You have, yes.
CC: Phew. Nice! Like it-like it.
GW: Now you've witnessed a lot of the work done on Atlantis, both in front of and behind the scenes. What are some of your favorite memories from this journey so far?
CC: Wow. Good question. Some of my favorites ... I remember the introduction of Ronon Dex. We were outside shooting and it was night. I didn't know who Jason was. I didn't get to know him prior to him doing his stuff on set. I don't know if you've ever met Momoa in real life, but he looks like he could eat a small dog.
GW: He's a very big man.
CC: Very big man. And he's blasting through the woods in this scene in the dark in this big coat. I think he was being chased. Maybe it was a Wraith runner/ship, I don't know.
But anyway, I remember seeing him blast by and go, "How are you ever going to control this guy?" He looked like a warrior in that sense, and I remember "This is going to be a good twist." He was joining the show, and I thought "What are they going to do?" Then when they amped it up and made him and Sheppard buddies, the Han Solo/Chewbacca banter back and forth, and it worked. I like that because that was my first instinct of this new character that joined up, and then it took off.
Working side-by-side with a cast for years, doesn't a character deserve a name? | |
I always love watching David Hewlett. I think he's a robot. [Laughter] I know many people will tell you he's a new dad, and he's a real kind guy and always trying to help people, but he's a robot. No way anybody can memorize that many lines and not make mistakes. That's my conclusion.
GW: Yeah, he's really good at what he does.
CC: He definitely is.
GW: I've watched him on set and from what I've seen it's rare that he slips up. He really is able to maintain that. That's a lot of technical jargon!
CC: Oh, come on, I'm there with the sides in my hand! Off camera with it! I'm like "Oh, I'm so glad this is not me." There's a difference, I guess, if you can just squeak it out and do it once. He does his, and then he does his coverage, and then he does it off-camera for other people, and you're like, "You sleep? How do you memorize all that stuff?"
GW: Yeah, it's a mouthful.
CC: Yeah. It's impressive to watch people of that caliber. And I don't know if you know, but Teyla could probably whup half the cast and the crew.
GW: She's tough.
CC: You give her two sticks and she'll put you in Emergency if she has to. That's not fake.
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