World Enough and Time

I have a terrible problem with Mark Sheppard's name. I know his name well. The problem is, there's a comic book creator named Mark Badger and the first role I knew Mark Sheppard in was that of Badger on Firefly - a role I loved.

So when I was scribbling my notes on what Mark Sheppard had to say at Torchsong I found myself referring to him as "Mark Badger". How... embarrassing. Esepcially when I looked at my notes, saw that my notes on his talk were all upside down, and credited to "MB".

From Mark Badger's Sheppard's talk at Torchsong:

• Fan: The other night at the cocktail party -
  Mark: I didn't do it.
  Fan: I thought you did rather well.
  Mark: That was my audition for Torchwood.
  
  
• He said how much he wanted to be on Torchwood and someone asked, "Do you want to be ab alien, a villain, or a hero?"
  
  Mark replied, "I'm not going to tell you. I'll just sweep the floor."
  
  Someone in the audience suggested, "You could clean up after the pterodactyl."
  
  
• Mark told a lovely story about his young son, aged four. They were at a party - in Hollywood, I think. The kid saw Ioan Gryffydd across the room and made a beeline for him. "Excuse me," he said, "Are you Mr. Fantastic?"
  
  "Yes, I am," replied Ioan Gryffydd.
  
  "Pleased to me you," said the boy with polite seriousness.
  
  
• Mark talked at some length about the reaction of children to acting and to having an actor as a father. He said his father was an actor, and he never wanted to be one. He wanted to be a musician, but was able to get acting jobs. "I got a part and it was downhill from there."
  
  
• He said that his children have no trouble telling the difference between his identity as actor and father, and the roles he takes: "Kids know the difference between reality and stories."
  
  
• Someone asked about Christian Kane and working on Leverage. He said, "Christian Kane is the most gentle guy in the world. So nice, warm... When he drinks he's dangerous. No, he's kind of shy, really." He told a story about going to Timothy Hutton's place to celebrate his birthday. Mark did almost all his own stunts on Leverage.
  
  
• He cited Richard Burton on acting: "It's easy. You give the other person your whole heart. If they don't give it back to you, kick the shit out of him."
  
  
• He said that his last work on Battlestar Galactica was exhilarating and exhausting. Re James Callas: "We had so much fun." He said the end was "fantastic, it blew my mind. Twenty five years from now people will still be watching it... The worst thing was not being able to talk about it for nine months."
  
  
• He ended his talk: "Thank you so much, you made this a joyous experience. I love you all."
  
  
• Later, I saw him at the autograph session. I his autographing table was the next after Gareth David-Lloyd's, and the line had stopped at Gareth because fans were talking to him. And talking more. I simply crossed the room to Mark and asked for his autograph because he looked bored. I said, "What, the line comes to a dead halt at Gareth?"
  
  "Thanks for coming over," said Mark. "Just for that, I'm signing you lots of love." And he did.
  

It's always hard to know what to say about an episode of Battlestar Galactica. Which watching, I find them riveting and fascinating. But without fannish involvement, and with the sense that the plot and story are a reality unto themselves, beyond analysis or anticipation. And as you all know here, I love analysis and anticipation.

( In this case... )

graycastle mentioned the issue of sexual orientation on Battlestar Galactica, and my ears perked up. Now, as it happens, I think Battlestar Galactica is one of the best-written things on television, despite a few blind spots. Yes, it's dark - not as dark as, say, George R.R. Martin, but for television, it's remarkably grim. And it deals with heavy psychological issues without simplification or easy answers. But it has been remarkable that of the however-many human survivors, none are gay or bi. A few of the Cylons are lesbian, and there was a brief same-sex kiss between the vicious Commander Cain and the Cylon spy on her ship, whom she later tortures badly.¹ So on Galactica there are no gay men, and the only lesbians are villians. Which is itself a loaded point - villains in this show are not the stereotyped baddies of other shows.

So when graycastle raised the question, I asked if anyone connected to the show had addressed the issue - I was thinking of Ron D. Moore. heyiya pointed me towards this article, in which Mary McDonnell, one of the stars on the show, addresses the issue a little. ( And in an interesting fashion.... )

That answer is disappointing, but not really surprising. I'd hoped, I suppose, that Ron Moore and his cohort of brilliant writers were just itching to cover oreintationally-diverse themes, but the producers wouldn't let them. But no. No shifting blame. They're just a bunch of scared straight guys.

Faugh.

~ ~ ~

¹ Eventually, that spy is saved, more or less, by a man who loves her. Hmm.