Dial the Gate welcomes Brenda James, the actress behind Stargate Atlantis’s recurring botanist, Katie Brown, to update us on her world and share stories from the Pegasus Galaxy!

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TRANSCRIPT
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David Read:
Welcome, everyone, to Episode 325 of Dial the Gate: The Stargate Oral History Project. I’m David Read, and I appreciate you joining me this weekend. Brenda James, Dr. Kate Heightmeyer from Stargate– Dr. Katie Brown. Brenda, I am so sorry. I can’t believe I just did that.

Brenda James:
I don’t know. It’s Dr. Katie Brown.

David Read:
I had Kate on last week.

Brenda James:
That’s great. That’s fabulous. Yay.

David Read:
She’s still rattling around in my head. There’s two Kates in Atlantis. That’s pretty rare. How are you?

Brenda James:
I’m doing great. I’m in California. The sky is blue. It’s a beautiful day. I got my dog by my feet. Things are good.

David Read:
What kind of a dog do you have?

Brenda James:
I have a golden retriever. And she’s really sweet. Her name’s Winnie. She’s five years old. And she’s the sweetest thing in the world. The sweetest.

David Read:
I love goldens.

Brenda James:
I’m doing good.

David Read:
They’re happy. They love life. They’re terrific. Just so that everyone knows, in the audience, this is a livestream. So if you have questions for Dr. Katie Brown, actress Brenda James, go ahead and submit them to the mods. They’re rattling around in there right now, looking for your questions, and then they’re gonna get them over to me. Katie, when did you know that you wanted to act? When did you know that this was going to be your passion? I love asking this question.

Brenda James:
It’s a great question, ’cause we all come to it in different ways. I’m originally from Canada, and I moved to Los Angeles when I was 12. It’s interesting, ’cause it reminds me a little bit of Dr. Katie Brown. I felt like I was in my own bubble here. I don’t know, I kinda had my own rhythm, my own path, and it was–

David Read:
In Canada or in LA?

Brenda James:
In LA. I didn’t feel like I fit in LA. So, I moved from Canada when I was 12, and I was trying to find something that I loved to do. I started auditioning. I got an agent right away. I started doing commercials and television when I was about 14 years old. I loved it, ’cause it got me out of school. I became an actor so I could get out of going to school. It’s true. I could not sit in algebra. I couldn’t sit still. Acting was a great way for me to get out of school, meet different people, lots of fabulous people, and I also really liked taking on different roles. I learned about people that way. You go to different universes. You get to explore different places. You travel. More than just the acting part.

David Read:
In the mind.

Brenda James:
You travel in the mind. But you also travel as a person. I’d get a role, and all of a sudden I’d be in Mississippi, or I’d get a role and I’d be traveling to Vancouver, or I’d get a role in Arkansas. The places that the business took me to aren’t places that I absolutely would have chosen to go to. I met a lot of fabulous people. That’s a roundabout way of how I became an actor, but it wasn’t necessarily for the craft. It was for the lifestyle and the experiences and getting out of school, honestly.

David Read:
What made you stick with it for so many years? Was it the same thing, or did those perspectives on the things that you loved about it evolve and change? I’m really curious.

Brenda James:
It definitely evolved and changed. At first I did it ’cause it was fun, it got me out and about. Once I got to know the creative people involved, I loved the community. There’s something about the industry. The people are just different. They’re caring, but they’re creative, they’re thinking, they wanna connect. I felt like I was home. If I’m on a set, I feel like I’m at home. Or on a stage, I feel like I’m home.

David Read:
It’s a group of explorers in a lot of ways. You’re surrounded by people who are reaching for something, and sometimes they get it and sometimes they don’t. Like a role. It’s like, “Well, where is this gonna take me,” and, “Is it gonna be what I thought it was once I get to the other side?” And, “What am I gonna learn from this and who am I gonna connect with?” There’s a lot of positives to that world, but the flip side of it, you’re never sure about tomorrow. I’ve always considered myself right in the middle in terms of having a creative side that I’ve called a creative drip that I can’t shut off, that I always have to be near that faucet, because I have to be able to dial it around as need be. But also at the same time, there’s this spreadsheet side of me that’s like, “You have to plan for your future. You can’t do anything too outrageous.” Did you ever find yourself out on a limb where it’s like, “I’m gonna take a chance with this,” or, “I’m gonna go out for this,” or where you didn’t know about tomorrow, but you were like, “I have a gut feeling about this one?” Was there anything that ever–

Brenda James:
It’s interesting. I think that’s how I’ve lived my life. I was really lucky. At a young age I was able to support myself through commercials. 80s and 90s commercials paid very well, and I did a ton of commercials. You name it, from every toothpaste to car to Hallmark cards to— I did every kind of commercial I could get into, and it was fabulous, and it helped support me. I still worked in a restaurant because… I wanted to be around people. But I was able to support myself. And I moved out at 17. I moved to Hollywood, I had a roommate, I was doing a television series. I continually worked and evolved. I was doing a biker movie in Mississippi, and I was working with an actor when I started talking about acting like I knew what I was talking about. And I’d been acting years at that point, but I don’t think I actually knew the technique or how to grow. I was growing as a person. He said, “You know what? You need to go to acting class. You need to learn how to do this.” And I’m like, “Do I?”

David Read:
“Am I not doing it right now, with you?”

Brenda James:
“You need to become a member of The Actor’s Studio, and you need to learn how to be a method actor, and you need to do these sorts of things.” And you know what I did as soon as I got back from the biker movie? I signed myself up for acting class. And I got really, really involved, and I loved it.

David Read:
So, he was right.

Brenda James:
I loved it. He was right. And I became a member of The Actor’s Studio, and I am currently one of the guest instructors at the Lee Strasberg Institute in Los Angeles.

David Read:
How cool is that? How long have you been teaching?

Brenda James:
I just started. I’m a guest instructor. I literally moved back to Los Angeles just two years ago. And I started working again. I had gone away to raise my kids. So I left Vancouver. I moved down to San Diego.

David Read:
It’s a great city.

Brenda James:
Talking about the sure thing. Had to raise my two kids. I think if you asked what happened to Katie Brown, it might just be that I simply had to move. ‘Cause I moved to San Diego, and that’s where I raised my kids. And I did that for quite a long time, and during COVID, my son, who, gosh, he was like 13, 14. He was a movie fan. He was a television fan. And a horror movie fan. And all of a sudden, my 13-year-old is going, “Mom, what’s that movie Slither? You’re in that. Wait, Mom, Stargate, wait, you’re in that. Mom, Masters of Horr-, Mom…” And I’m like, “I didn’t really tell you about that stuff, huh?”

David Read:
He’s connecting with your material. Wow.

Brenda James:
He started connecting, and he was having trouble in school. He was having a really hard time in school, something I can relate to. So, during COVID, we struggled, and he struggled. And then we decided when he was, I think, 15. “You know what? Let’s move back to LA. Let’s just go.” That’s where I took a chance. That’s another point in my life where I said, “You know what? Everything’s good here. Everything’s fine. We can get through. But I miss LA. You need to be around creative people. Why not? I’ll get back into it. I’m in my 50s, but there’s roles for women in their 50s.”

David Read:
This isn’t the 90s anymore.

Brenda James:
My son’s like, “Yeah, Mom, let’s do it.” So, my son’s here, and he’s starting to work on crews, which is great. So he’s involved in some fabulous low-budget horror movies. He’s 17, and he’s been on sets and learning.

David Read:
You gotta start somewhere. Now it’s a family business.

Brenda James:
It’s a family business. And I’m teaching, and I’m back at The Actor’s Studio, and I got a fun part in a bloody movie. It’s a true crime thriller.

David Read:
This isn’t Dorothea, is it?

Brenda James:
I’ve started work again. Dorothea, yeah.

David Read:
OK, Dorothy Miller. OK. Are you …

Brenda James:
I play–

David Read:
… the titular character?

Brenda James:
No, I’m one of the characters that gets murdered and gets killed. Dorothea is played by Susan Priver, and she’s fabulous. And it’s my first role back, so I was so happy to play one of the victims. That’s okay. It was a good start. It’s a good place for me to be right now.

David Read:
This is awfully serendipitous that we meet here. Isn’t that interesting? That was not intentional. So, you’ve been teaching for a matter of weeks, a matter of days, a matter of months?

Brenda James:
I started getting on the roster probably about three months ago.

David Read:
They’re so sick of me saying this phrase, so I’m gonna skip the phrase. Have you found the joy in it yet?

Brenda James:
In teaching?

David Read:
Yeah.

Brenda James:
Absolutely.

David Read:
Isn’t it wonderful?

Brenda James:
I didn’t think that I would like it, honestly.

David Read:
Neither did I.

Brenda James:
But it’s actually, to me, almost more creative at this point in my life, because each student–I mean, these aren’t kids–each student or actor that I’m talking to has a different need, or want, or they’re in a different place in their life. So, you can’t teach everybody the same way.

David Read:
Correct, except that they’re all there with a certain determination to make it work. They each have their own little switches that you have to find and acknowledge, and customize. I haven’t done it in a creative capacity before, I’ve done it in a private sector business capacity. I miss it. I miss it a lot. And there is something about molding people and helping to shape them in pursuing something that they want. When their eyes light up when they get it, when you’re trying to transmit something and they finally receive it, it’s like, “Boom!” It’s like a bomb goes off in their head and then they go and explore it, and it’s like, “I helped fulfill that. I helped discover that.” And I follow a number of mine today and it’s like, “I remember when you were still figuring it out, and you’ve got it now.” There’s something so rewarding about it that keeps unfolding into the future. I don’t think that we recognize that enough in one another, the desire to pass on knowledge, whatever the job may be.

Brenda James:
I think that’s what’s missing in LA, honestly. I came back and I was really surprised. I felt like my generation of actors, the teachers are 65, 70. Or then there’s a lot of 20- and 30-year-olds looking for teachers.

David Read:
There’s a hole.

Brenda James:
I really don’t know what happened. I feel like my generation just dropped off the face of the earth in LA. And I think it’s difficult to age in LA. It’s difficult to survive sometimes. So, maybe people just moved out or left the industry. But I almost feel like some of the techniques are gonna be gone. Technique is gonna be gone if we don’t pass it down. So, I really feel like there’s a void here. So, I feel like I have something I can bring to it. Not only the technique work, but there’s also being on set, how to get work, how to handle yourself on set, dealing with a role, dealing with a character, beyond being on a stage or in front of a camera, being a human being. I’ll use the mom card, but I think having raised two kids too, this generation, they’re missing some kind of a connection. Very different than when I was their age, when we were having a blast. I had a great time. So, I would go study and I’d be working on these pieces that would open me up, but they were actually quite depressing, or going through processing things. And now I almost feel like the kids almost need to do the opposite. Their lives are so stressful and complicated that I almost want them to use the technique in a way to help them find joy in the work again, play, have fun as an actor, create characters. Who are these people? It’s yes, use yourself, but you also have to find hope, and you have to find happiness, and you have to find ease, and I think the same techniques I used can be used today to create that. So, I’m hoping I can bring that to the Strasberg Institute. That’s what I’m trying to do. Right now I’m being spotted into classes. But I’m hoping to develop my own classes as well there. So, we’ll see what happens.

David Read:
Bravo. This is fantastic. I wish you nothing but the best, because I think you are in the beginning stages of what I suspect will be a marvelous chapter. So that’s really cool.

Brenda James:
I’m excited.

David Read:
These kids, they share information like none of our generations ever did. But I don’t know if they’re necessarily communicating. They may consider themselves communicating quite a bit, but they’re doing it completely on their own terms. They’re not out there in the middle of it and having things thrown at them and going, “Whoa. How do I deal with this?”

Brenda James:
But they move so quickly. Everything’s fast.

David Read:
They move so quickly. There’s no time for conflict resolution. It’s avoid, avoid, avoid. And these are things that you can access with them. When you’re forcing them to stare in each other’s faces and recite dialogue or discover a means of expression that they haven’t even considered because this character has issues that they don’t have, it really forces you to leave your own shoes at the door and go find a pair that you’ve never walked in before.

Brenda James:
Observe other people. Watch other people. See what other people are going through. How do you find empathy if you’re not paying attention?

David Read:
You can’t.

Brenda James:
You can’t, and it’s important. We need it so badly right now. To sit and process what they’re going through and what their characters are going through, but also what are they going through right now? To sit and resonate with themselves and then take that into words and be able to create, and then to speak to another actor and communicate and bring in a scene and get out of their heads. Their self-awareness is so based on how they look. I’m really surprised. I feel like we’ve gone backwards. That’s bizarre to me.

David Read:
In some ways.

Brenda James:
It’s so bizarre.

David Read:
Forward progress is not a guarantee. You were saying about ideas in teaching, you can lose them. They have to be rediscovered later, often, and we don’t even think about that. So, that gap that you were talking about in terms of the ages, there’s a missing generation there. There’s missing information, rather, that will cost us.

Brenda James:
There is, and I don’t think we need to reinvent the wheel. It’s there. Brilliant people have discovered things. I don’t know why, sometimes I think these kids feel like they’re on their own ’cause we’re not sharing with them somehow.

David Read:
They think that they’re facing challenges that they never had before, and I think a lot of them think that the world is gonna end and that we’ve left them a dying husk, and I think that that’s largely the fault of us letting them think that. And we have to remind them of joy, and we have to remind them of purpose, because if we don’t give it to them someone else will. Speaking of walking in shoes, tell us about Katie Brown’s green-toed shoes, as it were. Who was this gal?

Brenda James:
What I loved about Katie Brown in this particular show, which I auditioned for a few times. And I’m auditioning for scientists, very brainy, a lot of dialogue with a lot of technical terms. And I always got close but I never got the part.

David Read:
In SG-1 as well as Atlantis?

Brenda James:
No, just Atlantis, I believe. Maybe SG-1. I might have auditioned for SG-1 once and then– I think I’d auditioned twice before I got Katie Brown. I can’t remember, it’s been a while exactly what the roles were. At one time I probably would’ve even still had the scripts. But what I loved about Katie Brown is I think that the difference between her and maybe how I saw the other roles is that Katie Brown, to me, was pure heart. I know there’s a lot of characters with heart, and that’s one thing revisiting the shows, I don’t know if I understood that so much then. But now when I watch them back, I see how, in a similar way to our conversation, these characters are trying to connect, trying to find connections. And Katie, I think, lived in her bubble, in her greenhouse with her plants, nurturing them and growing them, but was almost isolated from what was really going on on the outside and with the other characters. I found it odd that during the funeral of–

David Read:
Carson.

Brenda James:
Becket, right?

David Read:
Yeah.

Brenda James:
I would find it odd that Katie Brown wasn’t there.

David Read:
You weren’t in that scene.

Brenda James:
I wasn’t in that scene.

David Read:
Oh my gosh, what a missed opportunity. I’m getting shivers. I thought she was there.

Brenda James:
No, ’cause I remember when we were shooting it and I’m wondering, I just wasn’t called. Was I not available perhaps? But then I see how they shot it and then I’m like, no, it wasn’t about Katie Brown, which is fine, but it was about Rodney. A lot of it was about Rodney. To me it seemed like it was…

David Read:
A missed opportunity.

Brenda James:
She was in her own bubble. She wasn’t part–

David Read:
It could address something about the character as well, if she’s– Everyone who was in that episode should have at least been in that scene. Come on.

Brenda James:
Perhaps. But, on the other hand, it also made more sense to me as to why Katie– I see her as an introvert, I see her as someone nurturing, but somehow, what was wrong with her? Why wasn’t she in the mix? We can go to scheduling, or the writers, cast members, budget. We can maybe come up with reasons. But I liked to think that perhaps Katie was a social misfit in the sense that it was really difficult for her.

David Read:
Maybe she’s uncomfortable with death. If we’re gonna look at what’s on the screen as being the thing, there’s all kinds of explanations for that. And socially, social misfit, it would certainly explain why she was drawn to Rodney, who also had this box, and if you were in the box, you were good, and if you weren’t you were like, “What’s her name? I don’t even care.”

Brenda James:
But it’s interesting to me, because I was thinking about it. She’s a botanist, right? Loving plants, nurturing, I think there’s somewhat of a sensuality with her, with Rodney. But that’s it. It didn’t go beyond that. It wasn’t like, “Hey, let’s go meet at the mess hall and hang out with everybody.” Katie was like, “No, I’m comfortable here. I like my plants. You come here and visit me. I’ll–” I think it’s ironic that the dining room scene, I’m serving him salad. “Here, eat my babies. Here.” That was really fun.

David Read:
That’s funny. Not everything has to come from Earth. God knows what she was managing. I don’t wanna miss it. I think it’s in “Quarantine” if I’m not mistaken. I don’t know if it was a cactus or what. The long–

Brenda James:
The Rodney cactus.

David Read:
Oh my God. Please tell me about this scene.

Brenda James:
That was in the writing. That was obviously in the writing. It was very clear when you walk to set and that’s sitting in the middle of the set. You go, “OK, this is what you’re dealing with?” It’s pretty obvious.

David Read:
Just growing and growing. How does she even keep a straight face? How do you do that?

Brenda James:
We did every time. I’m sure we didn’t every take. It was fun. That’s the other thing too, it was really fun. It was a fun role. David was really fun to work with. I really liked the episodes that I was involved with. From the first one where his body gets taken over. That’s hysterical. He’s back and forth. It’s campy. But what I like is it used his talents very well. It was nice to see that side of him as an actor. So, that was fun. And then the episode where his friend doesn’t make it, the doctor, right?

David Read:
“Sunday,” that’s your second episode.

Brenda James:
Yeah, that’s very touching, very moving, and to be part of that was… it was beautiful. And again, because I wasn’t in the ending scene, it made me realize too that maybe I wasn’t that important to him, me personally, Katie Brown.

David Read:
To Carson? Yeah. To Rodney?

Brenda James:
To Rodney. That Rodney didn’t go to me. He didn’t reach out to me for support. Did it change him enough to bring him to Katie Brown? No, it didn’t. He almost pushed him further away into his own self. What did he really discover about himself through that? I’m not really sure.

David Read:
You think so? I don’t know. I think that at the end of the day people would argue that Carson was Rodney’s best friend. I think that Rodney idolized Sheppard, and I do think that that scene probably with Katie happened, but later on, he gets her an engagement ring, for crying out loud, and that’s after Carson’s death. I really think–

Brenda James:
That’s after.

David Read:
I do think that Carson’s death played a part in his moving to do that, because I do think there was a part of him that was like, “Life’s too short. We’re not guaranteed tomorrow. I gotta try something.”

Brenda James:
But it took time.

David Read:
“There’s this beautiful girl inside and out.”

Brenda James:
It didn’t happen right away.

David Read:
It’s Rodney, you gotta beat him over the head.

Brenda James:
I think that’s what I meant, in that particular episode, he didn’t know what to do, and then, of course, it evolved. He absolutely evolved. I did see that.

David Read:
Let’s go back to “Duet.” Let’s play with that for a minute. ‘Cause you’re absolutely right. They’re giving the cast things that they can chew on that they’re good at. They’re not blindsiding anybody with anything that they can’t, and I think that this dinner scene, Katie doesn’t know what’s going on. Rodney’s still figuring it out, trying to work through it himself. What was it like opposite that energy, that brain that can take in 50% of the dialogue for the entire script and just march it out of his mouth in order, and what do you think was going on in Katie’s mind?

Brenda James:
I think what’s fun is that I don’t think we knew each other that well. So, I think Katie was trying to figure out who is this guy, what’s he about? She obviously had a huge crush on him. She was crushing on him a lot, and then to invite him over, that’s pretty bold. And to have him walk in and his friend there, I think there was a lot of confusion, and, “I don’t really know what’s going on,” and then all of a sudden he’s passionate, which I don’t expect, but I go with because hey, why not? ‘Cause I have a feeling that’s what I want. I think that’s what Katie wants. She wants him to kiss her. And there he goes ahead and he acts differently than she expected. She does find out later what happened. So then she has to think back and think, “Well, was that real? What was that?”

David Read:
Was that him or was that her? It’s a lot of mixed feelings.

Brenda James:
It’s confusing, but he’s fabulous. He’s such a strong actor to work with in the sense that he had it down. Actually, the whole crew, the set, all the actors, they came in prepared, we were never waiting. It was pretty smooth. Everyone was very professional. It was really fun working with those two actors in the dinner scene. They were having a good time, which helped me too ’cause I was new on set. And I didn’t know a lot of people. And I felt comfortable. It was really fun. We had a good time.

David Read:
We assume, when I have cast or crew who come on and say that people are professional, I think there’s this sort of lip service that people are thinking of, laymen who are not a part of this industry, in the background like, “Everyone’s professional,” and it’s not true. There are plenty who aren’t, and there is, I think, an elevation of, “Wow, they are really bringing it in this script. I’m going to just as much. If I wasn’t already before, or if I felt that I was before, and they’re even more in my estimation, I’m gonna try all that much harder tonight for tomorrow.” It’s not one-upsmanship, but there’s a certain rising to the occasion that occurs to people when they’re confronted with good material, or good actors and good crew. Would you agree?

Brenda James:
Yeah. What I see is that we all wanna do a really good job. And when you show up somewhere and people don’t seem to care, then you show up the next day and it doesn’t become about the work. The drama almost becomes like, “OK, what’s gonna happen today?” Or, “Am I gonna be stuck in a room with people who are unhappy and miserable?” And there are people that show up on sets and they’re having a really bad day and that sets us all up for failure, honestly, ’cause it’s no fun. And it should be fun.

David Read:
I think it translates onto the screen. You can move through the material, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s gonna resonate with the audience. You are communicating something through your eyeballs. And the stress between the takes often translates whether we want it or not.

Brenda James:
And it’s no fun then. In a situation like this where everybody’s working so hard and enjoying it, I think the camaraderie was really positive. They’re like, “What can we do to make the script better? What can we do to make my character more interesting? What can I do to help raise this?” As opposed to, “Oh, I’m just having a bad day and it’s about me.” I didn’t see any of that. It was super fun.

David Read:
I’m trying to figure out how I wanna approach this, because this is a 20-year-old program. I hate the word ‘evolved.’ We as a society look at things differently now than we did. And I do wanna acknowledge the fact that Katie, this character, was created largely to enhance Rodney’s story. Was there ever an aspect of you being like, “Maybe I can branch off from Rodney?” Or did you really feel like, “Yeah, this is the role, this is the part that’s being played. Her two-handers with him are designed to have us emotionally invest in him more, and I am there to support that role.” How do you feel about that? I didn’t think I was gonna go anywhere near this, but I’m really enjoying this vibe, Brenda, and I really wanna ask.

Brenda James:
Honestly, I never saw it any other way than, hey, this helps Rodney as a character. It helps him figure out who he is. When he proposes and we realize that maybe this isn’t right for either of us, that helps him evolve. Katie Brown is fine. I’m gonna be fine. I’ll move— Sure, if I pop in another episode or something is created, the writers wanna continue that, that’s fine. But really, I think it’s about Rodney. I really see that. I did see that from the beginning. I did move to San Diego, which didn’t help as far as his character–

David Read:
During– The show was still going?

Brenda James:
Yeah.

David Read:
I bet that explains it, ’cause satellite characters were always coming back.

Brenda James:
I moved during– I probably moved after the second episode, so… That might’ve even had an effect on the trajectory of the relationship perhaps. ‘Cause then all of a sudden I had to fly in as opposed to “Brenda’s down the street. Come on in.”

David Read:
“We can write her in real quick to a scene because we’re short on this episode.” OK, that actually makes a lotta sense. All right. But you had to do you. It’s absolutely how it works. Do you remember anything about “Tabula Rasa?” Everyone’s brains were wiped.

Brenda James:
Yes. Wait, everyone’s brains were wiped?

David Read:
“Tabula Rasa.”

Brenda James:
Wait, is my brain wiped?

David Read:
She was busy collecting plant samples from the mainland. Then she goes and shows him the cactus-like plant which she wants to name after him. That’s the Rodneyana villosa. That’s the episode. That was before. I’m trying to remember, did you have any scenes after that? You may not have. I didn’t rewatch the episode before we met, so I’m sorry.

Brenda James:
“Quarantine–” I wanna make sure I have the order correct.

David Read:
You had “Duet,” and then you had “Sunday.” We lost Carson. And then three was “Tabula Rasa,” and evidently that has the Rodneyana villosa. I always thought it was in “Quarantine.”

Brenda James:
No, ’cause “Quarantine,” it’s weird, it’s outta order. “Quarantine” would’ve been before “Tabula Rasa.”

David Read:
It was after, because that’s the episode where he proposes and then we don’t see her again.

Brenda James:
That’s the last time.

David Read:
You may have shot that out of order.

Brenda James:
That was the last one. There was that episode where I’m in a coma the whole time. That’s a different episode where I’m just in a coma the entire episode. It was great, I slept all day. They paid me to lie in a bed all day. It was really comfortable.

David Read:
Gosh, the things that they pay us to do.

Brenda James:
But the last episode, I really loved it because I was already in San Diego and I’d already made a decision to take a break. What’s funny in Vancouver is, as a supporting actor, one day you’re on, let’s say, Stargate Atlantis, and the next day I was on Slither, and the next day I was working on Masters of Horror. And the next day they’d bring you back to Stargate Atlantis, and the next year you’re doing another scene on Slither. And the funny thing is, the directors and the producers don’t realize that you’re doing all these things at the same time. They expect you to be available all the time, yet a day here and a day there, it’s just a day here and a day there. So, when I was shooting Stargate Atlantis, I think it was “Duet,” I was working on Slither literally three blocks away. It was hysterical, ’cause I would be working with James Gunn–I have a fly pestering me, it’s great–I was working with James Gunn and Michael Rooker. I was playing this really trashy, Southern, trailer, fabulous role, and I was like, I turn into a monster. And then I’d go to sleep and then I’d wake up and I’d be like, “OK, now I’m a botanist. OK, here I am, I’m a botanist.” And then I’d go to sleep and I’d wake up and I’d be like, “I remember doing this today.” Every day would be so different. It was super fun, but I had kids and I had to cut it off and raise my kids, and I came to San Diego. What I loved about this episode was I had to fly back in to shoot it. And I had left Vancouver, and I love Vancouver, so it was hard because it was like part of me leaving part of me, if that makes sense. It wasn’t so much about the show or Rodney or even Katie Brown. But for me it was really cool because they’re like, “You know what? Come back, let’s come back to Vancouver,” and I got to spend a good week up there. I brought my daughter with me and we shot these scenes, and I got to say goodbye a bit to that part of my life. For me personally, it had a lot of meaning as well.

David Read:
Can I ask a personal question?

Brenda James:
Sure.

David Read:
When you came back, did any part of you go, “What if I made a mistake?”

Brenda James:
No.

David Read:
Good.

Brenda James:
No, not at all. I needed the move. I needed to be with my family. I needed to be a more involved mother. I needed to get back to California. It was the way my life was set up. It’s been great. I have no regrets. No, not at all. It was a sweet time.

David Read:
One of the things that I try to do through Dial the Gate is to show people others who are brave and take actions for their lives and for their careers that you may not normally consider. I come from a town of 6,000 people, which is now 5,000. It’s a dying little town. And people are always complaining about the town on Facebook and everything else, and I write back and I say, “Move.” And there’s no response. They won’t. They won’t do it. They’re terrified ’cause their whole world is there. It’s important for us to be able to say to ourselves, or ask ourselves, “Am I making this decision because I don’t want to make a change, or am I making the decision because I’m not being brave enough?” And to be willing to completely change your circumstances and leave the country for another country, like you did, and then be willing to come back even though you’ve had success there, clear in your resolve that this is the decision that needs to be made. In your case, you’ve got two children that you want to spend more time with and that you wanna see more family. I think it’s important to remind people that yes, you can make tough calls and go places where you’re not sure of the outcome because ultimately there is a safety net there. You’re not going to be destitute in your decision.

Brenda James:
I think somehow– Our expectations, what we expect our lives to be, especially if you’re an actor. I think people think, what does success look like? So, if I haven’t reached this or if I haven’t reached that, am I successful? I’m like, “Absolutely.” I don’t know what your gauge of success is, but I’ve worked with fabulous people, I’ve worked on great roles, I have traveled, I support myself, I raise my kids, I love my life, I’m happy, and I can teach, and I can still work. To me, that’s success. I think that’s fabulous. I couldn’t see it any other way. But I think sometimes people get stuck in an idea of what things are supposed to be. There’s beautiful places in the world. There’s different cities, there’s different people. If you’re stuck and you’re unhappy, you only really are on this earth with this time.

David Read:
A blink.

Brenda James:
Why not make a difference for yourself? ‘Cause if you do something for yourself, it’s gonna translate and then other people will be inspired by that as well. And it’s like connecting our energy from one to the next to the next. It grows. Maybe then we won’t have these missing generations. We will help each other. We will share. We can help the kids today look at the world and not be so afraid, and see that there’s good choices out there. You don’t have to stick to one certain path. It’s not easy.

David Read:
You don’t have to accept everything, but you should listen.

Brenda James:
And you should pay attention to other people. Connect to other people. People have a lot of good things to say. People do care. Most people care. I really believe that.

David Read:
I think we put up a facade where we want to project something, but when people are honest with us and vulnerable, unless we’re psychopaths, I think it disarms us. Often, I find that with myself where it’s like, “You know what? Now let me share something vulnerable about myself.” But also when I’m doing that, I really am considering more of what they have to say because they’ve opened up. I think we don’t wanna– Especially now, look online, where everyone’s like, “Don’t show weakness. You don’t like that? You need to let them know how bad they are.” But I like that person for these reasons too, and those things still matter.

Brenda James:
When I started my first day of teaching, I was terrified.

David Read:
For sure.

Brenda James:
I was like, “Oh, my God.” And I thought, “OK, I gotta be a certain type.”

David Read:
They’re gonna eat me otherwise.

Brenda James:
“I gotta walk in there and I have to wear sunglasses. What am I gonna do? I have to have a–” I think about the teachers I had and they were scary, some of them. I’m like, “I gotta go in there and what do I wear?” I was getting really nervous and I asked one of the instructors there, Dig Wayne, and I substitute for him, and he said, “Brenda, just be yourself. Just be yourself.” And I’m like, “Yeah.” He’s like, “You got the passion. You know what you’re talking about. You have the history. Just be yourself.” And I’m so grateful he said that, because it really set me up well. Because I was thinking, “Do I have to create a persona?” No. I don’t need to create a persona. It’s just me.

David Read:
Talk about acting. Come to the end of the semester, “Yeah, that person you were all talking to? It’s me figuring things out for a role I’m doing. I’m just saying. I actually talk like this.”

Brenda James:
“Yeah, that’s just who I am today.”

David Read:
I don’t know if you could do that job without being yourself, to a certain degree, all the time. Otherwise, because you’re translating your inner thoughts and behaviors of how to interpret a role, I think otherwise people would look at you and be like, “She’s fake. What she’s saying isn’t working for me. There’s something that doesn’t ring true about it.” Now, if I’m gonna tell you how to run a cash register, you could probably pull that off. But you’re asking people to be vulnerable in ways that– And you’re hopefully encouraging them to think in ways that they haven’t before about interpreting a role. I started hearing about people running Italians. Is that what it’s called? In terms of taking your dialogue and stripping all of the emotion out and running the lines, and running the lines, and running the lines. What are they talking about? The more I learned about that, it wasn’t, “What are they talking about?” but it was, “What could possibly benefit from this?” And the more I thought about it, the more it’s like, “This is a great way of absorbing dialogue.” You can color it later, and it’s something that I hadn’t considered before in terms of approaching something that I have to read in front of a group of people or anything else.

Brenda James:
No, it’s a fabulous approach because you’re not presetting it. You’re not using your ideas to determine how it should sound. So, it gives you the ability to– It’s almost like music. You have it, and then you can run around it, and you can mess underneath it. You can go on top of it. You can try different accents. You can have different intentions, you can make different choices. It gives you a lot of flexibility if you get that down.

David Read:
I have a few fan questions for you I’d like to begin to work in here, if that’s OK.

Brenda James:
OK. Sure.

David Read:
GateGabber: “Brenda, can anyone sign up for a class at the Strasberg Institute, or do you have to be a member? How does that work?” I know this person actually, and they have actor aspirations.

Brenda James:
Well, the Strasberg Institute, it’s been around… I don’t even know how long. It’s been over 50 years, I would think, maybe longer. There’s one in New York. There’s one in Los Angeles. I do know they have different programs. So, I believe you can sign up for classes. If you wanna take two classes a week, I believe you can do that. But they do have programs for, I think that goes by semesters. There’s four semesters. So, you can take two semesters, three semesters, four semesters. They have different instructors. What I love about what the Strasberg Institute is doing is, yes, of course, there’s the mythology of the technique, relaxation and sensory exercises, but they’re realizing that the world is changing. There’s voice, and movement, and on camera, and they even have a self-tape room. So if any of the students need to self-tape for an audition, they have coaching. And it’s a beautiful space with different theaters and creative people. Reach out and find out exactly how to get involved in the classes. They have a lab class once a month that I think anyone can participate in, and that gives you a good idea of what the place is about. You could show up for one class. You’re allowed to audit. You can say, “Hey, I wanna audit a class,” and you can go in and check it out …

David Read:
Go and sit in.

Brenda James:
… which is great.

David Read:
At the very least, you could go, “You know what? This isn’t what I thought it was, but I appreciate the opportunity.”

Brenda James:
Absolutely. You can check in. You just walk through those halls. It’s fabulous.

David Read:
Wow. Matt TQ wants to know, “Brenda, as best as you can remember, what did you think of the chemistry when they got into their rhythm together at the beginning of ‘Quarantine?’ Were you playing it expecting them to be a permanent item, or did you play it like they were a mismatch?” That’s a great question.

Brenda James:
That’s a great question, because I’ve wondered that myself, honestly. I always played Katie like Katie really, really, really loved Rodney. Really loved him and really wanted the best for him from what she knew of him, but he didn’t share it.

David Read:
So, she was gonna make it work, but he didn’t share it.

Brenda James:
No, I don’t think she really knew who he was, and I think at the end, she did see who he was. And I think that was the first time that Katie realized that, “Wait, maybe he’s not what I thought he was.” So, from Katie’s perspective, he’s talented. He’s in charge. He’s strong. He’s handsome. He’s got a sense of humor. All these things that I saw, I realized, “Yeah, well, that could be something.” But I don’t think that Katie was necessarily ready for a long-term, full-on marriage relationship. I think her greenhouse was just fine. Her little bubble was just fine.

David Read:
Her house was in order, even though it was a greenhouse.

Brenda James:
Her house was in order. As much as she– I think she wanted to take care of him, but I think she realized that, “No, it’s just too much.”

David Read:
So, let’s go there. Rodney pops the ring.

Brenda James:
It fell out.

David Read:
Or pops the question, I should say. Let’s say he gives her the ring. What does she say? What do you think she would have said?

Brenda James:
If he had actually …

David Read:
Proposed.

Brenda James:
… proposed at that time, I think she might have said yes.

David Read:
But do you think she would have ultimately found it to be the right decision overall? Because I can tell you by the last season, he’s learned from his mistakes of being so self-centered and is put in a similar crisis situation with Jewel Staite, who his character has been dating, and he doesn’t behave that way. So, this was a growing episode for him. But do you think at that point, were she to see that behavior later, the “Quarantine” behavior later, she would have been like, “Boy, did I make a mistake?”

Brenda James:
I think so, yeah. I don’t think this is what Katie wanted. I don’t think that’s what she was hoping for. Also, I think she learned a lot about herself too. How do you really get to know someone if you’re not involved in what they’re going through every day? When you look at the dialogue, she didn’t really even know the protocols. She didn’t really understand the protocols of what was going on, who’s really in charge, how much is he involved in everything? In a sense, she was isolated from all of that. So, I think also I would see Katie learning from that: “Wait a minute, whoa. I don’t know what’s going on out there.” And it could have easily made Katie curl up more, back into the greenhouse, and go, “You know what? This is too much for me,” or maybe the opposite: “I need to get out and meet people. I need to get out there and get to know people.” And hopefully, that’s what she got from it.

David Read:
Do you think that she got out and met people on Earth after that? After “Quarantine,” do you think she returned to the Milky Way galaxy or do you think that she was still around there or do you think she closed that door on Rodney and on Pegasus?

Brenda James:
It’s possible. I think that she had a big mission, though. I think she was trying to cure diseases and she was connected to plants and greenery and I think that’s her life. I think being around trees, whether that’s going back to Earth or not– I think she had a bigger purpose. And maybe she did find a cure for something and maybe she was part of a team that was able to help somebody.

David Read:
I certainly don’t think she left the program. But she could have done the same thing with the IOA on Earth. Lockwatcher wanted to know, compared with other work that you have done, how was it working on Slither with a Stargate alum, by the way, Michael Rooker? Were any of those days tough days?

Brenda James:
Yeah. That was intense. That was such a different kind of environment. Stargate, everything was very– The sets were built. You’re walking on sets that have been there. The lighting’s already there. The crews have been working together for a long time. Slither was extraordinary in the sense that you didn’t know where you were gonna be the next day. All of a sudden I was in the woods in the middle of the night with these great lines, great words. James Gunn always had music playing, and Michael Rooker was always bouncing off the walls. I didn’t know what he was gonna do next. There was a lot less security on Slither. And obviously, I was in prosthetics for a lot of it. So, there were times where I was stuck on set. The one scene where I’m in prosthetics and I play the Brenda Blob, I was on set almost the entire day and I couldn’t leave my prosthetics. And it was really hard work physically, but everyone was still very supportive. I remember Nathan Fillion came over to me during a lunch break and I’m just sitting there with my face stuck in this big, big, big puppet. Nathan Fillion almost feels bad for me. I felt bad for him. He pulls his chair over and he’s looking around, he’s in a sheriff costume, he sits down in front of me and he’s like, “How you doing in there?” I’m just like, “Yeah, OK, Nathan, thank you so much. I appreciate the conversation.”

David Read:
“How am I doing? How do you think I’m doing, Nathan? Get me the hell out of here.”

Brenda James:
I’m kidding.

David Read:
“Don’t screw up your lines. I’m gonna come and kill you.” Geez. Tell me about James Gunn.

Brenda James:
Wow. I was so excited to audition for this part. I remember– Her name’s Brenda. They said they couldn’t find her.

David Read:
It’s just coincidence.

Brenda James:
It’s just coincidence again. They couldn’t find Brenda. I auditioned and I–

David Read:
Here comes Brenda.

Brenda James:
I fell in love and I was reading for him. He was there at the casting, which was great. And I had that thing down. I was like, “No. This is my role. I know this woman, I wanna do this part, this is fun.” And it was so fun. But it was very different than Stargate. It’s film. So, your movie, your sets, your locations are changing. James Gunn had such a strong vision. He knew exactly what he wanted. I didn’t always know what it was that he wanted. He didn’t always necessarily share it, but you just go along with it. You just do what he says. It’s like, “OK, sure. OK, fine. Yeah, OK, yeah. You want– OK, sure. I’ll do whatever you want.” ‘Cause he had a very, very, very specific point of view, obviously. He’s done very well, obviously.

David Read:
Something’s working.

Brenda James:
He’s working. I think he owns the universe or something. Doesn’t he own the universe?

David Read:
Basically, yeah. He has his pick of the litter very frequently. There’s something to be said for a director who trusts his instincts from the hiring phase to let actors figure things out for themselves. I’ve heard stories since doing this of a director telling an actor, “Do this to them,” and not telling the other actor so that we can film the reaction. And little things like that, not psychological mind games from one performer to another, but anything to get the take. And just be willing to walk through a minefield trusting that the person who has your back knows the coordinates of all the mines. They’re putting you in this thing and you look like a freak. But whatever it’s gonna be, it’s gonna be interesting.

Brenda James:
Absolutely. And I did feel like he played Michael Rooker and I a little bit. He was always egging him on. “Hey, what are you… hey, Michael. Why don’t you guys go play cards?” I always felt like he was teasing us. There was something there. They became really good friends too, him and Michael.

David Read:
He’s always casting him. Don’t fix something that isn’t broken. I always get it wrong.

Brenda James:
But it’s great, they have a great relationship apparently, and they just trusted each other very well. It was a lot of trust. Absolutely, a lot of trust. If you’re gonna paint yourself blue, you gotta really trust the guy.

David Read:
“I look like a freak.” But you’re a little bit of a freak.

Brenda James:
I know, but with a big bed blowing up and the size of a barn, you gotta trust.

David Read:
Couple more for you. Jakub wanted to know, any memory of working with either Brad Pitt or Roddy McDowall on Cutting Class?

Brenda James:
Yeah, that was really fun. So, Brad Pitt, he was just starting out. I think this was his first movie. And it’s interesting because he was actually very insecure. He had dropped out of college, I believe, and he was like, “I’m going to California, I’m gonna become a star,” which he did. He was very insecure. He had a lot of energy, and I’d been doing this a long time. So I was an LA girl, I’d been acting for a while. So he had this small-town energy, which was really fun to watch. And I was there the day that he ran up to some cars and mooned them. There were cars driving and him and I don’t know who it was, but they ran up to the street and then they mooned the cars, and I think they actually got a ticket.

David Read:
Yeah, public indecency.

Brenda James:
But that’s the kind of stuff he was doing. He was really silly, a little insecure. Charming, of course. And Roddy McDowall, what an icon. I was so grateful to be in the same room with him. I’m sure he was just doing it for a paycheck and that’s great.

David Read:
There are those roles.

Brenda James:
If you’re that good, take it. I’ve been really lucky. I’ve worked with some fabulous people over the years.

David Read:
They say, “Don’t meet your heroes.” But if you ever come across someone who you idolize, it’s like, “Oh, please.” In a professional role where you can’t escape, it’s like, “Please God, don’t let them be a monster.”

Brenda James:
I’ll tell you two stories. So, one of my very first jobs was with Harrison Ford. It was on Patriot Games. It was a small part, I play the redhead in the bathroom. I have a ponytail and the red hair. But I was a huge fan. Raiders of the Lost Ark, I saw it at Chinese Theatre, I saw it 100 times. I don’t get starstruck. I really don’t. But I did. I was so– I couldn’t even speak. And he came to set and he would mess with me. He’d be like, “Where’s Brenda? Where’d she go? Where is she?” And I’d be hiding in the corner like, “Oh my God.”

David Read:
He’s leaning into it.

Brenda James:
“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. I can’t stand it.” I’ve always had really good experiences. It just was fun. I’ve always enjoyed it. I did have trouble with one actor, and I’ll share. I worked with Ben Affleck. It was one of my last jobs in Vancouver. I was playing a judge. And I was pretty excited, I think that’s pretty cool. But when he did his scenes with me, he would never look at my eyes. He looked at my forehead the whole time. And I’m like, “Come on. Really? You really wanna look at my forehead? Fine.”

David Read:
Interesting choices.

Brenda James:
“Fine. You don’t wanna connect? Fine. It’s OK with me. But I don’t like you anymore, sorry.”

David Read:
The choices that artists make sometimes, it’s like, “Well, he’s going there. I don’t get it, but if it helps the performance, whatever. That doesn’t mean I’m necessarily gonna buy a ticket to your next film.” Out of the hundreds of Stargate casts, there have only been one or two. I heard stories, and those stories are confirmed. But they’re not for the audience. These are daytime families, and daytime families have weird family members. And they’re there to fulfill a job, and sometimes they make so much that you can’t necessarily get rid of them. But you get through however way you can.

Brenda James:
But they’re still characters.

David Read:
That’s right.

Brenda James:
They’re characters.

David Read:
That’s right.

Brenda James:
And that’s what’s so fabulous about them. And Michael Rooker is a character. He’s fabulous. He might be a loose cannon. James Gunn, what a fabulous– These are great characters, these are fabulous people. They’re creative. That’s good or bad, whether you wanna have a beer with them or not, that’s a totally different story. But I’ve run into a lot of fabulous characters and sometimes they have a bad day.

David Read:
That’s the thing, we’re all allowed bad days, except for cops and caregivers. There’s this limited list, but you’re right. And that’s what I always try to remember: “Maybe this was an off one.” You never know. Marcia Middleton, last question for you. Apparently Steven Spielberg’s new film, temporarily titled Disclosure, looks to be about visitations. Do you have any memories from his project Taken? I have not seen this.

Brenda James:
This is quite a while ago–

David Read:
I’m taking you back.

Brenda James:
And I played a teacher. What’s his name? Sad, that passed away. Yelchin, the actor was in it–

David Read:
Anton Yelchin?

Brenda James:
Yeah. He was in it.

David Read:
He must’ve been a kid.

Brenda James:
He was a kid, there were children in it. I really loved working on this project. I remember it was in a really cool little school house, I think it was in North Vancouver somewhere. What I do remember is, I had to drive stick shift and I’d never driven stick shift.

David Read:
I’m not good either. It’s a mess.

Brenda James:
Don’t you love that?

David Read:
God, there’s heavy traffic.

Brenda James:
It was a station wagon too. They’re like, “OK, Brenda, drive,” and I think the kids are in the car with me and I’m like, “How?”

David Read:
Did no one explain this?

Brenda James:
They had to push the car for me. That was one of my good days. But I remember that project. I remember seeing it and I loved that project. My character wasn’t in the whole thing at all. I remember watching and it was fascinating about extraterrestrials and what happened and the hidden secrets. I actually am surprised that that’s not out more. That people haven’t seen it more.

David Read:
I’m gonna have to go check it out.

Brenda James:
It’s one of my favorites.

David Read:
How often do you watch something that you’ve been in? Generally or not so generally?

Brenda James:
Actually, not so generally, but it’s fun having kids, ’cause my kids are like, “Yeah, you gotta watch, hey, come on, Mom, let’s watch this together.” And I had a friend that became a huge fan, and she’s like, “You’re coming over and we’re watching Slither.” I’m like, “No.” “Yeah, you’re coming over.” So, now we have Slither parties. So, they start googling and they’re like, “Oh my God, you did– Oh, let’s watch that,” and then they find it and we start watching it and it becomes Brenda night. Oh my God. The MTV show Together, with the boy band and stuff. I think James Gunn’s brother and cousin produced and wrote that. And it’s so different but campy and fun, comedic. And we did an MTV Together night and I’m enjoying it more. I’m trying to think of what else they like to watch. We did a Cutting Class night. “Oh, let’s watch Cutting Class,” a bright ’80s scream/slasher movie, and it’s been fun.

David Read:
You’ve probably heard this before but I will say this: always be thankful that you have children who are interested in watching your stuff. Rachel Luttrell, we’ve had her on a few times, and Caden’s like, “Couldn’t care less.” He’s just like, “Ma, I really don’t care.” He likes more intense stuff, like horror and things like that, and will pull her into that, but in terms of her stuff, he’s like, “Eh.” And this is your paycheck, but this is also your body of work. That’s what it is. And the fact that you have children that connect with any of it really is a blessing.

Brenda James:
It’s fabulous. My daughter, ’cause she’s in Boston University, and last year during Halloween, Slither was playing at the cult theater down the street. She’s like, “Mom,” and she brought a bunch of her friends, “We’re gonna go watch Slither at the theater tonight.” That’s really fun. And I think next year’s the 20-year anniversary too, which will be fun.

David Read:
I wouldn’t be surprised if you get a call for some publicity for that. I remember when that film came out. That was a big deal, so that’s really cool.

Brenda James:
I’ve never done convention work. I haven’t been out there. Now that I’m back and my kids are older, I’m gonna try and get out there and talk to people.

David Read:
It has a cult following. I would do it. Do one or two, see what happens.

Brenda James:
See what it’s like.

David Read:
Brenda, this has been great. I really appreciate you taking so much of your time to sit down and share so many stories from the various productions. I always loved Katie. I really wish that we had seen her again. This explains some of that, I think, because, like I said, they were really good at bringing characters back, and that quells some of that. You were missed in the rest of the show; …

Brenda James:
Thank you.

David Read:
… let me put it that way. But it meant a lot to have you.

Brenda James:
Thank you. I really appreciate that you reached out. Now that I’m back in the world of acting and teaching, hopefully I’ll have some more projects. I’m excited.

David Read:
I hope that one of the things that you’re going to find is, when you participate in shaping hearts and minds, especially hearts and minds in your industry, those minds have a way of not forgetting the people who have helped them the most. And some of that turns into work.

Brenda James:
I believe that. I absolutely believe that. And being any part of it is exciting to me and it’s creative. I know it’s a rough time for the industry right now. I know it’s a rough time for LA right now. But I have this glimmer of hope that there’s a huge, huge amount of fabulously creative people out there. Young creative people. And they want outlets, and they do wanna connect, and they do wanna tell stories, and they do love characters and people of all ages. So, I think it’s gonna have to change again. It’s gonna change. I don’t know what it’s gonna look like, but–

David Read:
Nothing but change. That is the one certainty. And I think that AI is going to– I’m beginning to see more and more young people who are beginning to push up against it. Not many, but push up against it and resist letting it take over every aspect of them. And what I really think you’re gonna see is this pendulum swing of people craving theater, personal, in-your-face experiences. That this is no way a simulation, and I do think …

Brenda James:
We need that connection again.

David Read:
… that’s gonna continue. That connection, absolutely, 100%. So, I think you’re in the perfect spot, and I wish you all the best.

Brenda James:
Thank you so much. Thank you for reaching out. I really appreciate it. It’s been great meeting you. I hope to meet you in person sometime.

David Read:
I’m in San Diego for Comic Con pretty much every year. I actually went to LA next week, to see a couple of friends. Point is, I’m in LA all the time, so we might very well cross paths.

Brenda James:
I hope to talk in person sometime. It’d be really fun.

David Read:
Absolutely, have a connection ourselves. I’m gonna wrap up the show on this side. Thank you so much for coming on.

Brenda James:
All right. Thank you too.

David Read:
Goodbye.

Brenda James:
Bye.

David Read:
That was Brenda James, everyone. Katie Brown in Stargate Atlantis. My name is David Read for Dial the Gate: The Stargate Oral History Project. I really appreciate you tuning in. We have a couple more shows that are heading your way tomorrow. And I never have this pulled up when I need it. Never do. God forbid. William deVry, who played Aldwin in Stargate SG-1, he’s joining us Sunday, tomorrow, May the 11th. Craig Veroni has actually been moved to Saturday, May the 17th. He realized that it was Mother’s Day and so his mother’s more important than us, apparently, so why not do his thing? But we’re gonna have him next week. I appreciate you being with us for this episode. If you enjoy Stargate and you want to see more content like this on YouTube, click that Like button. It does make a difference with the show and will continue to help us grow. And please also consider sharing this video with a Stargate friend. And if you wanna get notified about future episodes, click Subscribe. My tremendous thanks to my producers Antony, Kevin, and Linda, my moderating team. My stalwart warriors, Antony, Jeremy, Kevin, Lockwatcher, Marcia, Raj. Big thanks to Frederick Marcoux at ConceptsWeb, keeping dialthegate.com up and running. Hopefully, the next couple of months here, we’re gonna have a new rollout for you. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. We’ve got more shows coming down the pike for you the rest of this season. Really appreciate you being out there and watching. And we’ll see you on the other side.