1
00:00:23,647 --> 00:00:26,605
There's usually a breakfast
at the convention,

2
00:00:26,687 --> 00:00:30,566
and you just kind of walk around
and say hi to the different tables.

3
00:00:30,647 --> 00:00:32,603
Take pictures, and things like that.

4
00:00:32,687 --> 00:00:38,557
It's a more informal meeting with the fans
that have chosen to go to the breakfast.

5
00:00:38,647 --> 00:00:40,683
Then the convention itself starts.

6
00:00:40,767 --> 00:00:45,204
Generally, I go on stage first.
Or pictures, it kind of depends.

7
00:00:45,287 --> 00:00:49,280
It's either a stage talk first or pictures.
I guess it would be pictures.

8
00:00:49,367 --> 00:00:53,280
Generally, for me,
the stage presentation is the highlight.

9
00:00:53,367 --> 00:00:57,645
I have assorted maladies,
ADD being one of them.

10
00:00:57,727 --> 00:01:00,287
I'll give you a warning.

11
00:01:00,367 --> 00:01:03,996
I have ADD and Tourette's.
So if there's like...

12
00:01:04,087 --> 00:01:06,396
(thumps microphone)

13
00:01:06,487 --> 00:01:08,637
...that's me.

14
00:01:08,727 --> 00:01:10,524
And mild Tourette's.

15
00:01:10,607 --> 00:01:16,398
So the stage presentations, for me, are
a lot of fun. I usually make it through

16
00:01:16,487 --> 00:01:20,241
not answering one question -
my attention span's not long enough.

17
00:01:20,327 --> 00:01:22,557
Did I answer that?

18
00:01:22,647 --> 00:01:24,603
So it goes all over the place.

19
00:01:24,687 --> 00:01:28,441
Then we do an autograph signing,
where the fans get to come by

20
00:01:28,527 --> 00:01:33,157
and get either a picture autographed
or some personal item

21
00:01:33,247 --> 00:01:36,284
or body part autographed.

22
00:01:40,367 --> 00:01:46,761
The first convention I ever did
was the LA film and comic con.

23
00:01:46,847 --> 00:01:49,520
It was a good one to cut my teeth on,

24
00:01:49,607 --> 00:01:53,725
because I really didn't know
what to expect.

25
00:01:53,807 --> 00:01:58,562
I'd heard about the "Star Trek"
convention, Trekkies and everything,

26
00:01:58,647 --> 00:02:01,241
but I really didn't know what to expect.

27
00:02:01,327 --> 00:02:03,682
Anyway, we were a very new show,

28
00:02:03,767 --> 00:02:07,521
so I really didn't think
that there would be many people there.

29
00:02:07,607 --> 00:02:11,236
So I took the car straight from the airport
to the convention,

30
00:02:11,327 --> 00:02:15,605
and I see this long line of people
waiting outside the shrine.

31
00:02:15,687 --> 00:02:18,679
I'm like, "Wow,
I wonder who they're waiting to see."

32
00:02:18,767 --> 00:02:23,636
So I go in the back way,
and meet the convention organisers.

33
00:02:23,727 --> 00:02:27,163
He said, "Did you see those people?"
I said, "Who they waiting for?"

34
00:02:27,247 --> 00:02:29,238
And he said, "You."

35
00:02:29,327 --> 00:02:35,402
I was like, "You're kidding." And he said,
"No. Some have been there since 6am."

36
00:02:35,487 --> 00:02:40,766
I was just so overwhelmed by that.
Then I was struck by sheer terror.

37
00:02:40,847 --> 00:02:44,601
When I took to the stage,
this room, this great big hall,

38
00:02:44,687 --> 00:02:47,360
is full of "Stargate" fans.

39
00:02:47,447 --> 00:02:49,517
And I was frightened.

40
00:02:49,607 --> 00:02:52,838
But it went great.
To have that that early on,

41
00:02:52,927 --> 00:02:56,886
it was a great way to cut my teeth
in the convention circuit

42
00:02:56,967 --> 00:03:00,755
because I just was too dumb
to know what to expect.

43
00:03:07,607 --> 00:03:11,520
Conventions, for me, especially
the ones we do during the season,

44
00:03:11,607 --> 00:03:16,681
they're always great fun
cos the fans are always really excited.

45
00:03:16,767 --> 00:03:21,921
They're looking forward to seeing us,
and getting to talk to us. And us, also.

46
00:03:22,007 --> 00:03:27,001
It's pretty much the only time, especially
I get to really find out what the fans think,

47
00:03:27,087 --> 00:03:29,885
because I don't go on the Internet
or anything.

48
00:03:29,967 --> 00:03:35,599
So a convention, for me, is truly the only
way that I get any feedback from the fans.

49
00:03:35,687 --> 00:03:39,566
It's always great just to be able to say
thank you for all their support.

50
00:03:39,647 --> 00:03:44,880
From the moment that we step off
the plane it's a day or two of sheer lunacy.

51
00:03:44,967 --> 00:03:48,277
The fans are just overwhelming
in their support,

52
00:03:48,367 --> 00:03:53,646
in how excited they are about the show
and about us as characters.

53
00:03:53,727 --> 00:03:57,720
It's just really humbling.
It's a real good experience.

54
00:03:57,807 --> 00:03:59,798
(crowd cheers)

55
00:04:11,087 --> 00:04:14,875
- (microphone fails)
- (audience cheers)

56
00:04:15,767 --> 00:04:17,962
(audience laughs)

57
00:04:19,847 --> 00:04:22,236
(man) Plug him in!

58
00:04:33,007 --> 00:04:36,044
I hate when you pull it out
and can't get it back in.

59
00:04:36,127 --> 00:04:38,118
(audience laughs)

60
00:04:43,687 --> 00:04:47,202
It's like there's a thousand dirty people.

61
00:04:48,607 --> 00:04:49,676
OK.

62
00:04:49,767 --> 00:04:53,077
Welcome. Wait a second.

63
00:04:53,167 --> 00:04:56,716
Let me think about it. Goodbye.

64
00:04:56,807 --> 00:04:59,196
Everybody stand up.

65
00:05:03,007 --> 00:05:08,127
Now turn to someone you don't know,
and introduce yourself.

66
00:05:08,207 --> 00:05:13,884
To be on stage in front of Stargate fans,
it's like this rush of adrenalin,

67
00:05:13,967 --> 00:05:19,917
because you can feel the electricity
and how much they really enjoy,

68
00:05:20,007 --> 00:05:23,079
and are looking forward
to you being there.

69
00:05:23,167 --> 00:05:25,044
It's an advantage for me,

70
00:05:25,127 --> 00:05:28,483
because I can't remember
a lot of what happened during filming.

71
00:05:28,567 --> 00:05:32,196
I guess I'd like to say
I don't remember it.

72
00:05:32,287 --> 00:05:38,317
And it's funny, because a lot of fans know
the show word for word, scene for scene.

73
00:05:38,407 --> 00:05:42,764
At first it was daunting,
but as long as you can laugh at yourself,

74
00:05:42,847 --> 00:05:45,998
and know that these people know
more about the show than I do,

75
00:05:46,087 --> 00:05:50,126
I think that's a great jump-off point,
just to really be OK with that.

76
00:05:50,207 --> 00:05:54,758
You're gonna get answers wrong, people
will correct you when you are wrong.

77
00:05:54,847 --> 00:05:58,078
That's a great place to start,
otherwise it could be difficult.

78
00:05:58,167 --> 00:06:03,446
But if you embrace that, and embrace
the fans' enthusiasm for the show,

79
00:06:03,527 --> 00:06:06,041
it's fantastic.

80
00:06:06,127 --> 00:06:08,277
See? Did you see that?

81
00:06:08,367 --> 00:06:13,361
When I go off the question like that,
you gotta just...

82
00:06:13,447 --> 00:06:16,803
"You're doing it."
Say, "You're doing it", and then I'II...

83
00:06:16,887 --> 00:06:19,924
(woman shouts)

84
00:06:20,007 --> 00:06:22,885
- What was your question?
- (audience laughs)

85
00:06:22,967 --> 00:06:28,200
Just about how you came up with getting
more playback. You answered that.

86
00:06:28,287 --> 00:06:30,482
OK, good. Good.

87
00:06:33,647 --> 00:06:39,563
One of the wildest things
that's ever happened to me on stage...

88
00:06:39,647 --> 00:06:46,200
If you've ever seen me at a convention,
you'll know I have a form of Tourette's.

89
00:06:46,287 --> 00:06:52,601
I have problems with my language.
The cuss words and swear words.

90
00:06:52,687 --> 00:06:55,645
I try to watch it when
there are kids in the audience.

91
00:06:55,727 --> 00:07:00,243
I actually will poll the audience
to see how many children are there.

92
00:07:00,327 --> 00:07:06,277
This convention, I did the poll and it didn't
seem like there were a lot of kids there.

93
00:07:06,367 --> 00:07:12,522
So I said, "I'll give the PG talk." As I was
going along, I began to see more kids.

94
00:07:12,607 --> 00:07:16,156
So I apologised, and I said,
"To keep me on my best behaviour,

95
00:07:16,247 --> 00:07:20,638
"the next time I say a swear word, I will
give every child in here two dollars."

96
00:07:20,727 --> 00:07:24,959
I thought there was
probably nine, ten kids.

97
00:07:25,047 --> 00:07:28,960
So sure enough, within 30 seconds
I said my next swear word.

98
00:07:31,007 --> 00:07:33,362
If I had to kiss any more Chicago ass...

99
00:07:33,447 --> 00:07:36,325
(audience's laughter
drowns out punch line)

100
00:07:36,407 --> 00:07:39,285
There was this roar
from the kids in the crowd,

101
00:07:39,367 --> 00:07:42,245
and I said, "You got me.
Come and get your two dollars."

102
00:07:42,327 --> 00:07:45,876
(man) That's two bucks for everyone.

103
00:07:47,087 --> 00:07:49,282
(audience cheers)

104
00:07:55,367 --> 00:07:58,564
Every child come up and get two dollars.

105
00:07:58,647 --> 00:08:02,037
Right now. I should not be cussing
in front of children.

106
00:08:02,127 --> 00:08:04,960
Right now. Get up here. Run, run, run!

107
00:08:05,047 --> 00:08:10,724
What I thought would be eight or nine kids
actually turned out to be 30, 31, 32 kids.

108
00:08:10,807 --> 00:08:15,722
I had to have one of the stage managers
go make change for a hundred,

109
00:08:15,807 --> 00:08:19,083
and I gave every kid two dollars.

110
00:08:19,167 --> 00:08:23,445
It was one of the best moments
I've ever had on stage.

111
00:08:25,167 --> 00:08:27,362
(crowd cheers)

112
00:08:46,207 --> 00:08:50,405
I don't know where all those kids were.
They just came from nowhere.

113
00:08:55,367 --> 00:09:01,283
What surprises me most about the fans
is how much the show means to 'em.

114
00:09:01,367 --> 00:09:06,566
I mean, it's gone beyond
being just a pure entertainment vehicle.

115
00:09:06,647 --> 00:09:09,957
You meet so many fans

116
00:09:10,047 --> 00:09:13,722
that the show is something other
than just entertainment for them.

117
00:09:13,807 --> 00:09:17,641
It's escapism,
or they find parables in life in the show.

118
00:09:17,727 --> 00:09:19,922
It's amazing, but also very inspiring.

119
00:09:20,007 --> 00:09:22,919
It makes you care
about your work that much more

120
00:09:23,007 --> 00:09:28,764
that you have all these fans
that really not just enjoy the show,

121
00:09:28,847 --> 00:09:34,205
but look to the show as an inspiration
or it holds a meaning in their lives.

122
00:09:34,287 --> 00:09:38,075
I always...
I'm just so overwhelmed by that.

123
00:09:38,167 --> 00:09:45,118
It's amazing how the stories
that are told on the show,

124
00:09:45,207 --> 00:09:48,517
how much they reflect
what's going on in society now.

125
00:09:48,607 --> 00:09:53,123
I really believe our fans get that.
A lot of the questions are based in that.

126
00:09:53,207 --> 00:09:57,200
"You see what's going on in this country?
What if SG-1 encountered that?"

127
00:09:57,287 --> 00:10:02,600
So I think they get that a lot of the show
is representative of situations

128
00:10:02,687 --> 00:10:07,363
that are happening now, but it's much
safer because it's set somewhere else.

129
00:10:07,447 --> 00:10:10,723
So you don't have to
hit somebody over the head:

130
00:10:10,807 --> 00:10:14,436
"This is what is happening
in this part of the world right now."

131
00:10:14,527 --> 00:10:18,725
You can set it somewhere else
and kind of paint in broader strokes,

132
00:10:18,807 --> 00:10:23,676
but the fans really get it.
And that's a great part of the show.

133
00:10:23,767 --> 00:10:27,806
The story lines are great.
If you've watched a recent Atlantis one,

134
00:10:27,887 --> 00:10:31,197
in which there was an issue
involving medical ethics,

135
00:10:31,287 --> 00:10:34,245
we are still talking
about some of the implications.

136
00:10:34,327 --> 00:10:40,402
So as long as the SG-1 and Atlantis
keep having their quality writers,

137
00:10:40,487 --> 00:10:44,765
and they keep bringing out
issues that we can relate with,

138
00:10:44,847 --> 00:10:48,840
then we are going to be loyal fans,
and we're going to promote them,

139
00:10:48,927 --> 00:10:51,646
because they are worth our time.

140
00:10:51,727 --> 00:10:54,287
I don't know
what you people do for a living,

141
00:10:54,367 --> 00:10:58,406
but however you have the money
and the time to do these costumes,

142
00:10:58,487 --> 00:11:02,275
you guys are crazy. You guys are crazy.

143
00:11:02,367 --> 00:11:06,155
But we've just seen
some of the wildest costumes.

144
00:11:06,247 --> 00:11:10,399
The best ones have great costumes,
and then they'll do a scene from the show.

145
00:11:10,487 --> 00:11:14,366
Those are my favourites.
You people are crazy!

146
00:11:16,527 --> 00:11:24,081
The payoff of doing the show
is the terrific interaction with the fans.

147
00:11:24,167 --> 00:11:29,116
In so much of this business, you really
don't ever get what it gives to the fans.

148
00:11:29,207 --> 00:11:32,279
Conventions are a way
of really soaking that in.

149
00:11:32,367 --> 00:11:34,676
(man) Christopher gave me
this opportunity,

150
00:11:34,767 --> 00:11:39,079
and I very much appreciate everybody
for helping me out with this.

151
00:11:39,167 --> 00:11:43,046
Because actually,
it's not so much an impersonation, per se,

152
00:11:43,127 --> 00:11:48,520
cos what it is is, Susan,
love of my life, will you marry me?

153
00:11:48,607 --> 00:11:51,075
(audience cheers)

154
00:12:25,367 --> 00:12:27,244
A Jaffa wedding.

155
00:12:27,327 --> 00:12:29,602
I think that's a first.

156
00:12:29,687 --> 00:12:31,678
(audience laughs)

157
00:12:34,207 --> 00:12:39,076
Actors are drawn to the business because
they're needy, or need something.

158
00:12:39,167 --> 00:12:44,002
Theatre, probably, is the only place
where you get that instant gratification.

159
00:12:44,087 --> 00:12:48,239
Very rarely, in TVand film,
do you ever get that sort of love

160
00:12:48,327 --> 00:12:51,637
from the people who watch the show.

161
00:12:51,727 --> 00:12:53,957
"Stargate" is such a family environment,

162
00:12:54,047 --> 00:13:00,441
that to know that it extends
through this medium, television,

163
00:13:00,527 --> 00:13:05,282
and really affects the viewer
as much as it affects us here -

164
00:13:05,367 --> 00:13:08,677
because we're very much a family here -

165
00:13:08,767 --> 00:13:14,956
just to know that it really does
permeate through the screen

166
00:13:15,047 --> 00:13:19,598
about how much we care
about each other, it's very gratifying.

167
00:13:27,807 --> 00:13:30,844
People are on stage
taking their clothes off.

168
00:13:30,927 --> 00:13:35,717
That's one part of the thing
I don't want to be involved in.

169
00:13:37,047 --> 00:13:39,720
You might not be able to use that.

170
00:13:41,247 --> 00:13:43,238
ENHOH