You may recognize him best as Douglas Anders’ robot, “Grell,” in Wormhole X-Treme!… but his involvement in Stargate SG-1 goes much further. Join us as we get to know actor Herbert Duncanson LIVE!

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TRANSCRIPT
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David Read:
Welcome everyone to episode 365 of Dial the Gate: The Stargate Oral History Project. It’d be helpful if I turn my light on. There we go, more even that way. My name is David Read. I really appreciate you being with me for this episode. I have Herbert Duncanson who you’re gonna be surprised how often you may have seen, best known to Stargate fans as Douglas Anders/the robot Grell in “Wormhole X-Treme!” Welcome to the show, sir. How are you?

Herbert Duncanson:
Very good. Thanks for having me.

David Read:
I’m thrilled to have you on. Your relationship with Stargate goes way back. It’s so wonderful for us to be able to have a platform now where we share in these stories and make the stories that haven’t been heard as much more visible to the audience because it’s an audience that’s only growing. It’s not going away. It may diminish here and there, but we’re discovering as we move forward through time how evergreen it is. Herbert, I’ve been watching a few episodes recently that are more relevant now than when they were. Is that a surprise to you, or are you, “It’s sci-fi, that’s just how it works.” Oh, the mug. Oh, God. How do you think about that in terms of the work and in terms of the writing and its perennial nature?

Herbert Duncanson:
I feel that, I guess because it’s sci-fi, it’s– Maybe it’s out of this world, but it can relate to what’s going on in our lives in small ways and even through the course of history. So, I feel that it’s very relevant. Very relevant to a lot of the writing that happens. A lot of sci-fi, the creative part of it and the writing and the production of it can relate to our human lives and run parallel to what’s going on in our lives.

David Read:
There’s a lot there to mine. It’s about us, it’s about the human experience. And then we can take each individual episode and explore facets of that human experience in different ways. Some episodes age better than others, or the other way around, but there’s always something there for everyone. And the thing that I’ve discovered about it, which I don’t know is a surprise, is once I became an adult and watched a lot of this stuff again, and this is not strictly for sci-fi but mostly for sci-fi: you see things through different lenses. And that’s what’s wild about it. So, it can mean different things to you.

Herbert Duncanson:
As you mature as a human and as you move forward in this universe.

David Read:
That’s exactly right, pardon the pun for the Universe people out there. You were recently doing your first Zoom auditions. You said you had taken–with me before we started–a bit of a hiatus, and now you’re finding yourself in this new world. I’m very curious: training remotely and preparing remotely and then doing it over Zoom, what has your experience been?

Herbert Duncanson:
So, I had my first Zoom audition yesterday. Well, not yesterday, this week. I think it was on Tuesday. And I find it quite interesting because now, as an actor, you have to be a bit of a director, a lighting person. You have to do lighting. You have to know how to make sure your background is good and you don’t have a shadow in your background by certain techniques and stuff. So, it’s a lot more interesting, a lot more convenient because I don’t have to go in until I book something. You go in to Vancouver, run to town, and then we shoot the production or whatever. So, I can literally be on vacation somewhere and do a Zoom audition in the hotel room, from anywhere.

David Read:
So, all you need is reasonably good internet?

Herbert Duncanson:
Good light and good internet, number one. And good lighting, even using daylight if you’re somewhere sunny and the light comes in, but you don’t want the light to be at your back where you’re [inaudible]; you want the light facing you so that people can see your eyes and everything properly. So, it’s fun and convenient and new, but with everything new, there are challenges and stuff, but it’s good and I like it.

David Read:
I think that as long as we continue to have technology that allows us to communicate in real time with one another, because it’s so important for you as an actor to be able to demonstrate that you can take a note. It’s not that what you’re doing is incorrect, it’s that you have to be able to show that you can pivot to a request, and they’re looking for how you’re going to respond to it, how it makes you feel, and what you play with. And you cannot do that strictly with a tape.

Herbert Duncanson:
No. You can’t.

David Read:
There’s a lot going on there, and it’s only gonna be more interesting as we move forward.

Herbert Duncanson:
I feel so too, because I think it also broadens the playing field for other actors who don’t have the time. Sometimes some people are working, they have day jobs, they have …

David Read:
Kids.

Herbert Duncanson:
… kids. Stuff like that. And it allows them to go, “OK, the kids are at school now. I can do an audition at home while the kids are away and then take care of the house and go get groceries and stuff and come back,” and continue on with day-to-day life. That’s very important.

David Read:
I wanna talk about when you fell in love with acting and when you realized this is something, this is what you wanted to do with some of your life. You’re from North Carolina, is that right?

Herbert Duncanson:
That was a bit of a thing that IMDb created. So, yeah, and Horsemen and stuff like that, ’cause I was at a convention in, I think that was one in Knoxville, Tennessee, and I was asked about that in a conversation forum, question and answer forum, and I explained that IMDb created that, I guess because my name was similar to someone who was from North Carolina with the same last name, and he was a wrestler at some point in his life. But I’m originally from Jamaica. But I ended up growing up in the US, in Maryland.

David Read:
Well, we’re gonna fix that. I’m taking a note right now.

Herbert Duncanson:
I grew up in Maryland. I was in the US Army and stationed in Hawaii, and then I met my kids’ mom in Hawaii. She was from Canada, and I ended up moving up to Canada. Interestingly enough, my oldest daughter, I took her to a Pampers audition.

David Read:
When she was still in diapers?

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes. It was for Pampers. And they saw me and they were like, “Well, you know, we don’t have a lot of people in the industry,” at the time, ’cause it was pretty new to the Vancouver area–not very new, but just small at the time–and they didn’t have anyone to play the dad roles. So, me being in love with movies from when I was a kid, I ended up deciding, well, you know what? I’m gonna give this thing a try and see how it goes, and I’m not gonna quit my day job yet, but so I started doing a bit of extra work and then started doing commercials.

David Read:
What year around would this have been?

Herbert Duncanson:
This is I think around ’97, ’98-ish.

David Read:
Around the beginning of SG-1.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes. I ended up, started doing commercials and doing some acting parts, and ended up on Thir13en Ghosts as a stand-in for the actor, and he didn’t show up. So, they looked at me and said, “Well, try on the clothes and the costume, and the shoes.” And everything fit.

David Read:
The Hammer the role was.

Herbert Duncanson:
I ended up as The Hammer on Thir13en Ghosts.

David Read:
That’s a scary film.

Herbert Duncanson:
The production manager was friends with the production manager on Stargate. At the time, they weren’t very happy with the stand-in for Chris Judge. So, they were like, “I have a guy who might work.” They linked me with them, I tried out for the first season, and I ended up as a stand-in on the show for six years, and also getting a bunch of parts and playing Unas and stuff like that, and a soldier with a scene with Richard Dean Anderson.

David Read:
You’re technically the leader of SG-12 in “2001” and “The Powers That Be.” So, you technically have an SG team, sir. That is no small feat.

Herbert Duncanson:
I know that and ending up playing Grell in the 100th episode and the 200th episode, which was amazing. Even the monologue that I did for the “200,” closing of the 200th episode, I got that the night before.

David Read:
‘Cause they said that the “Wormhole X-Treme!” stuff was one, a one-day shoot. That’s what Jill said was they got all that done in one day.

Herbert Duncanson:
One day. I was the last person on camera to do the monologue at the end of the shoot, and imagine being on set for 12, 14 hours and you’re the last person on set, so you can’t mess it up ’cause everybody’s tired, they wanna go home. Martin Wood, I tell you, he brought out something in me that I didn’t even know I had in myself, to be able to say a monologue like that on camera and get it right.

David Read:
Well, Herbert, it’s not just a monologue. It’s you buttoning up the symbol of what the franchise …

Herbert Duncanson:
Of everything.

David Read:
… can represent.

Herbert Duncanson:
Putting the finishing bow on everything, pretty much. The whole experience.

David Read:
So, that’s an honor.

Herbert Duncanson:
I know it. To this day, I watch it on YouTube sometimes, and I’m amazed.

David Read:
It’s tremendous. I’d like to finish out the episode today, if you could quote that once again. And I’ve just sent it to our conversation that we were talking on through Facebook before. If you would be willing?

Herbert Duncanson:
Yeah. To read it?

David Read:
Later on.

Herbert Duncanson:
OK.

David Read:
‘Cause it’s so important to me and to many of us as Stargate fans because it really is a representation of who we are as a species. And I think Asimov really hit it on the head there. And it’s one of the finest moments in all the show. So, you were brought in originally to be, was it a stand-in? Is there a difference between a stand-in and a photo double? How does that work?

Herbert Duncanson:
OK. So, a stand-in: Chris will come in, and they’ll do a rehearsal with the actors, the main actors. And then they will send the actors back to continue getting prepared, wardrobe or makeup or whatever. And then the stand-in will stand in and follow the movements and watch what Chris did. So, I watch him, and then I follow the movements of what he does for the lighting guy and the camera operator. So, whatever movements Chris did, they will ask me to walk the same path. If he’s holding a folder, or if he’s going to choke someone or action or anything of that nature. I watched the rehearsal with the actors, and then I do the same movement as Chris for the camera guy and for the lighting guy to put the light in the positions where he will be standing and where he’ll be moving. And also, a photo double, which is, for instance, you have A camera and then you have B camera. And say B camera is shooting a part of the episode that, say, maybe my hand going into something, or Chris’s hand picking up a folder or something.

David Read:
So, like inserts?

Herbert Duncanson:
Inserts.

David Read:
OK. I think that’s what Martin Wood calls them.

Herbert Duncanson:
And you wanna shoot those, so they use me, and they will probably put me in the same uniform and use my hand to put the folder in. Or they might wanna shoot a scene where there’s a part of Chris that they didn’t get a full shot of, body-wise. But they saw his face, but not his body or his shoulder or his arm or– So, that’s where a photo double comes in.

David Read:
And that may sound like it’s either easy or they’re putting you over here until you’re called on. My understanding is it’s a fair bit of work. You have to pay close attention and be ready for when they call you and be ready to know what’s going on.

Herbert Duncanson:
As a stand-in, yes. You have to know when they need you ’cause it’s, like most people say in the industry, it’s a hurry up and wait industry. Because they might use Chris for one scene in the first part of the day. And then he might not be in the next two scenes or something. But I follow along, which luckily we do get the scripts. So, I can go and look at the script and say, “Oh yeah, Chris is in scene so-and-so today, but he won’t be used in scene 209 until maybe later in the evening.” Or, you know, sometimes he might be in the other half of the day, might be from midday till seven, and they’ll bring me in, say, 11 o’clock. And I’ll stand in for him from 12:00 on when he’s there. So, yeah, the schedule fluctuates, but the beautiful thing is we’re a family. It was the most amazing show I’ve ever worked on and will ever work on, I think, in a long time. Because that show just transcended. It was more like a job, but a job with a group of people that were cohesive, and we all worked together, we laughed together, we had fun. And it allowed for me to spend time in the summer with my daughters. It was beautiful. And I’m still connected to a lot of those people to this day.

David Read:
One of the things that has been talked about a lot on this channel is how cognizant of work/life balance everyone was, as much as they could be given this industry, because sometimes they’re 16-, 17-, 18-hour days occasionally. But generally speaking, there were rarely night shoots. It was much more of a 9:00 to 5:00, and they did that on purpose so that you guys could have structure and not burn out so quickly. ‘Cause hour television, 20 episodes a year, you burn out as a person with half-hour television.

Herbert Duncanson:
Big time. Very true. And it was good. It was very good ’cause summertime we– I forgot, I think, I don’t know if it’s we had a month off so I could take my daughters, and spend summer camping and doing stuff, outdoors stuff, and spend time with them when they were out of school, which was great. You know what I mean? It was good. It was very good. And we got the best gifts at the end.

David Read:
The crew gifts?

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes, crew gifts. The best crew gifts ever.

David Read:
Do you have the 10th anniversary watch from Master Replicas?

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes, sir. Yes, I still have it. Of course.

David Read:
They are so cool–with the iris opening and closing.

Herbert Duncanson:
The doors pop open.

David Read:
Man. Speaking of “200” a little bit, Mark Nicholson, one of the prop builders from that particular season, he came on either last weekend or the weekend before and showed me this. And I was like, “Hold on. Wait a second. That’s not Douglas.”

Herbert Duncanson:
No.

David Read:
Who is that?

Herbert Duncanson:
That is an African guy. I can’t remember his name.

David Read:
Looks just like, built just like Chris, but because Teal’c in this flashback scene was bald, they needed to–use someone else.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes. He looked, I remember– I forgot his name, but–

David Read:
OK. That’s fair.

Herbert Duncanson:
He looked pretty much–

David Read:
He fits the bill. When Christopher started growing his hair in, did you have to as well?

Herbert Duncanson:
Actually, no. They would, if they had a scene where we had the photo double, they would put a fake wig on me from the back.

David Read:
OK.

Herbert Duncanson:
It would be similar. But no, I guess because I was already bald in the initial stages of when he started out, and so they didn’t put any pressure on me to grow my hair or anything like that.

David Read:
There you go. That makes it work. You said that you have played an Unas.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes, I have.

David Read:
Is this the episode “Beast of Burden” where you are also one of the guards in the village?

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes.

David Read:
Really? What was that the first time you had been under makeup of that kind?

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes.

David Read:
Tell me about this experience. Tell me about going, being completely enclosed, and the whole thing, as much as you can remember.

Herbert Duncanson:
From what I remember, actually, the makeup from Thir13en Ghosts was a lot longer than the Unas because the Unas, I think you had just put on a head part, and then did some touch-ups, but Thir13en Ghosts was a lot more intense.

David Read:
Wow. Alex Zahara is one of those Unas as well. He actually played, in the bar scene, he played a female. He’s one of the few female Unas, if not the only female Unas that we’ve seen, as a matter of fact. What was it like getting that physicality down? What was it transforming into that character? I bet those were hot days.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes. Very, very hot days. And then being outside, you’d have to, at least when we cut, they would allow us to take off and get some air and breathe a little bit. It was good.

David Read:
I am curious to know because it can’t be that, ’cause I didn’t know about that– Let me pull this up here just so you can see. So, these are the roles that Stargate Wiki credits you for. So, we have the SG-12 leader in “2001” and “The Powers That Be.” We have the guard in “Beast of Burden,” so we’re gonna have to add an Unas to that, and then the SG guard in “Allegiance” you’re seeing with Rick here. Are there any others noteworthy that you can recall that we need to be adding to this?

Herbert Duncanson:
No.

David Read:
‘Cause it’s a blink. You were available a lot for them.

Herbert Duncanson:
Those were, if someone didn’t show up, they would say, “Herb, you know,” they throw you in there, and they were just not actor roles. They were more like background roles. Just to make the scene. Sometimes, “Well, we have one Jaffa missing.” You know what I mean, “Herb? Could you– ?” I’d suit up and stuff like that.

David Read:
OK. So, we would have to go through episode by episode and be, “OK, I remember that day.” OK, so you’ve been at Jaffa.

Herbert Duncanson:
It would be, then I’d have to be, “Yeah. That’s right, I remember it. They asked me to fill in that day,” or something like that. That’s how it is.

David Read:
Those, Dan Shea, those folks, they’re so– The flexibility that you have to have in an environment like this because there’s so many moving pieces, there’s 150 of them, if not more, and any …

Herbert Duncanson:
That’s correct.

David Read:
… of them can go wrong at the complete innocence of the person who’s pulling this: power failures, batteries in props, evil …

Herbert Duncanson:
Kenny.

David Read:
… Kenny always talked about that.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes. Kenny was amazing because, to be able to, you have to follow the script, and you have to know which gadgets beforehand are going to be used. You know what I mean? And he’s good with the weapons. It’s been a long time that I’ve worked with a team of people in the industry that was so very professional with everything that they’ve done. Even going upstairs and having small conversations with the writers, and to see how they can bring all their thoughts to paper, and then we take it from the paper and bring it to life. You know what I mean? And every person, the wardrobe person, the sewing department, the props department, the drivers, the caterers, it’s so many different moving parts, but all meshed together to create this beautiful, beautiful, long-lasting show and TV series that transcends time.

David Read:
What do you think it is about Stargate in particular that when people come on here and say, “Not only was it a great job, but it’s, in my recollection, the best job that I had,” time and time again. Does it start at the top? Do you think that’s why it’s as non-pretentious as it is? Considering a fairly volatile and competitive industry, what do you think is the alchemy that continues to have people recollect this as one of the best, if not the best, projects they were privileged to work on?

Herbert Duncanson:
I would say bottom and top. Because they understood us and made it capable for us to work in a way that we were the most productive at what we do …

David Read:
You were empowered.

Herbert Duncanson:
… and did well. And, I guess, from the bottom, we saw that, “Wow, they cared about us. So, we’re gonna do the best to make sure everything went well.” And then working with people over time, I was standing in for six years on this show. It becomes a rhythm, you know what I mean? And you’re happy to see each other when we go back, when a season starts, and you know your role in the scheme of things, and you help. I’ll help the camera guys, help load the truck, move the dolly or, you know what I mean? Little things that are not your jobs, but you just chip in because it’s your family and you’re all friends. Maybe Chris needs some water, or Amanda might need a pen or something. I’ll get it for you, whatever I have–

David Read:
You’re there for each other.

Herbert Duncanson:
And we’re there for each other. I think time also, and the project. The project itself was so interesting and fun and different. And so, we had fun. You learned and you read and you play with each other, and we worked off of each other, and we went to the wrap parties together, and you become a family. To this day, I’m still friends with John Smith. I see him–

David Read:
Good guy.

Herbert Duncanson:
It’s a never-ending family. We’ll always be family. I remember going to Hawaii when the show ended, and I ended up seeing one of the camera guys in Waikiki. Will Waring. You know what I mean? We’ll always be a family.

David Read:
It’s a gift to have that blessing.

Herbert Duncanson:
And then the spinoffs, even the spinoffs that we had, Atlantis and the other ones, they became our family too. Because even though SG-1 had ended, we were the mothership, and then everybody else was the smaller ships that took off from us.

David Read:
Especially with Universe, ’cause it was by itself, was there a, “Here’s my number. If you have any questions about anything, call me.” Was there any handoff in terms of production where you would be willing to take a call from anybody to assist if there was a question? Or was it there was no need for that because they were as competent as everyone else was?

Herbert Duncanson:
I think yes. I think we knew that if there was a need to– ‘Cause some of the writers have gone on, and even Peter DeLuise have gone on to shoot other, direct other stuff. And sometimes I’ve gone into auditions. I’m like, “Hey,” and then see each other and we audition, and maybe I don’t get the part because maybe I’m not quite fit, but, you know, we have our little time, and finally we just move on. And I understand the business to know that I don’t take anything personal with it.

David Read:
Just to have the opportunity, to be present for that. And now, with Zoom and everything else, it’s gonna add some flexibility there. That’s really cool. I’ve got some fan questions that I’d like to start weaving in here, if that’s OK with you?

Herbert Duncanson:
Absolutely.

David Read:
So, Lockwatcher says, “You played as The Hammer in Thir13en Ghosts. How was it working– Do you recall working with Tony Shalhoub and the rest of that cast? What was it like on that set? Any stories from this film?” Because he says, we already shared the story about how you got the role. Is there anything else that stands out?

Herbert Duncanson:
The hours were very long. Like 18– ‘Cause it was a feature film. So, it was 18-hour days. The Dark Castle, so his daughter now owned the rights to the Thir13en Ghosts. And the one thing that almost happened, which is actually pretty epic. She had broken her leg, or something. And we were sitting on, I was sitting next to her and stuff, and we were talking about a premiere that was supposed to happen in LA. And I had mentioned to her, I said, “Hey, you know, it would be cool if we had the premiere to show the movie, and then at the end of the movie, in the theater, all the ghosts are lined up along the side of the theater. And then once Thir13en Ghosts is done, we all have spotlights on us and we turn on the lights and all the ghosts are in the theater.” She loved it, and she went up and said something to the production office upstairs. And I guess we had plans to– Now fast forward, so the movie got shot, and the ending of Thir13en Ghosts was that all the ghosts were supposed to be dead in the house. On the day of 9/11, OK, I remember them saying, “We’re gonna shoot,” and we were at an old car lot that used to be a dealership, and it was a warehouse. And so, we were there. I went through makeup and wardrobe, and I was sitting in makeup at the time, and one of the sound guys was not too far away in another room. And someone said, “There’s a plane that just crashed into a tower, but Jackie Chan is supposed to be doing a movie in New York, right?” So, they thought that was a stunt. And then when the second plane crashed, then they realized that it was not a stunt. But that day, we were supposed to reshoot the ending of Thir13en Ghosts, so that we all walked away in the mist, to leave it open for a sequel. And that’s what happened, but they shot it and we couldn’t get the tape back to LA, and the directors couldn’t get back to LA–

David Read:
Everything closed.

Herbert Duncanson:
Everything shut down, no flights or anything, and the only way they got back to LA was they had to rent a car. And since Vancouver is in the same time zone as LA and stuff, so they were able to drive down. Got back home that way, but–

David Read:
Was that added to the film? Did they make it?

Herbert Duncanson:
I don’t think they added that section to it. All they added to the film was that the ghosts walked away in the ending.

David Read:
And that was shot on 9/11.

Herbert Duncanson:
And it happened on the day of 9/11. So, that’s a very, one thing that really stood out about that movie we were working on.

David Read:
Well, none of us who remember that day will ever forget that day, if we were old enough to.

Herbert Duncanson:
That’s exactly what I mean. And that will be a part of Thir13en Ghosts to me forever.

David Read:
I can tell you which episodes of Stargate were shooting that day and the people who, the guest stars who were there. It’s all there, it’s encapsulated.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes.

David Read:
Whew. Raj Luthra wanted to know, were there ever plans to have you return to more of the Stargates, or have you involved in them? And when a new Stargate series gets made in the future, at whatever point that Amazon MGM chooses to do that, would you be interested in returning?

Herbert Duncanson:
I would love to. That would be the most amazing thing to happen. No, that would– And especially if I can return as Grell.

David Read:
I am down for it. I think that that is an in-joke that should continue to run.

Herbert Duncanson:
I think it would be awesome.

David Read:
Did you audition for Douglas Sanders/Grell?

Herbert Duncanson:
Actually, no.

David Read:
Tell me about that story.

Herbert Duncanson:
I think, from what I remember– No, I didn’t audition for it. They looked, I guess, because the stand-ins were– Not a lot of them were like Chris or the characters, but they had actors that were– None of the other stand-ins were pursuing acting that way, put it this way.

David Read:
I see.

Herbert Duncanson:
I was doing stand-in and I was also doing acting. So, I think once they saw that and I got some smaller roles in SG-1, they were like, “Yeah, OK. So, we can still use him because he would know how to maneuver on stage and stuff like that.” So, that’s how I became Grell, yeah.

David Read:
And it’s funny because part of the in-joke, the continuing in-joke of the franchise is how rarely Teal’c talks. And so, in this one, all you do is, “Mm.”

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes. And my eye movement.

David Read:
Specifically, to that, matt4812, “Can you do an eyebrow raise without the fishing line, or is that a joke that mirrored reality?”

Herbert Duncanson:
I don’t know, I can try. I don’t think– No. I think it was kind of to make fun of the fact that Chris could do it, and I couldn’t do it. So, that’s why–

David Read:
So, it really was an inside joke.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yeah, it was kind of a bit of a joke.

David Read:
That is fantastic. Man. It’s little things like that in that episode that really make it stand out. Everyone’s behind-the-scenes cameo, from Greenberg and Brad Wright on down. There’s probably more than just typical fans would even know is going on. What is your favorite in-joke in “Wormhole X-Treme!” or “200?” Have you seen them?

Herbert Duncanson:
I watched them both. And I think I just liked Peter DeLuise’s dialogue that he had where he was talking all fast and stuff like that. I thought that was priceless. And he was making fun of the guys like, “Run, you guys,” and stuff. And that’s how he was on set, day to day. I think it was funny.

David Read:
“Kimmy, I love you, but you are not in this scene.”

Herbert Duncanson:
I know.

David Read:
So good. Man. There is an alchemy that is not easily reproduced with those shows. And it was so fitting that for the 200th they brought you guys back …

Herbert Duncanson:
Together.

David Read:
… once again. What about that camouflage costume with the four holes in the front of it?

Herbert Duncanson:
The holes.

David Read:
And it’s like, no, the Goa’uld pouch is down here. I’m assuming that that’s kind of where Martin took that from. It’s kind of, and obviously ridiculous, the whole thing of it.

Herbert Duncanson:
I know, even the fact that we came from outer space is a whole different thing to come to the world. It was– Those guys are brilliant, man. They’re brilliant, brilliant, brilliant writers, creators, everybody on that show just brought their best self for the show in their art, and their creativity, and their knowledge.

David Read:
I should’ve asked this first, but it was more like, when the 100th was coming along, and they wanted to do a show-within-a-show, like they were going to spoof themselves. Did it take a minute to wrap your brain around what it was that they were gonna do? Because they were gonna take most of the same assets and they were just gonna dial the ridiculousness to 11.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yeah. I didn’t read the first script, the 100th episode, right away. I kind of read it when I realized I was gonna be in it. I was like, “Oh, wait.” They’re using me– And then I started reading it. And the fact that they were gonna create a whole different SG-1. I mean, characters. That was, to me, insane. And I thought it was ingenious to come up with another Amanda, another Chris. That–

David Read:
There was something… I know that Jill had auditioned for …

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes, Jill and–

David Read:
… Carter. I don’t know if Christian had auditioned for Daniel or not, ’cause I haven’t spoken with him.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yeah, he might’ve. I’m not sure. I don’t remember. But for the 100th episode, I think they already had me in mind when they were writing it, because they were like, “Well, yeah, Herb could do it ’cause all he’s gotta–” It was good. And then, I guess that went so well that then they decided to write a 200th episode. And literally, I didn’t think it would be me to end the episode. They told me– They gave me the monologue, that piece of beautiful information, the night before. I was like, “This is a golden opportunity for me to showcase my talent,” end this beautiful season of an episode, and everything. And it’s a golden moment. I rehearsed, and I rehearsed, and I rehearsed, and I rehearsed, and…

David Read:
Is that a one-take? Or did it take a couple of times to get it right?

Herbert Duncanson:
It did a couple of takes because Martin, he likes to do a couple to have a variety to choose from. But it was one or two takes. It didn’t take very long.

David Read:
Wow. Can you share it with us? It would mean a lot to me.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes. I’ll get my glasses. I have to go run and get my glasses.

David Read:
Thank you. I really appreciate it so much.

Herbert Duncanson:
Two seconds.

David Read:
Go ahead. I’m gonna talk about my tie. So, while Herbert is doing that, I just want to thank my buddy, Remington Phillips, for this Stargate tie. I think he picked it up at Atlanta’s Dragon Con for me. So, Remington, thank you so much for that. And he is responsible for sg1props.com. If you guys wanna take a look at some of the work that he’s done, and he does custom orders as well, I can’t recommend his pieces enough over there. So, you can check his website out, and I’ll also put a link in the description below. I wasn’t sure if Herbert would be willing to share this line, but I was like, “Oh, please, maybe he’ll be up for this.” ‘Cause it’s one of the signature moments in all of the series. I mean, it’s up there in the top 10 in terms of individual lines that have made the show what it is. And if you ask folks like Brad or Rob, they’ll be like, “You know, we’re here to entertain first.” But they also are aware of the subject matter of the show and what it is that it brings to people who are generational science fiction fans. So, it was one of those things that you really, when you think about it in hindsight, the 200th episode could not have been buttoned up in a better way. So, it’s perfect. Here he is with his glasses.

Herbert Duncanson:
All right. OK.

David Read:
Yes, sir.

Herbert Duncanson:
So, Isaac Asimov once said, “Individual science fiction stories may seem as trivial as ever to the blinder critics and the philosophers of today, but the core of science fiction–its essence–has become crucial to our salvation, if we are to be saved at all.”

David Read:
Thank you, Herbert. That means a lot.

Herbert Duncanson:
Thank you, David. Yes.

David Read:
Jakub: “How do you feel about that quote in hindsight?” Jakub wanted to know.

Herbert Duncanson:
I feel that it resonates with our whole journey that we’ve been on, on Stargate. It encapsulates everything. And yes, it’s a poignant speech in our time in Stargate and also in our lives. That’s how I feel about it. It’s a very good, very strong quote that I, from time to time, before, I would look at it and go, “Wow.” That’s pretty cool. It’s very cool.

David Read:
By one of the greatest writers of our time.

Herbert Duncanson:
Futuristic, and he was very eloquent in his, the way he expresses himself.

David Read:
ChristinaGraziella wants to know, after all of the experiences you’ve had watching these interstellar worlds be made, do you believe at some point we may encounter travelers from beyond? Do you think that life exists outside of this world?

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes. Because I feel that we, as humans, I think now we’re reaching AI and stuff. I feel like if our minds can think of it, why wouldn’t it be possible? You know what I mean? There’s the men on Mars and there’s other islands out there or other planets out there that we haven’t even tapped into. The universe is infinite.

David Read:
In many respects.

Herbert Duncanson:
I think that there is some form. There could be, you know what I mean? And I think eventually we will probably at some point have a visitor or maybe tap into another planet and find that there are other inhabitants out there or other species out there or life forms of some sort that we probably can communicate with.

David Read:
I think that your point about the universe being infinite is the hardest thing for us to digest because let’s say, yes, there is life, sure. It’s so big out there. Is it intraversable? Is that the word that I want? You can’t just go from one to the other. You have to have the technology to break the laws of physics. We can’t just pay each other a visit like taking a stroll across the street if others are out there. And I think that’s going to be the major hurdle that we’re gonna have to overcome, but I agree. I think there’s some kind of life.

Herbert Duncanson:
Because you look at it. Even from the dinosaur ages, they were like, “Oh, yeah.” Well, certain species evolved over time from then, right? So, what preceded that? What was before that? What life form was before that? We don’t know. We only know what–

David Read:
It’s all buried under the Earth.

Herbert Duncanson:
Exactly. We only know what we have on Earth and find out. But where did those life forms come from to get to this planet? So, you never know, Earth could not be the first planet, or the first Earth.

David Read:
The one that we’re standing on right now. Galactica also posits that.

Herbert Duncanson:
It could be Earth number two.

David Read:
I read an interesting– I forget which scientist was talking about it but if a meteor came and pummeled us today like the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, you wait another 65 million years, and another species develops and starts digging us up. In terms of how large we are as a civilization, they’re not going to find as much as you might think. They might only find a handful of human remains because of the way in which those things were preserved. They wouldn’t find… It’s far less to go on over that span of time than you might think. And that’s extraordinary, how much potential life has been here.

Herbert Duncanson:
Exactly. We don’t know.

David Read:
We don’t know.

Herbert Duncanson:
So, we can’t say we might be like, “Well, Earth One was–” There could’ve been an Earth One previously to this Earth, that probably created this Earth. These dinosaurs could’ve come from there to here.

David Read:
This is why I love sci-fi. Because it opens up our minds to possibility. It’s not like, “Ugh, that’s not possible.”

Herbert Duncanson:
No.

David Read:
It’s like, “What if?”

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes. Exactly. And there’s always that curiosity about it. I’ve always kept that open curiosity that nothing is concrete in terms of our universe.

David Read:
That’s it.

Herbert Duncanson:
‘Cause look at the multitude of different plants and flowers and animals and birds, …

David Read:
A whole rainbow of them.

Herbert Duncanson:
… you name it. Even humans. Our differences and countries and likes and our foods and our mannerisms. So, I wouldn’t rule out that there could be another planet and there could be another life form out there, and that could teach us more than we think we know. Just assuming.

David Read:
Can you imagine?

Herbert Duncanson:
Yeah.

David Read:
The future is gonna be interesting.

Herbert Duncanson:
I think you have to be open.

David Read:
Yes. You have to be open.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes. And don’t– People would say, “Oh, he’s ridiculous for thinking these things and da, da, da,” because nothing is in stone, I feel. There’s nothing– Nothing’s there forever. There’s always a movement of life. Even us. They tell us, if you wanna stay healthy, you gotta keep moving.

David Read:
And that’s also up here.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes, exactly.

David Read:
Not to say that all of our longstanding values are worthless. But in terms of being willing to face and move into a new frontier. Look at our history. 50 years ago, 100 years ago. The things that we, even as recently as that, took for granted that that we’ve discovered are not completely true, or even only half true. Imagine 50, 100 years from now. Who knows what’s going to be our reality?

Herbert Duncanson:
The evolution?

David Read:
That’s it. Or adaptation or whatever have you. So, Herbert, this has been really special to me. One last thing, and I forgot to ask you, and I don’t wanna forget before I let you go. When you were handed “Wormhole X-Treme!”…

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes.

David Read:
… did they tell you, “Just so you know, you don’t have one line in this.” Or did you read it thinking that there would be and it turned out that there was only a, “Hmm?”

Herbert Duncanson:
I knew from before that Chris, he said very little. So, when I saw “Wormhole X-Treme!” and I didn’t have any lines, I was like, “Perfect.” It fits into the narrative of Chris. You know what I mean? Perfect then, ’cause for me to have dialogue, a lot of dialogue would’ve negated the purpose of the whole thing, you know what I mean?

David Read:
For sure. I’m curious when you were handed the script what your approach was.

Herbert Duncanson:
No, I–

David Read:
Did you read it the first time through not knowing if he would have any, or did you anticipate he’s probably not gonna have much?

Herbert Duncanson:
No, I knew, I had a feeling that he would have– If he had lines, it would’ve been very minimal.

David Read:
Indeed.

Herbert Duncanson:
The whole premise of it was to– I’m from a different place where I don’t speak. You know what I mean?

David Read:
And you’re echoing …

Herbert Duncanson:
So, it would– so that would …

David Read:
… Teal’c.

Herbert Duncanson:
… throw him off in a way, you know what I mean, too? Chris.

David Read:
Your actor persona, Douglas Anders, is actually the one who gives the Asimov quote at the end of “200.” Christopher’s actual first name is Douglas. And I’ve always wondered if that was on purpose or if that was just an accident, a happy accident.

Herbert Duncanson:
I think it was on purpose because the guy who had the vision to do, “Oh, I’m gonna direct an episode with these guys outta here,” that was his trying to…

David Read:
Maybe he pulled a little bit from our reality.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes.

David Read:
And hired someone named Douglas.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes.

David Read:
That’s so weird. It’s so awesome. It’s– Herbert, thank you so much for taking time today.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes. Happy to make it.

David Read:
This was so cool.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes, it was awesome.

David Read:
So, you’re auditioning. Is there anything you’re really wanting to do next in the next few years of your work? Is there anything that you’re hoping to do? What kind of goals are you setting for yourself?

Herbert Duncanson:
I feel I would love to get on a TV series. I’m working towards that and I would love to do a feature. I’d probably like to play one of the superheroes or something maybe?

David Read:
There you go.

Herbert Duncanson:
Something crazy. Or even another Stargate pops up.

David Read:
You certainly have the build for it, sir. What is your secret? Work out three or four times a week every day?

Herbert Duncanson:
Three times a week. I’m part of the five o’clock club. I get up at 5:00 and then go to the gym for six o’clock, and drink lots of water and lots of greens.

David Read:
Lots of greens. It’s a routine.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes. For most actors who take acting seriously on that level, your physicality also is very important. Because it also shows the way you look, on camera. And you can see from some examples of some actors who, they get a bit of success, and they just let themselves go and not take care of themselves. But I guess maybe, A, because they’re financially set and they’re at the point in their lives where they don’t care anymore and that’s, they’re in a downswing of their career. But I feel, for your own self-worth and self, take care of yourself as a person.

David Read:
Living is living.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes. Being in the industry, it’s good to be– ‘Cause it gives you more stamina for those long days when you have to work 12, 14 hour days.

David Read:
Exactly. You have to be able to rest when you’re not there.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes, it keeps you very grounded that way too. And yoga. Yoga is a big part of my life also.

David Read:
Ah. It’s not as easy as it looks.

Herbert Duncanson:
No. You have to– It’s like owning a vehicle. You have to make sure you’ve got oils there, you tune it up, good tires, and you want it to run well. So, if you wanna be a good human and a good actor, you should invest in yourself, yes.

David Read:
Especially when you’re going in front of people and saying, “You see this? I want you to hire this.”

Herbert Duncanson:
Exactly.

David Read:
“As well as what’s in here.” But the two have to come together.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes, precisely.

David Read:
Thank you so much for taking the time with us today. This was a real pleasure, and it meant so much to me to have you on and truly, all the best, sir.

Herbert Duncanson:
Same to you too. Thank you so much, David.

David Read:
Thank you, sir. I’m gonna go ahead and wrap the show up on this side.

Herbert Duncanson:
All right.

David Read:
But you be well.

Herbert Duncanson:
Bye to all the fans out there.

David Read:
Thank you, sir.

Herbert Duncanson:
Yes.

David Read:
Thank you.

Herbert Duncanson:
All right. Take care.

David Read:
Bye-bye. Herbert Duncanson, everyone. Douglas Anders, Grell, leader of SG-12, Unas, there are no small parts in a thing as big as Stargate, and everyone from the catering on up to Mike and Rick and Brad and Robert and Jonathan all pulled this off for 17 seasons of wonderful television. My name is David Read, you’re watching The Stargate Oral History Project. If you enjoy our content on this show and you wanna see more of it, please click that Like button. It makes a difference with the show and will continue to help us grow our audience. Please also consider sharing this video with a Stargate friend, and if you wanna get notified about future episodes, click Subscribe. And clips from this livestream will be released over the course of the next few weeks on both the Dial the Gate and GateWorld.net YouTube channels. Tremendous thanks to my production team, Antony Rawling, Kevin Weaver, Sommer Roy, and Brice Ors. My moderators, Antony, Jeremy, Kevin, Lockwatcher, Marcia, Raj, and Jakub. You guys make the show possible week to week. And Matt “Eagle SG” Wilson for his amazing opening sequences, and Frederick Marcoux over at ConceptsWeb, who keeps DialtheGate.com up and running, and Remington over at SG1props.com. Thanks for the tie, man. We’ve got a couple more weeks of shows headed for you before we wind down Season Five and go into hiatus until probably late March. But I’m very proud of the work that we’ve done this year and very thankful to all of you who have tuned in to watch and continue to make it possible. My name is David Read for Dial the Gate. Appreciate you. Thanks again to Herbert Duncanson for sharing so many great stories today. I’ll see you on the other side.