Post by Duerre on Jun 6, 2006 13:35:26 GMT -5
Rachel Luttrell is a former dancer turned science fiction action hero. Her role as Teyla Emmagan on the SciFi channel hit Stargate:Atlantis has helped rocket her to success and fanboy acclaim. During the interview, Rachel proved to be nothing but charming and endearing, mirroring the friendly nature of her onscreen persona.
Jason Sizemore: Hi Rachel. I would like to thank you for giving me this wonderful opportunity.
Rachel Luttrell: It is my pleasure, indeed.
JS: So, do you remember what you were doing when the producers called and said "Miss Luttrell, you are our Teyla!"?
RL: Yes, I do indeed. I was actually preparing for another audition for another show that I was up for. It was pilot season two years ago and I had actually been told...bizarre story because, when I had initially auditioned for the role of Teyla, it was if the part was mine. Everyone was coming out and shaking my hand and network executives were saying that I was amazing and casting personnel were saying it was in the bag, it's yours. A week passed by and I didn't hear anything, then a few more days passed by and now it's getting on a week and a half and I get a call that said, you know what, you're not going to get it.
JS: Oh my, that's awful!
And I get a call that said, you know what, you're not going to get it.
RL: And they're saying somebody at the studio can't agree and it's not happening and I had even went through a grieving process with my friends and moved on and was looking to do other work. Then I get this call out of the blue where they essentially said "They need you in Vancouver tomorrow. We start shooting in three days." So it was bizarre, I had to pack everything and hop on a plane.
JS: You weren't even given an opportunity to celebrate?
RL: No, but I did get a little chance. Mom made this fabulous dinner and I called my best friend and she called a group of my friends so we did have an hour to have champagne and then I went over to my family's house and had a nice dinner and then I went home and packed and the next morning was on the plane.
JS: On to Vancouver, working.
RL: In Vancouver, yeah.
JS:I have a question about the show. Particular to the third season. It seems the writers are building a bond between Teyla and Ronan. You guy definitely make an imposing duo.
RL: I can't tell you concretely because I haven't read all the scripts. I just got the next three last night so I'm just now getting through them. But I have had some conversations with some of the writers and they are going to put more focus on Teyla Ronan. Whether that means the two of us together or on our own story lines, I don't know. I imagine there will be some cool storylines between the two of us, and wherever that bond goes, who knows? So I think so, yeah... There has been talk of Teyla and Sheppard hooking up...
JS: There seems to be more potential around Teyla/Ronan story plots than say, Teyla/Ford...
RL: Oh yeah, absolutely. The cool thing about Teyla and Ronan is that they're both from essentially the same place with similar types of backgrounds, and an understanding that those two characters share with each other that they don't with anyone else. And it's cool that they're both warriors. Which I really like.
JS: If definitely gives a different characterization to the group of four that goes on the expeditions. On a slight tangent, I know there's always been talk of Teyla and Sheppard hooking up...
RL: Yeah, there has been talk.
JS: Yeah, just a little! Is this something you'd like to see?
RL: Well, I'm not adverse to it. I would like to see some sort of love interest for Teyla, but whether or not that ends up with Sheppard, I don't know. My take on it is that although it might be hinted at and teased at, I don't think the writers are going to make anything more of it because we're two characters in the same show, so it might be a tricky road to go down. Know what I mean?
JS: Yeah.
RL: If it were a movie, it might be something that would be played out, but we're a series, and it's something...
JS: You guys did have a kissing scene.
RL: We did have a kissing scene, but he was under the influence of a virus! And although I think those were his hidden inner feelings, I don't know whether those are going to be played out. But I like that it's hinted at, that it's there underlying and informing our characters and how we behave with each other.
JS: I like it, it gives fans something to speculate about and it adds an extra dimension to the characters.
RL: Exactly!
JS: Is Joe Flanigan the squinty-eyed charmer in real life like his character on the show?
RL: Yes, yes he is. He's quite charming, you know, in a nice way, not in a smooth Rico Suave way.
JS: Colonel Sheppard is a pretty nice guy.
RL: Yeah, that's Joe. That's pretty much who he is, he's a nice guy. He is charming. You know Joe is married and has two kids and a lovely wife that has become a good friend of mine.
JS: That leads to my next question...one of the things that makes any ensemble show great is chemistry among the cast, and it appears that the cast of Stargate: Atlantis has it in spads. Does this chemistry and friendship carry off the set, or are you guys like a bunch of Desperate Housewives fussing over who gets the best position in the photo...
RL: No, no. We're definitely not Desperate Housewives. We do hang out with each other, quite a bit. Particularly in the first year. It was Paul, David, all of us, and Torri, and we'd all go out together and have dinner parties. We really do enjoy each other's company and we've gotten to the point where we really share what's going on in our lives and it's a lovely thing and a lovely group of people. There really isn't any tension or weirdness, there's nobody that doesn't get along with everyone else. Actually, I've been hanging out with David, don't know whether you know this, there's a short film that he wrote, directed, and just finished so I haven't had a chance to hang out with him that much even though I'm going to have a tiny part in the movie. But I saw him a couple nights ago and we were both talking about how much we geniunely miss each other because we've been on hiatus for a few months and how we're all excited about getting back and seeing everybody and getting into the swing of things again.
JS: There's a lot of people in the world that would like to be able to say that about their co-workers.
RL: I know! There's so many blessings about this particular job, I think it is quite rare. There's always somebody butting heads with somebody and somebody talking behind somebody's back. But we've got a really good group of people, from the top, our creators, Brad Wright and Robert Cooper, and all the writers, all the way through to the crew members.
JS: It definitely shows on screen.
RL: Great! I'm glad it translates.
JS: Surely you guys ostracize James Lafazanos?
RL: Ostracize James? No!
JS: Well, he's the bad guy! Don't you guys make him sit by himself in the cafeteria or make him wait in the corner on the set?
RL: Oh yeah, we refuse to talk to James. It's really funny, James plays, obviously, this incredibly evil character and he does it with great skill, but the truth is that he could not be more different than that character. He actually wants to be a comedian, join Saturday Night Live, to do standup. He's a really spiritual guy, he'll go on meditation retreats where he won't talk for week and just ponder life and how to be a better human, and then he comes in and plays this incredibly evil, ferocious character and it's kind of crazy. But no, he's not ostracized.
JS: Are you a fan of the original movie?
RL: Yes, I am a fan of the original movie. I haven't seen it in years...I saw it on television when I was a kid and I remember being blown away by it and the concepts and the things that it brough and delved into. And it was years and years later that I discovered there was a television series based on the movie and I thought that was an amazing thing. I didn't get to watch as many of the first series as I wanted...yeah, I really should revisit the movie someday.
JS: So, there's one thing fans of yours can't help but notice, and that's your amazing physique.
RL: -laughing- Oh well, thank you!
JS: Your biceps, it looks like you could crack open walnuts with your biceps.
RL: -big laugh- Well, I don't know if I could, but thank you for the compliment.
JS: Do you do much training or special dieting, or is it all natural "badass"?
RL: I don't want to piss off your readers by saying it's natural, but I have a good face, good genes...my dad passed on good genes, so I don't have to work crazy hard. I don't have any special diet, I kind of eat what I want to eat, but I to gravitate to things that are healthy, because that's just what I am. But I do train, some martial arts, because that's what I do in the show, and lots of cardio and yoga classes, but I don't go too crazy. But I do like to be active. I started out years and years ago with dancing when I was quite little so that kind of informed the rest of my life that I do like to be physical and flexible.
JS: Do you do much with weaponry? You seem quite talented with knives and the sticks.
RL: Oh yes, thank you. I actually just discovered...wished I discovered it when I first got here, this amazing class, a martial arts class where you practice with all kinds of weaponry, with the sticks and knives and staff work and lots of hand to hand and boxing and now I'm doing that on a regular basis so I can get it into my body. But I do enjoy it.
JS: I just watched the episode "The Eye" where you had an extended knife fight.
RL: That was a really cool fight!
JS: You guys must have trained overtime because that was a long fight!
RL: Oh yes, we trained and trained on that choreography for quite awhile, the stunt people along with us, it was an amazing fight. I got to do most of it, but most of the hard hits or falls, that's a stunt double. The producers don't like seeing me get hit in the face. But all the other stuff I can do, I do it. That scene was a lot of fun.
JS: You don't want to bruise yourself up...
RL: Oh, but I have, let me tell you, I've had my knuckles cracked by the sticks, hit in the face by the sticks, and had my cheeks swell up...
JS: It wasn't that Joe guy was it?
RL: No, not in that case, but Joe has cracked my knuckles a few times. Joe has cracked my knuckles a few times.
JS: Well, I was on the web and lo and behold, I came across a "Women of Science Fiction" calendar, and I was like 'Hey now, look who it is! Hubba-hubba!'
RL: Yep, I actually haven't seen that calendar put together. I should go straight online and see it.
JS: Your photo is definitely one of the best.
RL: That was a Chris Judge and Michael Shanks endeavor, and I've become pretty good friends with both. They approached me last year saying they had this cool idea and would I be a part of it? At first I was like 'hmm, I don't think so, that's not my thing' but they talked me into doing it so there it is.
JS: How many conventions do you do a year?
RL: The first year I did two, I filled in for Amanda Tapping in New York due to her grandmother passing away, and it was terrifying, but everybody was really nice to me so it turned out fine. And then every year we do the ComicCon in San Diego. The cast goes, as do our creators, and our network executives, it's a big party. And it's something our network guys want us to do.
JS: Were you at DragonCon this past year?
RL: No, I didn't do DragonCon, though I might this year. Where you there?
JS: I was there, but at the time, I wasn't into the show, so I missed seeing all the big Stargate: Atlantis stars.
RL: Oh?
JS: But if I went now, I'd be the annoying fanboy taking 500 photos of you and the cast. Most of my time last year was swarming around Jewel Staite and the Firefly cast.
RL: Oh, I love Firefly! It was an awesome series and the movie was really cool!
JS: Cool, if you go to DragonCon, I'll have to track you down and say 'hey'.
RL: Yeah, for sure, if I go. I tend to not go to many conventions because by nature I'm shy and just have a hard time getting up on stage and talking about myself. I get uncomfortable. So I go to maybe two a year. This year I'm going to be going to New Zealand for a convention and definitely to ComicCon, and hopefully DragonCon.
JS: What's your favorite fanboy/fangirl moment at the conventions?
RL: You know, I went to a small fan convention this year just outside of Boston and it was probably one of my favorite convention experiences. It was really quite small, and the fans there were just, not that other fans elsewhere aren't genuine, but they were so sweet and genuine and the people who were running it were also fans and it was so lovely and I got to meet all kinds of people in different professions such as policemen and teachers. And a few of the fans came to me and said that now they're going to enjoy the show having met me.
JS: No doubt it adds a more personal level to the viewing experience.
RL: Yeah, but I think there were like, wow, the character is really cool and she's really tough, and I'm kinda, I guess I'm kinda cool, but I'm not a toughie at all, I'm so much more a softie, and people seeing that allowing me to be myself and then coming up and telling me that knowing this is going to enhance their enjoyment of the show.
JS: I like to hear stores like that, where the fans don't always scare and creep out the stars.
RL: Yeah, they were really lovely, respectful, and genuine and that one was cool. As I said, it was neat to see so many different types of people attracted to the show. There was a retired kindergarten teacher there, and a policewoman showed up that had driven seven hours to get to the convention. It was really lovely.
JS: Okay, this questeion isn't as respectful...it even has a setup...
RL: Oh no, a setup!
JS: Okay, you're on the set of Atlantis, and you're in the room with the actual stargate, when a large posse of hyperventilating Teyla-fanboys start going wild and destroying the entire set and everything around them in unfettered, Teyla-induced excitement. But you have the opportunity to save one item from the set and escape safely. What would that item be?
RL: That's a hilarious question. Hmm, if I could save just one set piece...
JS: It's got to be something you can grab and run with, because when they see you they're going to charge...
RL: That is such a silly, funny question! Okay...oh my god, I'll have to think about it...I think I would grab a chair because I could use it to defend myself and also because I'm in desperate need of a good office chair in my home and the ones on the set are so comfortable.
JS: Great answer! You did well! Okay, have you ever seen 'Teyla' action figures?
RL: No, not yet, though you know in our first season that they were toying with the idea of making action figures of all the cast, and there was a company that came down to do measurements and all that, but so far it hasn't happened. I did receive from a fan a Teyla doll made out of hardened Play-Doh. It's crazy. I actually keep it in my pocket because I take it out once in a while for a little giggle and it makes everyone else around me giggle.
JS: Does the person who made it know that you carry it around?
RL: I don't think so.
JS: That's crazy.
RL: But it remains in my coat pocket.
JS: What if someone were to find it and start sticking it with pins and needles?
RL: Oh no! Well, the good news is that there's nothing of me in it, you got to have a piece of hair... now you're freaking me out!
JS: Okay, I promise to tone down the weird.
RL: I'm going to show up at the next convention covered in saran wrap.
JS: Or an aluminum foil beanie!
RL: -laughter-
JS: What is Rachel Luttrell's favorite genre novel?
RL: I love so many books, I don't want to say a favorite, there's so many I love, but probably my favorite is The Count of Monte Crisco. And for those that have only seen the movie you are missing out.
JS: It is one of the stories of revenge.
RL: Oh my, that character is so amazing, so I love that one. I recently read that book called The Time Traveler's Wife, I think Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie bought the rights to the movie, it's a romance and it's all about science fiction and time traveling. And in terms of fantasy, when I was little my dad introduced me to the Lord of the Rings series and I just loved those and devoured them. I recently reread The Hobbit. And there's actually a phrase from The Hobbit that I keep on my fridge: "Not all adventures are pony rides and May sunshine". I think it is one of the last lines of the book. I love that phrase because it so simply sums up the fact that you need to be ready for all kinds of adventures.
JS: Can you tell us one thing that Stargate: Atlantis fans would love to know about Teyla that they might not already know?
RL: Hmm, and I can't make it up?
JS: Well, yeah, you *are* Teyla, I guess you can make up anything you want!
RL: Hmm, there's a lot of stuff that stays in the back of my mind when I'm portraying Teyla that hasn't come to light or we haven't even fleshed out yet. BUt I will tell you this, when I auditioned for the character there was this amazing speech that was part of what excited me about her, which was about essentially how she became the leader of her people and how her father was killed one night by these crazy bandits and her brother was terribly wounded and I thought it was an amazing story and we haven't dived into yet. I think her father, the death of her father, is a major influence of Teyla's and that is something the show hasn't delved into yet. It's not as cute as saying something like 'she likes peanut butter', but I bet she does. I do!
JS: Are there any other big projects coming up for you?
RL: Not at the moment. I am auditioning for something tomorrow, but I don't want to jinx it because I'm that kind of actor, and as I said, David Hewlett created this very funny, funny movie and I'm going to have a little role in it as well, and that is going to be a lot of fun, and fans of Atlantis will love it if they have an open-mind and don't mind seeing everybody in another light. It will be coming out this coming year.
JS: Is there a working title?
RL: Yeah, it's called Dog's Breakfast right now. I think they're going to stick with that title.
Jason Sizemore: Hi Rachel. I would like to thank you for giving me this wonderful opportunity.
Rachel Luttrell: It is my pleasure, indeed.
JS: So, do you remember what you were doing when the producers called and said "Miss Luttrell, you are our Teyla!"?
RL: Yes, I do indeed. I was actually preparing for another audition for another show that I was up for. It was pilot season two years ago and I had actually been told...bizarre story because, when I had initially auditioned for the role of Teyla, it was if the part was mine. Everyone was coming out and shaking my hand and network executives were saying that I was amazing and casting personnel were saying it was in the bag, it's yours. A week passed by and I didn't hear anything, then a few more days passed by and now it's getting on a week and a half and I get a call that said, you know what, you're not going to get it.
JS: Oh my, that's awful!
And I get a call that said, you know what, you're not going to get it.
RL: And they're saying somebody at the studio can't agree and it's not happening and I had even went through a grieving process with my friends and moved on and was looking to do other work. Then I get this call out of the blue where they essentially said "They need you in Vancouver tomorrow. We start shooting in three days." So it was bizarre, I had to pack everything and hop on a plane.
JS: You weren't even given an opportunity to celebrate?
RL: No, but I did get a little chance. Mom made this fabulous dinner and I called my best friend and she called a group of my friends so we did have an hour to have champagne and then I went over to my family's house and had a nice dinner and then I went home and packed and the next morning was on the plane.
JS: On to Vancouver, working.
RL: In Vancouver, yeah.
JS:I have a question about the show. Particular to the third season. It seems the writers are building a bond between Teyla and Ronan. You guy definitely make an imposing duo.
RL: I can't tell you concretely because I haven't read all the scripts. I just got the next three last night so I'm just now getting through them. But I have had some conversations with some of the writers and they are going to put more focus on Teyla Ronan. Whether that means the two of us together or on our own story lines, I don't know. I imagine there will be some cool storylines between the two of us, and wherever that bond goes, who knows? So I think so, yeah... There has been talk of Teyla and Sheppard hooking up...
JS: There seems to be more potential around Teyla/Ronan story plots than say, Teyla/Ford...
RL: Oh yeah, absolutely. The cool thing about Teyla and Ronan is that they're both from essentially the same place with similar types of backgrounds, and an understanding that those two characters share with each other that they don't with anyone else. And it's cool that they're both warriors. Which I really like.
JS: If definitely gives a different characterization to the group of four that goes on the expeditions. On a slight tangent, I know there's always been talk of Teyla and Sheppard hooking up...
RL: Yeah, there has been talk.
JS: Yeah, just a little! Is this something you'd like to see?
RL: Well, I'm not adverse to it. I would like to see some sort of love interest for Teyla, but whether or not that ends up with Sheppard, I don't know. My take on it is that although it might be hinted at and teased at, I don't think the writers are going to make anything more of it because we're two characters in the same show, so it might be a tricky road to go down. Know what I mean?
JS: Yeah.
RL: If it were a movie, it might be something that would be played out, but we're a series, and it's something...
JS: You guys did have a kissing scene.
RL: We did have a kissing scene, but he was under the influence of a virus! And although I think those were his hidden inner feelings, I don't know whether those are going to be played out. But I like that it's hinted at, that it's there underlying and informing our characters and how we behave with each other.
JS: I like it, it gives fans something to speculate about and it adds an extra dimension to the characters.
RL: Exactly!
JS: Is Joe Flanigan the squinty-eyed charmer in real life like his character on the show?
RL: Yes, yes he is. He's quite charming, you know, in a nice way, not in a smooth Rico Suave way.
JS: Colonel Sheppard is a pretty nice guy.
RL: Yeah, that's Joe. That's pretty much who he is, he's a nice guy. He is charming. You know Joe is married and has two kids and a lovely wife that has become a good friend of mine.
JS: That leads to my next question...one of the things that makes any ensemble show great is chemistry among the cast, and it appears that the cast of Stargate: Atlantis has it in spads. Does this chemistry and friendship carry off the set, or are you guys like a bunch of Desperate Housewives fussing over who gets the best position in the photo...
RL: No, no. We're definitely not Desperate Housewives. We do hang out with each other, quite a bit. Particularly in the first year. It was Paul, David, all of us, and Torri, and we'd all go out together and have dinner parties. We really do enjoy each other's company and we've gotten to the point where we really share what's going on in our lives and it's a lovely thing and a lovely group of people. There really isn't any tension or weirdness, there's nobody that doesn't get along with everyone else. Actually, I've been hanging out with David, don't know whether you know this, there's a short film that he wrote, directed, and just finished so I haven't had a chance to hang out with him that much even though I'm going to have a tiny part in the movie. But I saw him a couple nights ago and we were both talking about how much we geniunely miss each other because we've been on hiatus for a few months and how we're all excited about getting back and seeing everybody and getting into the swing of things again.
JS: There's a lot of people in the world that would like to be able to say that about their co-workers.
RL: I know! There's so many blessings about this particular job, I think it is quite rare. There's always somebody butting heads with somebody and somebody talking behind somebody's back. But we've got a really good group of people, from the top, our creators, Brad Wright and Robert Cooper, and all the writers, all the way through to the crew members.
JS: It definitely shows on screen.
RL: Great! I'm glad it translates.
JS: Surely you guys ostracize James Lafazanos?
RL: Ostracize James? No!
JS: Well, he's the bad guy! Don't you guys make him sit by himself in the cafeteria or make him wait in the corner on the set?
RL: Oh yeah, we refuse to talk to James. It's really funny, James plays, obviously, this incredibly evil character and he does it with great skill, but the truth is that he could not be more different than that character. He actually wants to be a comedian, join Saturday Night Live, to do standup. He's a really spiritual guy, he'll go on meditation retreats where he won't talk for week and just ponder life and how to be a better human, and then he comes in and plays this incredibly evil, ferocious character and it's kind of crazy. But no, he's not ostracized.
JS: Are you a fan of the original movie?
RL: Yes, I am a fan of the original movie. I haven't seen it in years...I saw it on television when I was a kid and I remember being blown away by it and the concepts and the things that it brough and delved into. And it was years and years later that I discovered there was a television series based on the movie and I thought that was an amazing thing. I didn't get to watch as many of the first series as I wanted...yeah, I really should revisit the movie someday.
JS: So, there's one thing fans of yours can't help but notice, and that's your amazing physique.
RL: -laughing- Oh well, thank you!
JS: Your biceps, it looks like you could crack open walnuts with your biceps.
RL: -big laugh- Well, I don't know if I could, but thank you for the compliment.
JS: Do you do much training or special dieting, or is it all natural "badass"?
RL: I don't want to piss off your readers by saying it's natural, but I have a good face, good genes...my dad passed on good genes, so I don't have to work crazy hard. I don't have any special diet, I kind of eat what I want to eat, but I to gravitate to things that are healthy, because that's just what I am. But I do train, some martial arts, because that's what I do in the show, and lots of cardio and yoga classes, but I don't go too crazy. But I do like to be active. I started out years and years ago with dancing when I was quite little so that kind of informed the rest of my life that I do like to be physical and flexible.
JS: Do you do much with weaponry? You seem quite talented with knives and the sticks.
RL: Oh yes, thank you. I actually just discovered...wished I discovered it when I first got here, this amazing class, a martial arts class where you practice with all kinds of weaponry, with the sticks and knives and staff work and lots of hand to hand and boxing and now I'm doing that on a regular basis so I can get it into my body. But I do enjoy it.
JS: I just watched the episode "The Eye" where you had an extended knife fight.
RL: That was a really cool fight!
JS: You guys must have trained overtime because that was a long fight!
RL: Oh yes, we trained and trained on that choreography for quite awhile, the stunt people along with us, it was an amazing fight. I got to do most of it, but most of the hard hits or falls, that's a stunt double. The producers don't like seeing me get hit in the face. But all the other stuff I can do, I do it. That scene was a lot of fun.
JS: You don't want to bruise yourself up...
RL: Oh, but I have, let me tell you, I've had my knuckles cracked by the sticks, hit in the face by the sticks, and had my cheeks swell up...
JS: It wasn't that Joe guy was it?
RL: No, not in that case, but Joe has cracked my knuckles a few times. Joe has cracked my knuckles a few times.
JS: Well, I was on the web and lo and behold, I came across a "Women of Science Fiction" calendar, and I was like 'Hey now, look who it is! Hubba-hubba!'
RL: Yep, I actually haven't seen that calendar put together. I should go straight online and see it.
JS: Your photo is definitely one of the best.
RL: That was a Chris Judge and Michael Shanks endeavor, and I've become pretty good friends with both. They approached me last year saying they had this cool idea and would I be a part of it? At first I was like 'hmm, I don't think so, that's not my thing' but they talked me into doing it so there it is.
JS: How many conventions do you do a year?
RL: The first year I did two, I filled in for Amanda Tapping in New York due to her grandmother passing away, and it was terrifying, but everybody was really nice to me so it turned out fine. And then every year we do the ComicCon in San Diego. The cast goes, as do our creators, and our network executives, it's a big party. And it's something our network guys want us to do.
JS: Were you at DragonCon this past year?
RL: No, I didn't do DragonCon, though I might this year. Where you there?
JS: I was there, but at the time, I wasn't into the show, so I missed seeing all the big Stargate: Atlantis stars.
RL: Oh?
JS: But if I went now, I'd be the annoying fanboy taking 500 photos of you and the cast. Most of my time last year was swarming around Jewel Staite and the Firefly cast.
RL: Oh, I love Firefly! It was an awesome series and the movie was really cool!
JS: Cool, if you go to DragonCon, I'll have to track you down and say 'hey'.
RL: Yeah, for sure, if I go. I tend to not go to many conventions because by nature I'm shy and just have a hard time getting up on stage and talking about myself. I get uncomfortable. So I go to maybe two a year. This year I'm going to be going to New Zealand for a convention and definitely to ComicCon, and hopefully DragonCon.
JS: What's your favorite fanboy/fangirl moment at the conventions?
RL: You know, I went to a small fan convention this year just outside of Boston and it was probably one of my favorite convention experiences. It was really quite small, and the fans there were just, not that other fans elsewhere aren't genuine, but they were so sweet and genuine and the people who were running it were also fans and it was so lovely and I got to meet all kinds of people in different professions such as policemen and teachers. And a few of the fans came to me and said that now they're going to enjoy the show having met me.
JS: No doubt it adds a more personal level to the viewing experience.
RL: Yeah, but I think there were like, wow, the character is really cool and she's really tough, and I'm kinda, I guess I'm kinda cool, but I'm not a toughie at all, I'm so much more a softie, and people seeing that allowing me to be myself and then coming up and telling me that knowing this is going to enhance their enjoyment of the show.
JS: I like to hear stores like that, where the fans don't always scare and creep out the stars.
RL: Yeah, they were really lovely, respectful, and genuine and that one was cool. As I said, it was neat to see so many different types of people attracted to the show. There was a retired kindergarten teacher there, and a policewoman showed up that had driven seven hours to get to the convention. It was really lovely.
JS: Okay, this questeion isn't as respectful...it even has a setup...
RL: Oh no, a setup!
JS: Okay, you're on the set of Atlantis, and you're in the room with the actual stargate, when a large posse of hyperventilating Teyla-fanboys start going wild and destroying the entire set and everything around them in unfettered, Teyla-induced excitement. But you have the opportunity to save one item from the set and escape safely. What would that item be?
RL: That's a hilarious question. Hmm, if I could save just one set piece...
JS: It's got to be something you can grab and run with, because when they see you they're going to charge...
RL: That is such a silly, funny question! Okay...oh my god, I'll have to think about it...I think I would grab a chair because I could use it to defend myself and also because I'm in desperate need of a good office chair in my home and the ones on the set are so comfortable.
JS: Great answer! You did well! Okay, have you ever seen 'Teyla' action figures?
RL: No, not yet, though you know in our first season that they were toying with the idea of making action figures of all the cast, and there was a company that came down to do measurements and all that, but so far it hasn't happened. I did receive from a fan a Teyla doll made out of hardened Play-Doh. It's crazy. I actually keep it in my pocket because I take it out once in a while for a little giggle and it makes everyone else around me giggle.
JS: Does the person who made it know that you carry it around?
RL: I don't think so.
JS: That's crazy.
RL: But it remains in my coat pocket.
JS: What if someone were to find it and start sticking it with pins and needles?
RL: Oh no! Well, the good news is that there's nothing of me in it, you got to have a piece of hair... now you're freaking me out!
JS: Okay, I promise to tone down the weird.
RL: I'm going to show up at the next convention covered in saran wrap.
JS: Or an aluminum foil beanie!
RL: -laughter-
JS: What is Rachel Luttrell's favorite genre novel?
RL: I love so many books, I don't want to say a favorite, there's so many I love, but probably my favorite is The Count of Monte Crisco. And for those that have only seen the movie you are missing out.
JS: It is one of the stories of revenge.
RL: Oh my, that character is so amazing, so I love that one. I recently read that book called The Time Traveler's Wife, I think Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie bought the rights to the movie, it's a romance and it's all about science fiction and time traveling. And in terms of fantasy, when I was little my dad introduced me to the Lord of the Rings series and I just loved those and devoured them. I recently reread The Hobbit. And there's actually a phrase from The Hobbit that I keep on my fridge: "Not all adventures are pony rides and May sunshine". I think it is one of the last lines of the book. I love that phrase because it so simply sums up the fact that you need to be ready for all kinds of adventures.
JS: Can you tell us one thing that Stargate: Atlantis fans would love to know about Teyla that they might not already know?
RL: Hmm, and I can't make it up?
JS: Well, yeah, you *are* Teyla, I guess you can make up anything you want!
RL: Hmm, there's a lot of stuff that stays in the back of my mind when I'm portraying Teyla that hasn't come to light or we haven't even fleshed out yet. BUt I will tell you this, when I auditioned for the character there was this amazing speech that was part of what excited me about her, which was about essentially how she became the leader of her people and how her father was killed one night by these crazy bandits and her brother was terribly wounded and I thought it was an amazing story and we haven't dived into yet. I think her father, the death of her father, is a major influence of Teyla's and that is something the show hasn't delved into yet. It's not as cute as saying something like 'she likes peanut butter', but I bet she does. I do!
JS: Are there any other big projects coming up for you?
RL: Not at the moment. I am auditioning for something tomorrow, but I don't want to jinx it because I'm that kind of actor, and as I said, David Hewlett created this very funny, funny movie and I'm going to have a little role in it as well, and that is going to be a lot of fun, and fans of Atlantis will love it if they have an open-mind and don't mind seeing everybody in another light. It will be coming out this coming year.
JS: Is there a working title?
RL: Yeah, it's called Dog's Breakfast right now. I think they're going to stick with that title.
