Stargate Command’s “Dr. Janet Fraiser” herself, Teryl Rothery, joins us to take us back to the earlier years of the Stargate TV franchise and to answer your questions!

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Timecodes
00:00 – Opening Credits
00:32 – Welcome and Episode Outline
01:32 – Call to Action
02:14 – Guest Introduction
07:59 – Teryl’s Early Years
12:06 – Teryl’s Heroes
15:38 – Stargate’s Lasting Popularity
19:04 – “Trial by Fire” (The Outer Limits 2×09)
20:54 – Auditioning for Janet Fraiser
24:26 – Working with RDA? (SG1 1×05 “The Broca Divide”)
26:51 – Watching Amanda Tapping Grow into a Director
29:10 – Working with Michael Shanks
31:58 – Working with Christopher Judge
34:08 – Memories of Don S Davis
42:11 – USO Tour
51:50 – Acting Advice
54:22 – “Ripple Effect” (SG-1 9×13) and “Need” (SG-1 2×05)
55:08 – Favorite Episodes
58:24 – Learning about Getting Killed Off
1:00:03 – Nancy Drew
1:01:44 – Have you ever been involved in a magic act?
1:06:50 – Janet’s past
1:11:59 – What happened to Cassandra?
1:13:42 – Current Projects
1:15:22 – Guest Thanks
1:16:30 – Post-Interview Housekeeping
1:18:36 – End Credits

***

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TRANSCRIPT
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David Read:
Welcome to Episode 16 of Dial the Gate. My name is David Read. Thank you so much for joining us. It is a lovely Sunday, and we have a lovely first guest to start us off, Ms. Teryl Rothery. Before I bring her in, I do have a couple of agenda items to go over with you. So, what we’re gonna do after we — My camera is off. There we go. What we’re gonna do is, I’m gonna bring in Teryl and I have a round of questions for her. Then we’re gonna turn the questions over to the audience in the YouTube chat. We have almost 150 people in there waiting so thank you so much for joining us. And then afterwards, I’ll take any additional questions you have. I do have one already that I know that I wanna address from KyoshoLP. “What is the turtle timeline?” Somebody asked, finally. It took 16 episodes. But yes, I will be addressing that hashtag at the end of the show. So, all right. Before we get started, if you like Stargate and wanna see more content like this on YouTube, it would mean a great deal if you click the Like button. It really makes a difference with YouTube’s algorithm and will definitely help the show grow its audience. And please also consider sharing this video with a Stargate friend. And if you wanna get notified about future episodes, click the Subscribe icon. Giving the Bell icon a click will notify you the moment a new video drops, and you’ll get my notifications of any last-minute guest changes. This is key if you plan on watching live. And clips from this live stream will be released over the course of the next several days on both the Dial the Gate and GateWorld.net YouTube channels. We also cracked 5,000 subscribers this morning, so thank you so much for that. Without further ado, Ms. Teryl Rothery, welcome.

Teryl Rothery:
Hello. Hi.

David Read:
It’s so good to have you. How are you?

Teryl Rothery:
I’m very well, thanks. How are you?

David Read:
I am doing great.

Teryl Rothery:
Good.

David Read:
How is family? How is daughter? Everyone good?

Teryl Rothery:
I know, I’m a little scattered today. It’s Sunday, don’t you know? So, she’s off… I can hear her… She’s getting ready for a hockey practice.

David Read:
Good for her.

Teryl Rothery:
It was supposed to be a game originally but given our circumstances right now with what the world is dealing with, we’ve got a limited sort of thing that they can do right now. So, the girls are able to go and have a hockey practice, but their game had to be canceled because we’re in a little bit of a slowdown for the next two weeks.

David Read:
Well, at least they’re athle[tic], they’re keeping up their strength and those muscles and everything else, so that’s very good.

Teryl Rothery:
She loves it, so it’s a good thing. Yes.

David Read:
That’s terrific. Teryl Rothery, nearly…

Teryl Rothery:
David Read, what?

David Read:
It’s been 23 years for this character and for this franchise, and people are still talking about it and bringing it up. And with you specifically, nearly 200 movie, television and theater credits. You’ve got a beautiful family, including all the pets. Do you consider yourself blessed?

Teryl Rothery:
Well, I think that just goes without saying. Yes, my gosh, absolutely. Are you kidding? I consider myself blessed every time I wake up. So, it’s a good thing. I have been really fortunate, and I can honestly say, I can’t imagine there being anything else that would fill me as full as I already feel right now. I am so grateful and that’s what gets me through it all, is just being grateful every single day. There are times when my 12-year-old, who’s going on 17, pushes certain buttons and maybe I’m not so grateful then but in a split second, I’m back to being, “Oh my gosh, I just…” You melt. So, I have to say, that is probably the biggest journey and the hardest job to be a parent. So, hats off to every one of us brave souls who have, have stepped into the parenting ring, because it’s a challenge and one that is truly a gift.

David Read:
Absolutely. It’s just one of those things you just have to hang on for and hope that you’re doing the best that you can. Did she create the picture behind you or was that a fan?

Teryl Rothery:
gosh, no, that’s her. That was… I forget what year that was. She was just a little tot with that one, but I just… I love it. She’s at the age now she’s like, ” mom… For God’s sake, could you just take these down? Get rid of them.” And I’m, “No.”

David Read:
Not gonna happen.

Teryl Rothery:
“I’m never getting rid of all these.” I have so much stuff of hers everywhere. I have to show you this.

David Read:
Please.

Teryl Rothery:
Because I know we have fans from England. So, this was… I keep all these little things. So, that’s her little English bear. So, it’s hers and she’s like, “Mom, I’m over the stuffed animals.” And of course, I’m the hoarder because I can’t get rid of them. So, a lot of this stuff… There’s so much of this stuff in here that’s… It’s all hers, but I can’t get rid of it.

David Read:
So, we’ve got the gold Stargate in the corner here. I’ve seen those before. What is that one again?

Teryl Rothery:
I can’t remember.

David Read:
OK. It’s, it’s some kind of…

Teryl Rothery:
I got that from…

David Read:
… anniversary.

Teryl Rothery:
It’s an anniversary thing, from Paul. I got that from…

David Read:
Yes, Legends Memorabilia. Beautiful.

Teryl Rothery:
, that was a gift.

David Read:
Absolutely.

Teryl Rothery:
But nothing compares to that creature directly behind you over your left shoulder. My camera right shoulder.

Teryl Rothery:
What on Earth is that? Is that the Borg? No. What is [that]?

David Read:
No, the Borg, actually, we moved upstairs because it never appeared in Stargate. This is Matthew Scott’s costume from…

Teryl Rothery:
That’s who?

David Read:
Matthew Scott’s costume from Stargate Universe. So, that’s who that is, and that was… It was actually repurposed from a Stargate Atlantis species that was actually the Asgard. So, in the show, in the story of the show, there was an offshoot of the Asgard that escaped the destruction of their planet and…

Teryl Rothery:
Really?

David Read:
…wound up…

Teryl Rothery:
I should have — I haven’t watched, so fill me in some more.

David Read:
It’s good. So, they escaped… They broke off from Thor’s group long time ago and went to the Pegasus Galaxy and they got stuck, and so, they found themselves in a bad atmosphere and so they built these suits to stay inside of. It had a different helmet at the time, but then the costume was repurposed for Stargate Universe.

Teryl Rothery:
And obviously it added on some height as well to the…

David Read:
Absolutely. Yes.

Teryl Rothery:
So, that’s a human size?

David Read:
They climb up into them.

Teryl Rothery:
So, the Asgard are in that? They’re the ones in there?

David Read:
For Atlantis, they are. There’s a whole scene. Michael Shanks guest starred and he’s like, “Why are you guys in your battle armor?” And so, they turn around and it opens up and it’s an Asgard.

Teryl Rothery:
And a little Asgard.

David Read:
And they’re like, “Whoa,” and they’re evil. They’re bad.

Teryl Rothery:
, no.

David Read:
So, unfortunately, it didn’t get to go anywhere. But that’s the story behind that guy. And then the costumes, according to Joseph Mallozzi, they built three of them, they were 100 grand each in R&D.

Teryl Rothery:
Yikes!

David Read:
So, they were like, “We’ve gotta repurpose this thing.” So, that’s what they did.

Teryl Rothery:
That’s fantastic.

David Read:
Teryl, tell me a little bit about growing up in Vancouver, and who you were as a young person.

Teryl Rothery:
Growing up in Vancouver was fabulous. I highly recommend it to anybody who’s wanting to grow up, including you, David. I had a wonderful childhood. It was also a very — I was raised as an only child, and I was incredibly shy. So, that was the really hard part I think for me. I remember being cripplingly shy, and I was raised by my grandparents. And I know I’ve answered these questions, God bless you guys, for who have heard them for the past 20-some-odd years. God bless you for listening yet again. But in order to get me out of my shyness, my grandmother put me into a dance, brought me to the dance studio, because my cousin was gonna be enrolled and I went along. And she asked if I wanted to get involved in dance and I did. But I was nervous, of course, but I did. And thank God I did. I loved it. I loved the magic of being able to perform and be somebody that I wasn’t. Because I was out there and then as soon as I hit the wing, I’d be shy again. But slowly, obviously, “Hello,” it has changed. But that’s how I grew up and always surrounded by lots of pets and lots of love and lots of support and encouragement. And again, truly blessed.

David Read:
If you didn’t act professionally, do you think you could have danced professionally? Or was it just an outlet for self-expression?

Teryl Rothery:
Ladies and gentlemen, David Read has not done his homework. I did dance professionally. That’s how it all started. I made a living as a dancer studying ballet.

David Read:
Oh my God. That’s right. I did know that. I forgot. I’m sorry.

Teryl Rothery:
Can all of you… What is there? 150 of you. Can you all do one of these? Put a little whatever your chat thing is, put a little something in there because this has made my day.

David Read:
Shame on me.

Teryl Rothery:
I love it! You know I adore you.

David Read:
I know but still…

Teryl Rothery:
But I have to rip you when I can, David.

David Read:
I know. No, you’re right.

Teryl Rothery:
Yes, so I did start out…

David Read:
You’re gonna give me hell, though, so go ahead.

Teryl Rothery:
I did start out as a professional dancer and that’s how this all began. Not in the classical realm. That would’ve been amazing. It’s not something I ever dreamed about doing because I didn’t have the body for it, with the ballet. I had… Well, let’s just say I was a little too well endowed.

David Read:
OK.

Teryl Rothery:
And fuller figured. But I excelled in the other forms, and I highly recommend ballet if anybody has kids who are into dance. They need it to supplement all the other stuff. But I was huge into jazz and lots of shows in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. A lot of it shot here in Vancouver. Worked with amazing actors and amazing stars that, again — I pinch myself when I think back over the years because I was young. I started really young professionally. I was about 16 and to be in the room with some of these amazing greats… Tina Turner. To be on stage with Tina Turner… It was a TV show that we were shooting… was phenomenal. And Dionne Warwick and the list goes on. Isaac Hayes and Paul Anka and on and on and on. Yes. So, I did do that. I can tick that off my bucket list, David, and it was, again, something that launched me into what I’m doing now, telling a story, which I love to do.

David Read:
Absolutely. Who are your heroes, Teryl? Both of whom you’ve known personally, and who have helped you grow, and who you’ve just watched and studied?

Teryl Rothery:
Oh my gosh. I can certainly think of the ones that I’ve watched and studied. That one’s an easy one for me. And they all tend to be British actually. But my hero, my absolute hero that… I just love everything that she has ever done and the magic of how she just brings so much depth into any role that she portrays, and that would be Dame Judy Dench, who I can actually say I did meet. I had the absolute sincere honor to meet her thanks to one of our… Adele Beverley. I’ll give her a shout out. She started out as a fan and is a friend. We keep in contact on email and whatever. And I was doing a convention in England, and she arranged it all [so] that we got these tickets to go and see Judy on stage in the West End. And she was a very clever young woman and got me in backstage. So, we went up and had champagne with Judy, and Judy’s taking off her makeup, and I’ll never forget that as long as I live, ever, just to actually share space with her and chitchat and talk about acting and character and everything. It was amazing. So, Judy Dench is the number one for me, but I also admire and love the greats like Dame Maggie Smith. Anthony Hopkins. Branching into the United States, Meryl Streep, who again, can just morph into whatever role that she does. And then in the comic era, Lucille Ball, Mary Tyler Moore, all of those greats. It’s just… There’s so many to choose from. It’s really hard to narrow down but if I had to, it would be Judy, certainly, at the top of the list.

David Read:
Who in your personal sphere?

Teryl Rothery:
Oh my gosh.

David Read:
I know that’s a tougher question.

Teryl Rothery:
It is a tougher question.

David Read:
But it proves to be usually very fascinating.

Teryl Rothery:
It is but I don’t know if I can answer that. When I think of – If I use the word heroes, where my heart automatically goes to and my gut goes to, is when I look, there’s a young girl in our neighborhood who has special needs. And I watch her parents who take her for a bike ride. And she’s in her little… She’s a young woman, and she’s in there with her bike helmet on, and her parents do all the work and take her for bike rides. And I see the joy in her eyes, and I see the amazing selflessness and love… I’m gonna make myself cry here.

David Read:
You’re already making me start.

Teryl Rothery:
…of the parents who are taking their little — Those are the heroes to me, David. Those are the ones that I look and I… Those are heroes.

David Read:
Absolutely.

Teryl Rothery:
Just have such amazing selflessness and pure love.

David Read:
Absolutely. I agree. Does Stargate’s lasting popularity surprise you? I know I’ve asked you this question before.

Teryl Rothery:
Of course it does. It always surprises me. I remember in the early days, and I would watch like the — Everybody knows I’m a Star Trek fan and I had the maddest crush on James T. Kirk and all of that story. And so when Stargate first started, we were all so excited and there was always like, “God, wouldn’t it be amazing if we could get anywhere near Star Trek?” And it would always be like, “That’ll never happen.” And I still bow down to Roddenberry and the Star Trek franchise for sure. But again, kudos to Brad, and everybody involved at putting Stargate together. Look at this. Look at what we have. Look at this, that 23 years later, you and I are sitting here. And you and I had the pleasure of meeting many years ago, and we still get to chat about it and have fun. And the fact that you’re not just David doing the questions. You’re David, somebody that… I do consider you a friend. You and I will, every once in a while, chitchat and online. And that’s the beauty of it. It’s not just that people watch the show because of the show, which obviously they do, but it’s… Again, kudos to the science fiction fans because they’re like… We’re family. Do you know what I mean?

David Read:
It’s transcendent art.

Teryl Rothery:
Sorry?

David Read:
It’s transcendent art, is really what it is. And these people keep on discovering it on now streaming, and I keep an eye on the social channels and there’s new people coming in finding it all the time.

Teryl Rothery:
Isn’t that the best? I think we chatted about this, or maybe it was… Were you there when I was chatting with Suanne?

David Read:
Not with Suanne, no. Christopher was the last time…

Teryl Rothery:
Maybe it was when we did another one. But anyway, it was… Now I lost my train of thought. What were we talking about? …That it starts out, people coming up and they love you and they want your autographs and there’s this mutual love. Support and then thank yous. And then you see, “My dad loves your show, and I wanted to get him an autographed photo for his birthday. Would you mind?” And then it’s like, “Yes, of course.” And then it’s like, “Hi, my grandfather just loves you, Teryl. You were his favorite.” So, the generations. And that like you just said, their (inaudible). They’re coming up and they’re going, “Hey, let’s check out whatever aired 20 years ago,” or whatever. And it’s magic. It’s phenomenal. And I’m, again…

David Read:
And I can add myself to that. I don’t think I’ve ever told you. My dad has always said that you were his favorite, too.

Teryl Rothery:
No way.

David Read:
And he’s watching.

Teryl Rothery:
Aw. Hi Popperie. I wish we could see them, but we can’t.

David Read:
I know. Soon, at some point. Some of them are a little bit bonkers. So, I have to be careful about bringing them in because they could flash or something. But one of these days, that technology is coming.

Teryl Rothery:
Oh yes, the flashers!

David Read:
Absolutely. This all started with Brad Wright and Trial by Fire, which was an Outer Limits episode which, no joke, is my favorite of the new Outer Limits, actually. Certainly, partly because of your performance in that episode. If you’ve not seen… I think it’s streaming on Prime. …Fans, if you’ve not seen this episode of the new Outer Limits, it’s called Trial by Fire, and the premise is that it’s Inauguration Night and the new president goes into a bunker and there’s an alien presence approaching. And Teryl plays one of the presidential aides, and they’re trying to figure out what this threat is. And Brad Wright said that was the episode that made him wanna hire you as Janet Fraiser. I think her character was named Janet as well, if I’m not mistaken.

Teryl Rothery:
I can’t remember…

David Read:
I think so.

Teryl Rothery:
…what her name was, but that was a magical episode because yes, Brad wrote it, and it was directed by Jonathan Glassner. So, it was Brad and Jonathan in our first… In season one. Jonathan’s been around. I don’t know where he is now. I hear from him every once in a while, through various writers. So, what a blessing that was with Jonathan and Brad. Like how magical was that? And I still remember that episode. I absolutely loved it.

David Read:
I won’t spoil it for fans, but Teryl has the…

Teryl Rothery:
No, let’s not say too much.

David Read:
…killer line at the end. And it’s like… Your heart drops into your chest when…

Teryl Rothery:
I got goosies.

David Read:
See? It’s the classic Outer Limits Twilight Zone twist, so you gotta go watch this thing. But this spiraled into SG-1.

Teryl Rothery:
I know.

David Read:
Tell us about auditioning for Janet Fraiser. Did you audition or were you offered that part after that?

Teryl Rothery:
I was offered the role of Janet, but I did audition. And again, I think a lot of you guys know I actually auditioned for the Sam Carter role, which just makes me laugh. It’s just because you know how you get. There’s just no way you know nobody else could do it. Like Amanda. Amanda is Sam. But it was nice to be called in and be shortlisted for it. Short, get it? So, when this came around, I was actually in Los Angeles at the time. I had a couple of acting coaches that I worked with down there all the time. So, I would go for six months of the year and work, come home, work, go down, study, come back. That kind of thing. So, I was down there, and I was doing some auditions and I auditioned for a TV movie that I ended up booking, and it was shooting in Vancouver. So, I came home to Vancouver to shoot it while I was here doing the movie, because I was gonna do the movie and go back down. And then while I was here, my agent said, “You’ve got a… We’ve got a request for you to play the part of this doctor on Stargate. It’s a one-off but it may recur. It’s a guest star.” I went, “I’m thrilled. I’m so excited.” And I was just so happy. And all these years later I still pinch myself.

David Read:
The Broca Divide, that first episode. The Cro-Magnon episode. It’s a very polarizing episode among fans in terms of where the show went. But it certainly set up Janet.

Teryl Rothery:
It did.

David Read:
And it set up a lot of what made SG-1 great in the long term. Who was that character on those pages in The Broca Divide? Because you’re facilitating plot. At this point, the character is still very bare bones in terms of what she — She’s there to move the plot along.

Teryl Rothery:
Well, you know what? She was… I won’t say that she was bare bones in the sense that it was written so beautifully there was so much of her in those pages that it was easy to sort of go in… Not easy, but for me it was a joy, let’s say, to find her because of the writing. And then what becomes an actor’s biggest gift, in series TV, is that you get to then keep building layer upon layer upon layer upon layer because none of us are the same from one second, from one moment to the next. Life, we’re constantly changing, growing, falling back. All the things we do as humans. And the same applies. Janet Fraiser was a person. So, to me it wasn’t bare bones, but you… I think you gotta see the rawness. You gotta see who and what she was about and how she just persevered and she was not… She was like a dog with a bone. She was not gonna let go until she got this. I thought it was an amazing episode to introduce her, and such a great stepping stone for the woman we see who dies, again, giving herself to somebody else.

David Read:
Exactly. And I apologize for the mischaracterization. That’s true. I’m thinking about specifically the episode — The scene with you and Rick in the cell. And she’s starting to discover the solution. What was it like working with Rick?

Teryl Rothery:
You just never knew what you were gonna get.

David Read:
That had to be both…

Teryl Rothery:
You had to be on your toes.

David Read:
… exciting and spontaneous and like, “Here we go.”

Teryl Rothery:
All of the above. You didn’t know what you were gonna get and you didn’t know — It was really good. It was an amazing tool because he sometimes… He’d do his own lines, so you’d be waiting for the queue line in order for you to say your line… And again, a great acting study to be able to… You really gotta listen to what the hell he’s saying. But then you never knew when he was gonna finish, so you’d be listening and then sometimes you’d be in the middle of the scene and he goes, “Well are you gonna say anything?” And I’d go, “Waiting for you to finish. I never know when you’re gonna finish, nor do I know what line you’re gonna finish with.” And so, there was always. You had to be on your toes. But I absolutely loved Rick in that episode. I loved his performance. He was so there and I can still remember seeing… Oh my god, that scene where I’m in there, like you say, in a cell with him, and they had put the drops in, so his eyes were bloody and he could hardly speak, and the saliva, and he kept grabbing me and wanting me to experiment on him and it was just so moving. It was one of my favorite moments. He had some fabulous moments, but for me, that was one of my favorites, being up close and personal with him totally into that character.

David Read:
And it showed Rick’s conviction in that episode. A lot of fans don’t know this. Rick stopped production on that episode. There was a prosthetic that was supposed to be given to him and he was like, “Guys, that’s not gonna work. I can’t act under that. Let’s figure this out and make it better.” And they did. It just showed his tireless commitment to making the product great and being willing to say, “You know what? This is gonna burn some cash, but we need to…” Because he was a producer. He had that ability. And they made it better because of it. What has it been like getting to know Amanda Tapping all these years and watching her transform into this amazing director that — According to Martin Wood she’s practically impossible to get at this point.

Teryl Rothery:
She is a powerhouse in the directing world. And a testament to her is, A, you get to see… All of us get to see her finished work, the finished product on screen. But it’s how she is behind the screen. And like all of us, in any industry, people talk.

David Read:
Of course.

Teryl Rothery:
And not once has there been anything said about, “Well, no. She didn’t — This was not working or this… There wasn’t…” There’s never been anything negative. All I’ve ever heard in all these years is how phenomenal she is. It’s because who she is, is what you’re gonna get as well, either in front of the camera or behind it. And she is extremely generous and she knows. She always knew she wanted to be a director. She would always talk about that and I remember thinking, “That’s something I never even thought about doing.”

David Read:
It’s hard. It’s commitment.

Teryl Rothery:
Totally. So hard. A lot of work goes into it that people aren’t even aware of. It’s not just those days that they’re on set directing the actor and getting their shots and their angles. There’s dealing with, “Oh, geez, we just got a really big rainstorm. OK, how can we rework this?” It’s all the prep that goes in…

David Read:
Weeks of it.

Teryl Rothery:
… weeks in advance of it. It is a lot of work and she handles it with such grace and respect for everybody involved. For her crew, for the actors, the writers, everybody involved. Production. She is truly… She’s gonna go far and she is in demand. It’s hard… That’s what I hear, that people try, “We tried to get Amanda Tapping, but she’s booked up.” So, that in itself speaks…

David Read:
I’m on that list as well. I’ve been trying to book her as well. We’re gonna make it happen, but it’s gonna take a while. Michael Shanks. Before Heroes had aired, you and I were talking on the lawn outside of Gatecon and because you technically weren’t allowed to say anything about it, but we were inferring with one another what was going on. And you said to me, “One of the things that you probably won’t see on camera, David, is that after I get hit, he’s holding my hand.” And I was like, “Oh, God.” I know you haven’t seen the episode.

Teryl Rothery:
No.

David Read:
But what a beautiful performance by you, by Saul, by Bob Picardo, and Michael in that episode. It is, in my opinion, one of his best performances, if not the best. Tell us a little bit about Shanks.

Teryl Rothery:
Oh my gosh. What’s to tell? He is, again, another powerhouse. He takes his work so seriously and he has to. And yet, he can also be crazy as well. He is a wonderful, wonderful man, and I can’t say enough about him. He’s like a brother. We talk about that all the time, and certainly have talked about it, is that it was a family. It was brother, sister. And so, there were the brother sister head-bashings, and the brother and sister love and the brother and sister don’t fuck with… Oops.

David Read:
You’re OK.

Teryl Rothery:
“Don’t mess around. Don’t mess around with that person because I will get you.” So, there was this really amazing family unit and to this day I adore him. I hardly ever see him. He was in Toronto for a very long — I see more of Alexa than I do him. We’re essentially talking to each other on different sets and whatnot or on Twitter and all of that stuff. I don’t see him all that often, but I watch him whenever I get to and I know he’s in something, and he just continues to be the amazing piece of work that he is. He’s so good at what he does, and he loves what he does. I would watch him on… I don’t know if you guys got it. Oh, gosh, help me with this now.

David Read:
Unspeakable?

Teryl Rothery:
Say again.

David Read:
Unspeakable, the miniseries?

Teryl Rothery:
No, no, no. The other… Doctor one.

David Read:
Raising Hope.

Teryl Rothery:
Yes! I loved him in that. I loved the whole premise of that show. I got so… I was so invested in those characters as well. I love watching his work.

David Read:
The last time I saw you, I was with Christopher, and we were filming Season One of Dialing Home.

Teryl Rothery:
That’s right.

David Read:
What a treat to sit with that man for hours and pull up all these great memories of a wonderful piece of work. I got very close to Chris during that shoot and there are few people that I can think of who have such raw passion and just love for people. And one of the things that he taught me, that he learned from his mother, that I think of at least once a week, is that if you’re not thinking of… If you’re not connecting with someone and if you don’t find them interesting in some way, that’s your fault. Find what makes them tick and find what makes them interesting because everyone has a story to tell. Tell us a little bit about Chris.

Teryl Rothery:
There’s really nothing to tell that you guys don’t already know. A lover of life in a big way. So sensitive. Sentimental. A fiery papa. Big time papa bear. A heart that’s bigger than you could possibly imagine. He gives, gives, gives, gives. The Christopher I — I love everything about him. I love how he makes me laugh. I love how he can be a little piggy. I love everything about him. But mostly what I love is that generosity. We would have so many dinners at his place, and family dinners. When I say family, I’m talking about the American Thanksgivings and the Christmas, sharing all of that. And it wasn’t just cast. It was my granny.

David Read:
Your grandmother as well?

Teryl Rothery:
My grandmother. We’d all go and he would laugh and my god, she just loved him. And there was this summer thing… I forget what it was but… Well, you know Christopher. You’ve seen going golfing with him.

David Read:
Absolutely.

Teryl Rothery:
He always has the most crazy ass pants.

David Read:
Pants.

Teryl Rothery:
He’s loud and he’s so — So, we were — It was a summer thing, so we were going out by the pool, and I had granny with me. And his mom would be there and his bro[ther]. There would always be… It was family. And so, he had on these crazy shorts and granny… If you ever knew my granny, she’s crotchety but she has this way about her. And she looks and she goes, “And just…” and she goes like this, and she points to his shorts, “And just what the hell are those supposed to represent?” And that was it. So, literally to see Chris, six foot two, three, doubling over with tears down his face and then hugging her. That’s the Chris I adore. That’s the Chris that just cracks me up. The Christopher who says, “Would you like a drink?” “Sure, OK.” Because he was… As we all know, he’s a Scotch fan.

David Read:
Right, he sure is.

Teryl Rothery:
… back then and —

David Read:
He was, that’s right.

Teryl Rothery:
So, I would get… This is my water glass and where this is would go to here, and I’d say, “What is this?” “Well, that’s your Scotch.” I said, “That’s not Scotch! That’s like fricking nine ounces!” And I remember one night he’s like, “No, it’s not.” I was like, “Yes, it is.” And there we are, rummaging in the kitchen because I had to find a measuring cup, and I poured my Scotch into this measuring cup and I said, “Look at that, nine point such and such ounces. You see?” And he’s like, “Well, you don’t have to keep filling it up.” But that’s what he was like. If you’re gonna eat, eat. There’s all this food. Just give, give, give.

David Read:
If you’re gonna live life, you need to live it. One of the other people that I got to spend a lot of time with, and I’m very thankful, is Don S. Davis. He called you his daughter. He has a son, and you were his daughter. What an amazing human being. Just a giant. And another just absolute lover of life. Do you have a story of Don that you can share?

Teryl Rothery:
Oh God, so many. Are you kidding? He was a dad. He absolutely was… He was a dad for sure. I have so many stories. I was just sharing one of them the other day that I cannot repeat.

David Read:
OK.

Teryl Rothery:
But it was so funny. I really wish I could. And I had to do Tony Amendola [who] is in it as well. And it was a taxi ride for a mile and I’m, “Where the heck…” But we were somewhere I think in Paris and we were going, I don’t know, going somewhere else. But I can’t share it. But suffice it to say, it still makes me cry from laughter. He makes me cry from sadness, he makes me cry from joy, he makes me cry from laughing. And I was thinking of another story. Again, we were in Paris and Carmen, bless his soul…

David Read:
God bless him.

Teryl Rothery:
Oh my gosh. We were at the Moulin Rouge, and this is back in the heyday of Stargate, so we were treated very, very well.

David Read:
It’s big in France.

Teryl Rothery:
Oh my gosh, it was so amazing. Yes. And just to have that time, the romance of sitting and having dinner and then the show and then live music and getting up to dance. I kind of felt… I always felt I was born too late because I loved that whole era of the 40s and the glam and the dinner and dancing where you could just in the middle of the meal go and dance. So, this song came on, and Carmen brought me up and we had this amazing dance and that became our little thing. I’d bump into him, or we’d chat and he’d go, “We’ll always have Paris.” And we did. We always did have Paris. So, we were all… And then we all went back to the hotel and stuff, and we had seen some show. I guess it was part of the Moulin Rouge show where there’s acrobatics. And all I remember Christopher, Donnie, me, and Carmen, when of course we’re imbibing and we’re sitting in Donnie’s room and all of a sudden Carmen’s on his back on the bed with his feet going like this. He’s going, “Come on, Don, hop on.” Because there was this act where the guy’s like this and the other guy’s doing somersaults on the feet. He’s like, “Hop on.” And we’re just doubled over, and the phone would keep ringing from the front desk with complaints of too much noise in the room. And so, then we’re like, “Well, we might as well go.” “Are you guys hungry?” I don’t know what time it was. “Yeah, we’re hungry, let’s go.” And all of us arm in arm walking down the Champs-Élysées trying to look for something to get food. Those are memories. Those are the things that I will treasure. Those are phenomenal memories. Wherever we went it was just always an experience. And I was thinking of another story. I can’t remember if we were in Australia or England, but they had these magnificent bathtubs in the hotels. They were so long. I literally could stretch out. I know that’s not saying much because I’m so short. So, I could literally stretch out in the bathtub, but they were quite narrow. So, I just loved it. And the next thing I know, we’re waiting for Don and finally we get this call. He’s like, “Hi, hon, I’m sorry I’m late.” Because he was so late. He said, “I’ll be on my way, but I got stuck in my bathtub.” “What do you mean you got stuck in your bathtub?” “Well, it’s so goddamn narrow I couldn’t move! I’ve got a 52-inch chest. I couldn’t get out!” Anyway, again, it was constant doubling over with the things that Don would do. The things that Don would say. And pure innocence. He was just this big teddy bear of life and love, and he is so missed.

David Read:
Carmen told the story when Christopher and I were with him of you guys walking down the Champs-Élysées and it’s 1:00 or 2:00, 3:00 in the morning? It’s late.

Teryl Rothery:
It was late. It was early. It was early the next morning.

David Read:
And there’s people walking that cross your path. And Carmen said, “They turned to us, and they saw Chris and they’re like, ‘Monsieur Teal’c! Monsieur Teal’c!'” And it’s like, this is a phenomenon. You’re on the other side of the world and there’s people who are spotting Chris and they know exactly who he is. Just an extraordinary experience. And what a legacy. To be a part of something so pure and good that people can look back on and say… And that you can tell people you wanna watch something that had some quality. Not to say that anything else didn’t, but that spoke to things deeper than just what it was on the surface.

Teryl Rothery:
Yes.

David Read:
Go and watch SG-1. And I think that that meant a lot to the military as well. Can you speak a little bit about the USO tour? What an experience that had to have been.

Teryl Rothery:
You have no idea. Even now I still look back, and in the photos and I just still am in awe. Honestly. I think, “God, what did I do to deserve this amazing life?” My first one was July. It was for the July 4th weekend. And I was flown with a lot of the JAG actors. We went to Korea. So, here I am in Korea still going, “How is this happening?” And we’re doing these tours. And David, I’m flying around in a Black Hawk. (Inaudible) in my five-point thing. The doors are wide open and soldiers — Because it’s still a war zone. The DMZ.

David Read:
Yes, it is.

Teryl Rothery:
And so, they’ve got their machine guns or whatever, with their feet dangling out. And of course, I’m just looking at all this going, “This is actually happening,” and then sort of forgetting, and then I wanted to be a kid, and we all had our things, and I was like, “Hey, do you think I could come sit down? Can I dangle my feet?” And they’re like, “Ma’am, absolutely not, ma’am.” That’s just not gonna happen. And then we’d land and we’d cheer on the troops, and oh my gosh, red carpet and getting driven around in a Hummer and then all these generals that we’re meeting. Just mind-boggling. I don’t even know how to speak and seeing what our forces do. You know what I mean? What the men and women do for us, for democracy, for all these things that we have.

David Read:
And take for granted.

Teryl Rothery:
So, my heart is just… I’m so — I don’t like war. I don’t get into the whole politics thing. It just breaks my heart, but I love and support and respect the men and women who do what they do for all of us. So. it was just such a… I don’t even know how to describe what a crazy gift this was. It was just amazing. And we had…

David Read:
How many did you do?

Teryl Rothery:
Just the two.

David Read:
OK.

Teryl Rothery:
We had the VP of Sony. His brother was a general. So, we were there and we were bringing movies to the troops. Sony was bringing a bunch of movies and stuff. And when they could watch stuff, they could watch JAG, they could watch Stargate, because it’s Air Force. They were limited in what they had there to watch. So, pardon me, and you see this sea of soldiers and you’re cheering them on and you’re talking to them and it’s a way of saying thank you and autographing and all that sort of thing. And we were in a room, another room. It was just constant stuff. And I remember this big… I forget how many stars he had. And there’s just this presence when that general’s there and he’s speaking and we’re standing there and this movie was going on and you just… We follow where we’re supposed to go. That kind of a thing. And we’re standing on stage, and the general is there talking. And I remember he turned and he said, “Now what about you, ma’am? Are you gonna be staying here and watching the movie with the troops?” But I didn’t know. I thought… I knew I had to go over that way after. And I went… But I just… It was automatic. I just went, “I will do whatever you want me to do, sir.” And everybody started laughing. And he said, “Now you see? That there, that’s good soldier material.” But I was like… And I don’t even know how that came out of my mouth. I just knew that I had to say it. That was the Korea one. That was in July. And it was phenomenal because things — Life was… It was joyous. And then we got the call that winter when things weren’t so joyous. And they asked if we would go for Christmas. And this was all of us in Stargate. And we weren’t told where we were going. We had to hand over our passports, and they would notify us as we got closer. But everything was up in the air because we weren’t to know too much. “Are we gonna go on a private…?” But we didn’t know what was happening.

David Read:
Is this after September 11th?

Teryl Rothery:
Yes.

David Read:
OK, so this is ’01?

Teryl Rothery:
This is when we are going to Qatar. We went to Doha.

David Read:
Yes. I’ve been. Not to where you were, but yeah.

Teryl Rothery:
So, we were there. And that trip, again, was mind-boggling. It was right at the height of Ramadan I think it was. And beautiful country, absolutely…

David Read:
It is gorgeous.

Teryl Rothery:
… stunning country. Lovely, lovely people. Really lovely people. And again, I just remember, you’re in the middle of the desert and then there’s just all of the stuff, all of the tanks, and jets, watching these jets take off. And being in areas that nobody would ever be allowed to go but we were being escorted in, was absolutely phenomenal and moving. I remember we were out… We’d all get picked up in a van and there was this moment we were watching jets fly off. And we got back into the van, and you could’ve heard a pin drop. You couldn’t hear anything. All you could hear was all of us, the odd sniff, because just being so moved. So moving. And then on the flip note, we had a day where we got to have a day. So, we were taken into the desert, and it was, again, oh my gosh, what an experience. I remember taking pictures. We’re in the dunes. It was a sand dune trip. And you’re in a very expensive 4×4 and they take some of the air out of the tires, and that’s what you use instead of a dune buggy. We’re all in it, and we’re in the middle of Qatar and the driver has country music on. And we’re listening and we’re singing along to country. And I remember at one point looking at Amanda and I’m like, “Do you wanna pinch me first, and then I’ll pinch you?” It was just crazy. And I remember watching and here’s Christopher skiing down, snowboarding or sandboarding…

David Read:
Sandboarding.

Teryl Rothery:
… down this mountain of sand. And then me, I’m like, “I have to pee. I have to pee really bad.” And there’s very much a respect in what you wear and I’m thinking, “What am I gonna do?” You’re in the middle of the desert, nobody’s around. And so, we had this sarong, and I remember Amanda’s going, “OK, Min, I’m gonna hold the sarong for you but there’s no…” You can’t go to a bush and pee by a bush or a tree because everything’s open. And I’m like, “Well, even if you hold the sarong here, what’s behind me?” She goes, “Never mind, just go and then I’ll take turns.” So, I’m like, “I have this to remember that I’m peeing in the middle of the desert in…”

David Read:
…Qatar.

Teryl Rothery:
And so, I’m doing this and then as I’m finishing getting ready to take turns so that she can then have her pee. I look down and I went, ” Oh my god. Guys, you’re not gonna believe this. I just peed right beside camel dung. It’s camel dung, you guys, right there.” They’re like, “You’re kidding.” I’m like, “No.” So, literally this is the sort of stuff… These are the memories that nobody could write, nobody — You know what I mean? You just had to be there in that moment. But the highlight was peeing beside camel dung. Because I was in an area where there were camels.

David Read:
Oh God, that’s funny. Teryl, I have fan questions for you. I would love — The show that I am building is designed to be an oral history of Stargate for the future. And soon, there’s gonna be a website that’s gonna launch with it that’s gonna connect it to all the episodes, of all the quotes of everything that we’re building here. And I would love to have you back in the future to discuss some specific episodes…

Teryl Rothery:
Sure.

David Read:
… with Janet. And it means so much to me to have you be a part of this. So, let me bring in the fans. So, I have…

Teryl Rothery:
Can I see these or no?

David Read:
No, I’m gonna… They’re questions that have been submitted to a document. So, sorry, you can’t see them. But you can talk to them. So, Sci-fi Sadie, “Do you have any acting advice for people struggling with social anxiety?”

Teryl Rothery:
Wow. Acting advice. Despite wearing a lab coat for all those years, I’m not a doctor. I’d have to know more about your social anxieties, but I certainly think I had one, when I was talking about my shyness, because it was quite crippling. I think… I don’t know how to really answer that properly. The only advice I could give you is if you’re a — It’s not a two-way so I can’t answer… I can’t have a conversation with you. But if you’re talking about getting into acting and you really wanna act but you do have these nerves, you can overcome it. For me personally, how it worked was just being somebody else. It wasn’t me up there. I could never do stand-up comedy because then I’d be so raw. I’m far too exposed and I’d be so nervous. But I’m not hiding… But being able to be behind somebody else’s word. My first thing would be class. You wanna be in a safe environment where if you try something and you’re afraid you might fall on your face… And that’s the beauty of acting. We all fall on our face… At least it’s in a safe environment. Find a really good acting teacher. Be surrounded by people that are like-minded. Everybody’s striving for the same thing. You can meet some amazing friends, and you’ll have the support and it’s a safe place for you to try it. And just keep persevering. Keep getting up there and doing it.

David Read:
I think that that’s a wonderful place to start. Thank you.

Teryl Rothery:
I hope that helps, sir.

David Read:
Dan Dutton, “Which Stargate SG-1 cast member was the most fun to work with?” Man, that one…

Teryl Rothery:
I can’t. Dan, Dan, Dan. What are you thinking? Dan Dutton, I can’t answer that. They were all fun. I can say one of my most memorable moments, and I talk about it all the time because I was just in awe and in such joy to be in his presence, would have been the late, great Dom DeLuise. I will say Dom DeLuise.

David Read:
Absolutely. JohnFourtyTwo and wardog99 are asking, “Were they planning on bringing her back in the episode with all the alternate SG-1 teams? Because that’s the feeling I was getting when I saw that episode.” Well, you were in that. That was Ripple Effect.

Teryl Rothery:
If you’re talking about that, then yes, I certainly did come back in that. Martouf was brought back. Fraiser was brought back. Who else?

David Read:
Those were the two who were brought back. That was fantastic having you and JR again.

Teryl Rothery:
Alternate universes, yeah.

David Read:
Absolutely. KyoshoLP, “If the SGC had procured and kept a Goa’uld sarcophagus, do you think Fraiser would have made use of it on occasion to bring people back from the dead?”

Teryl Rothery:
I think knowing Fraiser, she would have to do a far more in-depth study than to put somebody into it, because I think that’s what happened with… There was an episode, wasn’t there? With Shanks’ character in there?

David Read:
Yeah, and it caused problems.

Teryl Rothery:
It can cause problems. So, I think knowing Janet, no. There’d be a heck of a lot more research that would go into it before she would use it, and that’s a good question in the sense, morally would she wanna bring somebody back from the dead? I don’t know. I think if it was a loved one, somebody, one of her team members, she’d probably do everything she could. Quite frankly, I wish somebody had stuck me in that thing. Maybe I’d s[till]… Janet would’ve been back.

David Read:
Russell Baldwin, “Happy birthday tomorrow.”

Teryl Rothery:
Russell, thank you very much.

David Read:
“From an acting point of view, which episode was your favorite?” There’s a few good ones to pick there. You had just some standout moments.

Teryl Rothery:
I can’t just pick. Obviously, The Broca Divide because that’s my introduction episode, and also, I loved that episode. Another one that was my favorite was the Lifeboat.

David Read:
With Michael. The multiple personalities.

Teryl Rothery:
It was just a joy. Absolute joy. Again, Dom DeLuise in Urgo. I just loved that. Hathor. How fun was that for the women to kick butt? Loved that.

David Read:
“You outta your mind, honey buns. There’s a reason they call it This Man’s Army.”

Teryl Rothery:
That’s right. I loved that one. And then the one where you get to see mama bear Janet with Cassandra.

David Read:
Yes. Rite of Passage. Your scene…

Teryl Rothery:
Right at the den.

David Read:
…with Nirrti and Jacqueline Samuda. That is an extraordinary scene of television.

Teryl Rothery:
And what about the other one? What about the one that… My god, it just made me laugh so much. The Groundhog Day one.

David Read:
Yes. Window of Opportunity.

Teryl Rothery:
So fun.

David Read:
With the light in his eyes every time.

Teryl Rothery:
So funny.

David Read:
“What could possibly be in my eye that would explain this?” Did you guys have an idea that that was gonna be a standout show when you were filming it or did it just feel like another episode?

Teryl Rothery:
I never thought of that, no. I never thought of anything as being a standout episode. Because it was just an episode and another piece of great writing for us to play with. But it wasn’t… All of… Look back at all of these. They’re just… They’re wonderful. And I love that about these shows. I remember my favorite as a kid when I was little were the little — What were those things called in Star Trek? They were so cute. The Tribbles?

David Read:
The Tribbles.

Teryl Rothery:
The Tribbles. Those are standout things. Crazy things like that. So, it’s just… What an honor that we have standout episodes.

David Read:
The Time Prophet. I know the answer to this.

Teryl Rothery:
The one where Rick ages?

David Read:
The Time Prophet?

Teryl Rothery:
No. What is that? Are you talking about Star Trek?

David Read:
No, that’s the next fan.

Teryl Rothery:
Sorry.

David Read:
No, you’re OK.

Teryl Rothery:
Sorry, sorry.

David Read:
The Time Prophet. I’ve heard you tell this story, but I’d be interested in hearing you tell it again. “Who told you you were gonna be killed off and how did they break it to you?”

Teryl Rothery:
Robert Cooper. January. I’m in my kitchen. Telephone rings. It’s him asking how I am. He goes, “You’re doing a play. Everything’ll be fine when you start up again.” “Yep, everything’s gonna be fine, Robert.” “Listen, while I’ve got you on the phone, how would you feel if we killed you off?” I’m in the middle of my kitchen going, “Really? How would I feel, Robert? How do you think I would feel about being killed off? Not very good. Not very good at all.” So, that’s how I was told. But then he went on to tell me about how they were gonna do it. I had a rough idea of the storyline which I thought was beautiful. So, I went, “I like that. I like that storyline, I love what is happening and how she’s gonna go. OK.” That’s how it happened. How did I feel? Not good. Sad. But grateful for seven great years.

David Read:
Absolutely. And it’s much better… Certainly, SG-1 did get canceled after ten seasons. It’s hard to believe that a ten season show got canceled but to be able to have finality of a character. There is something to be said for that to have a complete arc.

Teryl Rothery:
I know what you’re saying. I never thought of it that way. You’re right. That’s a good one, David.

David Read:
Thank you.

Teryl Rothery:
You’re welcome.

David Read:
Becky Sullivan, “Teryl, your character on Nancy Drew, Mrs. Hudson, was so fun and nasty.”

Teryl Rothery:
She’s nasty.

David Read:
“Would love to see a grandmother standoff between you and Pamela Roy Lance, Nancy’s other grandmother.”

Teryl Rothery:
Nancy’s… I don’t… Do I know that character?

David Read:
I don’t know. Do you? “Pamela Roy Lance, Nancy’s other grandmother.”

Teryl Rothery:
Nancy’s other grandmother. I don’t know.

David Read:
Tell us a little bit about Mrs. Hudson.

Teryl Rothery:
Well, I can tell you about Celia. She is a piece of work. She’s very nasty. She’s very regal. What I can tell you is… But I can’t tell you. It’s something that I can’t really say right now. But just keep watching.

David Read:
OK. Romainthblt, “For Teryl. Could you please say something in French?” Quel âge?

Teryl Rothery:
Qu’est-ce que c’est…? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?

David Read:
I have no…

Teryl Rothery:
Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix.

David Read:
OK, she’s counting.

Teryl Rothery:
That’s pretty much it. Les toilettes, s’il vous plaît? That’s a biggie. I had to know (inaudible).

David Read:
Very important.

Teryl Rothery:
Excusez-moi, les toilettes, s’il vous plaît?

David Read:
Zaggifier, “Given your background in dance and how often you use the term “magical,” have you ever been involved in a magic act, and if so, what was her part in it like? What was your part in it like?”

Teryl Rothery:
I have never been involved in a magic act at all. Sorry, I’m playing with my cords.

David Read:
No, you’re fine.

Teryl Rothery:
I love magic. I love, love, love magic. And what I’ve been experiencing again is… I was a Harry Potter fan, and I would read all the books. I didn’t watch all the movies because to me, I’m such a book freak. I like where I go when I’m in the pages. My daughter, who’s 12, I would try to get her to read it, or I’d read it to her, she had no interest. And all of a sudden now, she’s into Harry Potter, so she’s been watching the movies. And so, I’m reliving it again through her. And there’s this excitement that just gets in me. And I would say to her… That poor kid, she’s stuck with me as her mother. I’ll go, “Sometimes, Lond[yn], I just wanna take a shopping cart and just run into a brick wall and pretend I can just go through.” And she’s like, “That’s really great, mom. That’s good.” But that’s where I go. I love that magic. And then she was watching — I’m really outing myself here being a not so good mother, but she loves…

David Read:
What? No.

Teryl Rothery:
No, no, no. She loves Family Guy. And I never watched it, and so I started watching it because she watches it. And then I’ll be watching something and I’ll go… My mouth drops and I look at her, but it’s over her head, and I think, “Thank God.”

David Read:
They go places.

Teryl Rothery:
Whoa, do they ever. Anyway, and then things I’ll be laughing at, and she’ll be, “I don’t get it, mom. What’s so funny?” And I go, “Nothing. Nothing at all.” Anyway, she happens to like… What’s the kid’s name? Is it Stewie?

David Read:
Stewie?

Teryl Rothery:
Anyway, so, there’s this big thing going on in this episode… She was just watching it before hockey practice today, and they were in a house with all these passages. They’d step on a button, and the picture would slide and — Anyway, again, she doesn’t have… I’m such an immature little girl still. And that’s what I… I don’t wanna ever grow up because I love this imagination. I love that about children. And I’m like, “Wow. You know what, Londyn? I always wanted that. I always wanted a house with secret passages. Maybe one day we’ll do that. Maybe one day we’ll have a house with secret passages.” And she’s watching and she’s like, “OK, mom.” You know what I mean? Just so different. But I get all excited. I love that. So, that kind of thing, I love that. I love magic.

David Read:
I wouldn’t think, being your daughter, that she would be aloof. I wouldn’t think that at all.

Teryl Rothery:
Londyn? What she does have of me is the emotion. We have a… God help us when we’re watching Pixar. I’m a mess. The giant and then Pete’s dragon. Literally, it is game over for us. It has to hit pause until we go to the… Blow our… Just heaving sobs where we can’t even talk. That’s how we get. And then we went to see… I’m totally digressing here but speaking of magic.

David Read:
No, you’re fine.

Teryl Rothery:
The Jurassic World, I guess it was. Have you seen it?

David Read:
The film? Yes, I’ve seen Jurassic World. With the dinosaurs.

Teryl Rothery:
So, we’re… This is, I think, one of the last ones.

David Read:
Fallen Kingdom came out a year and a half ago, I think.

Teryl Rothery:
So, whatever one it was that we saw, we’re in the movie… This is obviously pre-pandemic… In the movie theater, and it’s where the island is on fire.

David Read:
Fallen Kingdom.

Teryl Rothery:
Is it that?

David Read:
And the Brachiosaurus behind the…

Teryl Rothery:
At the end. And we can hear him, and all of our friends were… My friend and her husband, and their little girl, and Londyn, all of us in a row, and everybody’s just watching it. Londyn and I are like — And there’s nothing dainty or pretty about the way I cry. She’s in my shoulder like this, and I’m like — And people are around, and everybody’s going, “Stop it!” I’m that loud. And then she’s shaking, and we’re like this, and just… We were def — When the movie ended, we came out and everybody’s saying what a movie it is. Londyn and I are shellshocked. We’re still like, “Do you remember when I was crying?” And she goes, “I know, mom.” And we’re eating our cold popcorn, still sobbing over that. Anyway, yes, sadly, she has that from me.

David Read:
I think in the long run, that’s a good thing.

Teryl Rothery:
I guess.

David Read:
SamCarter says… Very early on we knew that Janet had an ex-husband, as we mentioned before. Did you… Because I know a lot of actors, they develop a head canon about the character to find their way through the character. “Can you tell us anything about Janet’s past and what happened that she may have divorced her husband?” Did you feel anything through the character?

Teryl Rothery:
I used that. I didn’t have a background bible for that part. So, we create our own. And I think, for me, the reason she was just so driven, my personal story… I think I wrote it in a book somewhere. Somebody wrote a behind the scenes, and I had to write my own backstory. So, it’s somewhere out there in the sci-fi world. And so, she was brat. She grew up [with] Army, Air Force, all of that. I can’t remember what I… It’s so long ago when I wrote it… If my dad was Army or what it was. But basically, that I was a girl in a man’s world, in This Man’s Army, and constantly having to prove myself. And even to the man I married, and that was it for me. And mostly because there was the threat, that they were threatened by her, threatened by the fact that… If you really think about the age that Janet was and all of her accomplishments, she must have started studying in the womb, really, when you think about it. She’s a specialist in exotic diseases and then she’s this and she’s that, and plus a highly regarded member of the Air Force and all of that. So, she did a lot, and it was all through having to prove herself constantly that it’s not about This Man’s Army. It’s about what I have to offer, and I have nothing to be ashamed of, and I have nothing to be ashamed of also having emotion and being human. So, that’s what I did. And she just had enough of him and that was the end of that. And she just did her thing, and she did it well.

David Read:
The characters of Sam and Janet are remarkable examples of strong women, but not just strong women, but women who can also be vulnerable.

Teryl Rothery:
Absolutely.

David Read:
I think that that’s so important as well. It’s like, “Yes, you can do everything that a man does, but you can also be a woman. And you can also,” like Sam does, “you can also put on high heels and dance.”

Teryl Rothery:
Sometimes. That was probably, again, one of the most rewarding parts of these roles, this show, is getting the mail and getting so many letters of thanks from young girls and young women saying what role models we were. And we took it seriously. Pardon me. We took it seriously because we were role models. What was created, what was put down in those paper, down in the paper, again, kudos to the creators of our show, is that they were. They were these amazing, well-rounded, not ashamed to be intelligent… They didn’t have to dummy down to make them feel. And that’s the beauty of where we are today, 20 years later. You’re not seeing that. There’s just this thing where I think as much as we’re seeing the sadness and some regression happening… Again, not to get into any topic that’s offensive or political in any way, but I think we have to also look at the good. So, we have seen things digress in certain areas, but you’re also seeing people valued for who and what they are regardless of whether they are in a man’s body, a woman’s body, regardless of gender, regardless of color, regardless of anything. You’re starting to see some change. So, to have this, the gift of Sam Carter and Janet Fraiser to be those role models, meant so much. And I speak for Amanda as well, because we’ve talked about this, how grateful we are that we got to do that. And it was certainly taken seriously, and it was an honor for us to, to play those roles, absolutely.

David Read:
The writing informed a lot of this, but also, my understanding is that it was a very deliberate intention on both of your parts that these two would be friends and not rivals.

Teryl Rothery:
Absolutely.

David Read:
Lee Butler, “I always wondered what happened to Cassandra.”

Teryl Rothery:
So did I, Lee. So did I.

David Read:
I think she’s thriving.

Teryl Rothery:
I think she’s thriving. Look at who she had. She had Carter and she had O’Neill.

David Read:
She had Jack.

Teryl Rothery:
So, that was the thing. She had those two and was probably raised beautifully and, again, with integrity and caring and values and all of that. So, I think she absolutely is thriving. I wonder if she’s in the medical profession. Who knows?

David Read:
I wouldn’t be surprised. Absolutely. One of the things that I loved about the continuation of Stargate through Atlantis and Universe was when Amanda joined Atlantis there were picture frames on her desk. And they got a picture of Colleen who played Cassandra last. And it was so important to that continuity of the show and the continuity of that character that Cassandra was remembered.

Teryl Rothery:
Absolutely. Yes.

David Read:
Absolutely. And it was one of my frustrations at Janet’s funeral that Colleen wasn’t there.

Teryl Rothery:
I know.

David Read:
They should have gotten her for that scene.

Teryl Rothery:
I don’t know why she wasn’t there.

David Read:
The number of balls that that everyone had to keep up in the air was just outrageous. So, I’m grateful that they managed to do what they did. What’s up for you next, Teryl? Are we gonna be seeing you on any Christmas programs this fall? What’s going on for you?

Teryl Rothery:
Yes. Again, I can’t… It’s become more and more that nothing can be said as you well know. But you will definitely be seeing more of me, and I will leave it at that, in more than one project, thankfully. So, just keep watching, keep looking. And when I can, things will be put out on social media in some way. I’m so bad at social media. Terrible.

David Read:
I don’t blame you. Sometimes it’s just like…

Teryl Rothery:
I get reminded and I go, “Now how do I do this again? OK.” I got a little speaker, one of those Bluetooth speakers. So, I looked at it and went, “OK, so, pull up the instructions. Hey, Londyn, can you come here for a sec?” She comes down, she goes, “What, mom?” I said, “Apparently I have to pair this.” “Honestly, mom, give it to me.” I go, “There you go.” Or suddenly, “There’s something wrong with my phone. What is wrong…?” “Mom, just give it to me.” Click, click, click, click, click, “There you go.” “Thanks, honey.”

David Read:
Please give her a big hug the next time you see her for me.

Teryl Rothery:
I will. Did she come with me?

David Read:
She did.

Teryl Rothery:
She did. She was there.

David Read:
I gotta meet her. It was so wonderful, too. And then Alaina Huffman’s daughter. They hung out all day together.

Teryl Rothery:
That’s right. Because when you said, “Give her a hug,” I was like, “You guys met. That’s right.”

David Read:
It has been a treat to have you on.

Teryl Rothery:
Well, thank you.

David Read:
And you are such a vital piece of this franchise and that performance has inspired and will continue to inspire young women and men to continue to go into the medical field. I’m sure you’ve gotten that.

Teryl Rothery:
I have. I do.

David Read:
What an honor. Because you’re playing a part but it’s still… You imbue it with that energy and that dedication that stirs people on the other side of that screen to action. That’s magic.

Teryl Rothery:
That is magic. Thank you. I know. I’m so lucky with what I get to do.

David Read:
I appreciate your time, and we will have you on… I’ll reach out to you next year.

Teryl Rothery:
Perfect.

David Read:
We can dive into some specific episodes.

Teryl Rothery:
Sounds good, David. Thank you.

David Read:
Thank you so much for your time. You take care of yourself. I’ll be in touch.

Teryl Rothery:
All right.

David Read:
Bye.

Teryl Rothery:
Much love. Bye-bye.

David Read:
Everyone, ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Teryl Rothery. Teryl is — I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet so many of these wonderful people. And I met Teryl and I met Don at a convention a few years ago. And I was sneaking backstage, but they were let out through the gift shop. And I stopped them and I said, “Hey guys, I’m a huge fan. I know, I’m here. That’s why we’re all here. But can I please have a picture with the two of you?” And that entire weekend, those are the only two pictures I got, were with Teryl and with Don. And they’re two of the most amazing people that I’ve ever had a chance to know. And if you get a chance to meet Teryl at a convention in the future, I cannot recommend it enough. Genuine human being. I don’t know how they managed to pick the people that they did for the show. I think that they just knew. Amanda and Michael and Chris often talk about the fact that they all came together when they were auditioning and they just knew. And Brad and Jonathan and Rob, they knew what they were doing, and that’s the reason that we’re still talking about it 23 years later. So, everyone, thank you so much for tuning in and I really appreciate that you’re continuing this journey with me. If you like what you’re seeing in the episode, please click the like button. It makes a difference with YouTube’s algorithm and will definitely help the show grow its audience. And please share this with a Stargate friend. Darren is coming on in 40 minutes. We’re gonna do a Stargate Trivia challenge. That’s gonna be fun. So, we’re gonna have to tally up with hash marks who has the better Stargate trivia. My name is David Read and I will see you on the other side. Thanks for watching.