Sci-fi constants Mark Sheppard (Doctor Who, Supernatural) and Gina Holden (Flash Gordon, Saw 3D) very kindly took time earlier this week to speak with the press about their upcoming Syfy Original Movie, Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island. SciFi Mafia took the opportunity to ask them a few questions about their extensive work in the genre.

SciFi Mafia: Mark, any chance you can tell us if you’re going to be on Doctor Who again and if you’ll be continuing to do voice work for BBC America?

Mark Sheppard: Well, yes, I’ve been doing a lot of voiceovers for BBC America, it’s so much fun to introduce some of the shows I’m actually in. This is so much fun. But what am I going to do on Doctor Who, I can’t tell you that. I mean I’d lie. I’d have to lie about everything, you know.

SciFi Mafia: Well, you know, we have to ask anyway just in case you might want to pass on a little tidbit.

Mark Sheppard: Well, I just introduced the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Melbourne. I just got back the day before yesterday from Melbourne. We did the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular where we took the music of Seasons 5 and 6 with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Daleks and The Silence and everybody else and just had this incredible sold out – we did six performances sold out, 11,000 people. You know, the music of Murray Gold and conducted by Ben Foster. It was just the most extraordinary experience.

So, I think Canton is a much loved character and probably see him again on Doctor Who. It’s the only thing I can really say about that.

SciFi Mafia: Fair enough and sounds like that was a great experience. I wanted to ask you both, have we just been lucky to have you both on so many sci-fi shows or do you actively seek being on sci-fi? And can you tell us what you most like about working with it?

Gina Holden: I’ll jump in. For me, I think I’m always looking for great sci-fi projects. I’ve done a lot as everyone knows and I just think for me I’m drawn to them because of the imagination that you have to use while filming. And I’m kind of a weirdo that way. I just love the green screen. I love the challenge of working with things not from this world and just the challenge of that is really exciting.

And as crazy as it sounds, yes, even with Mysterious Island we were on this crazy location and all the bugs and all those challenges, but those are what kind of make it fun as well, as weird as that sounds.

So for me I’m always hoping and always excited when I get a new sci-fi project because it’s really interesting and it brings everybody together in a way that’s – just different than the dynamic in a drama or something like that. So you just really have to pull together and dig deep and face your own fears as well.

For me, I’m terrified of huge insects and here we are in the middle of the swamp in Louisiana [for Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island] dealing with these massive moths and things like that. And that’s kind of what makes it exciting because you obviously get over those challenges, so, yes, it’s really fun.

Mark Sheppard: I agree with Gina. It’s the imagination that is involved in sci-fi and fantasy is what draws me to it. Stories, everything, I mean you get these kind of stories in historical drama and it’s just so fabulous. It seems to realize itself to be some of the most exciting TV and films that are made. Sci-fi just has that ability.

And yes, I love watching actors and especially directing actors looking at giant octopuses that aren’t there. It’s a tough job and I think it takes a very special type of actor to be willing to commit to these kinds of things.

And I think that’s why Gina and the rest of the cast are very much loved by the sci-fi community. There’s a commitment there and there’s a love of the genre and you can tell. You can really tell.

SciFi Mafia: Are there any sci-fi, fantasy, or horror shows you’d like to be on as a guest or a regular? Or a particular type of show you’d like to be on or a part you’d like to play in the genre?

Mark Sheppard: I’m just going to lie to you. I mean, my job is to lie you have to remember that. I’m not allowed to tell everybody what I’m really doing, where I really am, or what’s really going on because it’s been one of those weird journeys for me that I’ve been lucky enough to play characters that have seemed to resonated with fans and tend to come back.

And people know where I am and what I’m doing or whatever it tends to spoil the story a little bit. So I’m one of those weird actors that’s taken his name off the credits more times than I think he’s kept it on.

SciFi Mafia:  You know, I actually really appreciate that.

Mark Sheppard:    Well, we really try. It’s a lovely thing to be able to do. I love and respect the genre and I love to participate in any shape or form in what I do. I don’t know what my journey is, I don’t know what I will be doing or what I can do. I have no idea, I have no idea.

And it’s thanks to fans and thanks to their support that it’s allowed me to do – you know, be able to do things like Doctor Who. I mean Moffat picked me for Doctor Who because of the other work that I’ve done that has tended to resonate (with fans) and these are the things that keep happening, these wonderful, wonderful opportunities keep coming up.

And I do my best not to turn down any of them because they’ve tended to be so much fun and such great learning experiences for me.

Gina Holden:  Yes, for me, kind of the same thing as Mark. I really don’t know where I’m going or what I’m doing and that’s part of the reason I love this job. I just work as hard as I can. I audition a ton. I try to be part of, you know, any great projects and – yes, I just work as hard as I can all the time.

And like I said earlier, I am drawn to the sci-fi genre and so I get really excited when things come my way. I’ve been part of some really great things recently. And again like Mark, we can’t ever really talk about it so it seems – I feel bad that I can’t ever really say, this is exactly what I’m doing.

It’s always after the fact I can go and talk about what that experience was at the time. But yes, I’m just going to take it as it comes and keep working really hard and just hope to be – yes, working and moving forward.

Mark Sheppard:    What’s fabulous as well is I remember when Syfy Channel was really starting out and Gina and I have both worked extensively on the channel. And what’s really interesting is their support of our genre I think has been so incredible.

It’s created a whole new way to experience these stories, you know, from the originals through the series that they either bought or the series that they’ve actually created, which is just fantastic. And such a testament to the channel itself and the people at that channel that they just keep making sure there’s a hunger for sci-fi, you know.

Thanks once more to Mark Sheppard and Gina Holden for taking the time to speak with SciFi Mafia. It was a privilege and a treat to speak with these two wonderful actors, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island airs Saturday, February 11 at 9/8c on Syfy.