With a considerably more serious tone to Stargate Universe, the Stargate franchise has now taken us to fresh and new possibilities of Stargate travel that reach beyond the discovery, diplomacy, and fight-the-big-bad missions of previous Stargate series. In a recent SyFy Q&A, actors Lou Diamond Phillips (Col. Telford) and Ming-Na (Camile Wray) tell us their thoughts on how SGU furthers the Stargate franchise and how they feel about body-swapping: what it means for their characters and what it may imply about human existence.

[Above: Lou Diamond Phillips as Col. Telford at the communication stones]

SciFi Mafia:  We’ve seen a practical use of the Ancient communications stones more in SGU than any of the other Stargate series, but body-swapping can be seen as a controversial issue. What are your thoughts on it since both of your characters have experienced it?

Ming-Na:  Controversial, hey bring on the controversy, you know, makes for a lot – more drama and more interest I think and intrigue for any storytelling.

And I think because most of the Stargates have used this, these ancient stones, that’s already been established.

So if there were any controversy, you know, it had to have started up 15 years ago or whenever they did introduce those stones.

[Above: Ming-Na as Camile in the body of a quadriplegic woman. Reiko Aylesworth plays Sharon, Camile’s partner.]

Lou Diamond Phillips:  Well I mean I think it’s interesting because it does put your consciousness into someone else’s body.

And, I know for Ming it’s been very challenging and gives you a different perspective, makes you work very, very closely with the other actor [that] you are inhabiting so to speak.

[Editor’s Note: Ming-Na’s character swapped consciousnesses with a woman with severe paralysis for an episode, “Sabotage” last season. Picture above]

I mean from my point of view it’s the only love scene Telford’s had, so hey I can’t complain.

Ming-Na:  And you know we sign a waiver every time we have to use the stones so…

Lou Diamond Phillips:  Yes, exactly. You won’t to leave anything behind. Yes, that kind of thing.

Ming-Na:  Yes.

[Above: Lou Diamond Phillips as Col. Telford actually on Destiny with Rhona Mitra‘s Lucian Alliance Commander Kiva]

Lou Diamond Phillips:  But obviously for Telford, it’s really been his way to stay involved which is great. I mean it’s been very interesting… I’m sure he finds [it] very frustrating.

What I think in the bigger picture what I think is very, very cool and I don’t mean to spoil it is to say that in exchanging consciousness we are putting forth the theory that consciousness is something that can transcend space and time, that it can transcend the physical.

And this is a concept that will play out in different scenarios during season two in a way that I find just amazingly thought provoking and interesting and intriguing.

It’s one of the things that sci-fi does very, very well – to give you an idea and then to expand upon it and make you think ‘Wow, is that kind of thing possible?’ It’s very cool.

Ming-Na:  And I think also it’s really relevant and important for the Stargate franchise. Because one of the main elements of this show for all three shows is that there is always an attachment to Earth and in its current timeframe.

This show isn’t set in the future. It’s not set in the past. It’s set in the now. And it’s quite important I think to the Stargate fans to always have that reminder and to maintain that connection with Earth.

SFM:  Sort of like a grounding, tether point, right?

Ming Na:  Yes.

[Above: Ming-Na as Camile Wray, David Blue as Eli Wallace, Lou Diamond Phillips as Col. Telford, Robert Carlyle as Dr. Rush]

SFM:  Well along those lines about talking about the Stargate franchise, since SGU is kind of different than the other shows with more of a Battlestar Galactica tone, how do you think SGU furthers the Stargate franchise?

Ming-Na:  Wow, well in a weird way like we are a show that stands on its own in its style and in its story-telling. And that’s one thing that’s very different from the other Stargates. But I think it pushes the envelope so much more. I mean our show is quite serious and dramatic in a really dark way. I think it moves it in a whole other direction but for the better in its story-telling and furthering the whole idea of what – who created the Stargate, what it’s about, what is it for, what is the ultimate wisdom and reason for these Stargates. I think we’re still searching for that answer.

Lou Diamond Phillips:  I think that’s a very good point because it does raise the big questions.    And as I’ve said before, good sci-fi does that. It’s really against a backdrop that is virtually Shakespearean or larger than life [that] asks very human questions. Where do we come from? Where are we going? Why are we here?

And, without sounding too pretentious, Stargate Universe attempts to do that and yet bring in the introspection of how do we survive, how do we relate to one another in a way that’s going to ensure that we stick around.

I think that is the extension of the legacy that Stargate gave us previously. They had the action adventure. They had the larger than life characters. They had the sci-fi. And I would like to think that, you know, what Stargate Universe adds to the mix is a great dose of humanity and perhaps philosophy.

SFM:  So do you see this as a modernization of the franchise then so to speak?

Lou Diamond Phillips:  Yes and these guys were bored. They were doing the other thing for fifteen years and wanted to try something different.

Watch Stargate Universe on SyFy, Tuesdays at 9/8C.