Season four of the hit television series Battlestar Galactica is kicking off this week and Katee Sackhoff had a few things to say to ACED about the show.

Since Sackhoff has taken on the role of Starbuck, she has taken it by the reins and made it her own. With this character being grittier and darker than that of the Starbuck in the original series, an entirely new dynamic has developed, keeping old and new fans captivated by her de-genderized representation of one of the most pivotal characters in the series.

When she first took on the role many old-school fans were skeptical, but that didn't bother Katee. "I don’t think I went into this trying to win over the old fans because I think that you can’t ever please everyone...I didn’t want to focus on people that were already in a sense, you know, spewing negative energy at me. I just kind of did what I did and it’s nice to know that they’ve...some of them, have been converted."

And converted many have been. Her on-the-edge character projection is an amazing twist to the BSG saga (I know I keep watching because of it). I am positive it would not have been half as interesting if it had been portrayed by a man. Katee is all Starbuck.

For Sackhoff, however, it isn't that she took an old role and made it new again that tickles her fancy, but rather what it does for the viewers watching now. "It's nice to have people identify with the character that you’re playing and appreciate the work you’re doing," she says.

Not only has Katee's character had an impact on the perception of female characters in the sci-fi world, but Battlestar Galactica has had an effect on the sci-fi genre itself. "They treated it like a reality. That is what's so interesting about our show. We never relied on the science fiction of the show to drive the show. We relied on the drama and the human condition and those really important questions... Most science fiction shows rely way too much on the the bells and whistles.

"I think that it kind of opened doors in science fiction to realize that, regardless -- science fiction is just a setting. It’s not a show, you know, it’s a setting. It’s where something takes place, it's not, it should never have been, what the show is. I think that finally, for the first time, what this show has probably done is prove that could be done," explains Sackhoff.

There are many lessons and questions Battlestar Galactica has posed throughout its existence which symbolically touch on underlying issues felt in our own society today, and Katee's character Starbuck is feeling her own pull of indecision. "Starbuck is starting to feel compassion for the things she hates the most because she, as everyone on the show, is starting to realize...and these are the major questions of humanity and what the show has always kind of asked...that if you found out tomorrow that your best friend or your mother or something was a Cylon...would it make the experiences that you had with that person or thing less important to you?

"No, it’s the same emotion, the same feelings, the same thing that you had experiences with. They're just different than you always thought they were, it doesn’t mean that it is less, it’s just different. And I think that that’s something they’re starting to remember. And as far as Starbuck coming back, if my family or my boyfriend died, I would do anything to have them back. So, you know, I mean, do people care anymore what you are as long as you’re there?" questions Katee.

Now that the final season is upon us, Starbuck begins to undergo some major inner rearranging. "I think it’s her revolution. I think it's her end. I think that she’s putting so much weight on this one thing, this one task that she believes is her destiny, that she wouldn’t let anything stand in her way, anything, which I think when that is the case, you’ve got a very scary person on your hands. That’s scary. So I think that we’re going to see a lot from her this season that isn’t...(she'll be) kind of like a shell of her former self, and at the same time doing things that you don’t necessarily agree with," reveals Sackhoff.

"She’s evolved. I think that she’s finally someone you can depend on and I don’t think she was before. But I think what keeps her going -- and (maybe) this is what people can take from her -- is her desire to love and her desire to have people love her...that keeps her going. Her relationships with Adama and Lee have really kept her alive and I think that’s something that’s very important. I’ve talked to a lot of soldiers who say that is what keeps them going...that they get to come home. We’re happiest and most willing to accommodate life and all its ups and downs when we have love in our lives," she continued.

Even though Katee likes her character, she doesn't believe there is a happily-ever-after for her. "I just...I don’t think there is any way to end it with her being happy. What I do wish for her is peace, in whatever form it comes in. I’ll be happy with that. But that’s what I want. I want for her to finally have a sense of calm in her life. That would be very interesting, and whether it comes with death or, you know, some kind of transcendence of some sort...whatever happens that’s what I want for her," she confides.

Many fans are disappointed because this is the last season of the series. Sackhoff reflects, "I think that it is sad just because the work environment on Battlestar Galactica is absolutely amazing and I don’t think it’s something that comes along a lot. I’ve done so many canceled television shows and I can tell you that it's not normal to enjoy going to work, or to enjoy the people you work with. So I know chances are I’m never going to find that again, so that’s sad as well. But you know, as far as moving on with the show, I don't think I’m really going to feel the pain of it until the very end."

What will Katee do once the end inevitably comes? "I think that I’ve reluctantly turned into the go-to tough girl in this business and I’m ready to do a job that requires no blood and guts and ghosts or anything. So, a nice little romantic comedy with James McAvoy would be fantastic," she says.

Battlestar Galactica is on the SciFi channel every Friday at 10 p.m. ET.

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tanner   |2008-04-23 13:18:59 She is my hero. Hot! [smiley=wink] Reply 0   0

cjenkins   |2008-04-07 13:20:51 i think the point is the original Starbuck was a guy. And there was a lot of people that had issues with them changing the character to a female in the new show, me being one of them. But as she put it, this actress was able to take away the importance of gender and just be the character. She won me over anyway. Reply 0   0

Teresa   |2008-04-05 15:04:27 "de-genderized"? What is that supposed to mean? Action heros can have ovaries? Reply 0   0

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."