Gen Con Interviews
From the Gen Con convention event held in Brisbane, Australia on the 6th of July 2008. We talk to event organisers Carissa Avenhouse from The Hub Productions and Scott (Scotty) Liston from First Contact Conventions. We rove around talking to the fans and then interview Stargate Atlantis’ David [Zelenka] Nykl and Paul [Beckett] McGillion.
Paul McGillion & David Nykl @ GenCon Australia
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David Nykl Transcript
At the end of a long day I finally caught up with David Nykl who plays Zelenka in Stargate Atlantis.
Fannish Inquistion: Is this your first visit to Australia?
DN: Oh goodness no, this is my third visit to Australia, first time in Brisbane proper though, I’ve driven through on my way up the Sunshine coast but this is the first time I’ve had a chance to see your lovely city.
FI: Do you enjoy attending events like this?
DN: I love it, I love it. I get a chance to meet all the people that watch our show because when we do the show we show up at the studio, do the scenes and then go home and do the dishes so it’s very nice to see that people are watching and people are enjoying it so it’s a real pleasure.
FI: Are there any stand out moments, good or bad, you have from attending a convention?
DN: I’ve had some pretty crazy… I’ve met some pretty fascinating fans from the world over but I guess there was that time in Prague when I was recognised in a men’s urinal. Oh! There was a time in a convention in Sydney when I was trapped in an elevator with a bunch of fans, that was a lot of fun.
FI: Do you have any advice for fans attending a convention for the first time?
DN: Wear comfortable shoes, and bring lots of money [laughs] and have fun, these things are great, these things are a lot of fun for the fans.
FI: In Atlantis you play Dr Zelenka who wasn’t originally intended to be a regular character, were you surprised when they wanted to bring him back?
DN: Yes, I was surprised. I was pleasantly surprised. You hear quite often as an actor the possibility of a role recurring or being brought back and you have to sometimes take that with a grain of salt because that doesn’t always happen but when it does it’s a real pleasure to have that happen so I consider myself quite lucky.
FI: What do you like most about the character?
DN: Ahh, I think he’s just so good looking [laughs]. The chance that he’s had to develop over the last few seasons has been really good to work on I’ve really enjoyed that. interaction with all the other characters as well not just McKay.
FI: Will we see much of Zelenka in season 5?
DN: You will, it’ll be wall to wall Zelenka, from pillar to post, from ceiling to floor, nothing but Zelenka all the time. As a matter of fact there’s a whole episode devoted just to Zelenka standing around going “Where did everybody go… hey…” No, I’m kidding.
FI: Are there any significant character developments?
DN: We learn a lot about his propensity for a particular fruit, that good enough? I don’t want to give away too much.
FI: That’s fair enough. Is there anything you’d like to add or say to your fans?
DN: Let me see… send more donuts! I don’t know…be good to eachother. Love eachother. Be nice.
FI: Thanks David, we look forward to seeing you in season 5.
DN: Take care
Paul McGillion Transcript
I also chatted with Paul McGillion known as Dr Carson Beckett.
Fannish Inquistion: What do you enjoy most about attending events like this?
Paul McGillion: Obviously I love the fans, they’re just fantastic, great to be around and the Australian fans have been great. The organisers have done such a great job with this event, I think it’s really going to take off. I know this is the first year they’ve had this one here but the way they’ve set it up I think it’s going to blossom into a huge event and it’s great to be part of the inaugural year of it.
FI: Are there any particular stand out moments you’ve had at events like this?
PM: All kinds of stand out moments. A lot of women to hug which has been great, always like doing that and it’s always a pleasure. Dr B gives good hugs so come on out next time, it’s been great. It’s the fans. I love it when kids are there as well too because they’re a lot of fun, we had a couple up on stage today. Working with David Nykl, travelling to Australia and doing a convention, Alan Tudyk, it’s been great to meet other guests and the novelists and writers you know, are really cool people. It’s just a cool event, everyone’s here and having a great time and they’re enjoying themselves and it’s a great place to be.
FI: When word got out that Carson was leaving Atlantis did it surprise you how quickly and how strongly the fans reacted?
PM: You know I was surprised first of all that I was going and honestly the fan reaction to that was overwhelming. I remember they had a rally at Bridge studios for the Save Carson Beckett campaign. I was in Los Angeles at the time. They had a pipe band with a lot of fans in the pouring pouring rain with Carson written on their underwear in the back, all kinds of stuff and it was on the national news. I mean it was really overwhelming. I never would have thought all my life I would have had a rally for a character I played in a television show so it was truly great and I owe everything to them. I’m really happy that I got to come back, I’m glad their cause got justified to a certain degree and Beckett’s back. I owe a lot of it to the fans and I always tell them that, I have no problem saying that because without the fans I often say we wouldn’t have a show.
FI: You did a movie recently with David Hewlett, was that as much fun as it appeared to be?
PM: It was a lot of fun, “A Dog’s Breakfast”, if you get a chance check it out it’s a great movie. David Hewlett wrote and directed it and co-produced it with his lovely now-wife Jane Loughman, John Lenic who’s one of the producers on Atlantis as well. Yeah, fun, a great time. You know, I did have to dress as a woman, I don’t know how fun it was for people to see me in that regard, I don’t think I make a very attractive woman. We also had a great time doing it, it’s fun to work with your cast mates on a different type of genre and really happy for the accomplishment that the film turned out to be, so terrific and it’s still going, people are still seeing it and getting comments on it all the time.
FI: Is it true that you’re going to be in the next Star Trek Movie?
PM: Yes it is true. I will be in the new Star Trek Movie. JJ Abrams new Star Trek film so I’m very excited about that. I’m sitting here, I have the new Star Trek shirt on right now that they gave us at the wrap party so it’s really cool to be part of a huge movie and obviously a storied franchise.
FI: So you’re a fan of Star Trek?
PM: I’m a fan of Star Trek.
FI: Just to wrap up, is there anything you’d like to say to fans in general?
PM: Thank you. You fans are amazing. Again, I just said it, without you guys I wouldn’t be in Australia, we wouldn’t have a show and certainly Carson wouldn’t be back from the dead so to speak. So thank you, I love you guys and I hope I get a chance to see every one of you. You know, it’s a great chance for me to travel round and do conventions and be able meet all the fans so thanks for giving me years of pleasure playing a great character.
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