|
Physician Heal Thy Self
Words: David Bessom
He’s arrogant, acerbic and cowardly – and he’s easily one of Stargate
Atlantis’ most popular characters. David Hewlett discusses the
latest
adventures of the Atlantis outpost’s resident scientific genius and scene
stealer, Dr Rodney McKay.
The makers of Stargate Atlantis have definitely been getting their moneys
worth out of David Hewlett during the shows second season. “Season two seems
to have given me a hell of a lot more work,” explains Hewlett, as he
reflects on his continuing role as Dr Rodney McKay. “McKay has been put
through the wringer much more in season two than he ever was in season one.
He’s also been talking
a lot more, for some reason!
“I’m really thrilled that they’re doing so much with the character, because
I really didn’t think I’d get to do that much on Atlantis,” he
reveals. “I
thought I’d kind of do what I did on SG-1 – I though I’d wander in every so
often, tell the other characters they were wrong and then go off again! I
haven’t quite lost that ‘guest star McKay’ feeling. So I’ve been really
surprised and grateful for everything that has
come my way this year, I
could not be happier. I really think I’ve got the best role in the show
because I get to do everything – it’s not always comfortable, like hanging
around in hazmat suits and doing space-walks, but it’s always a lot of fun.”
Season two of Stargate Atlantis has propelled McKay firmly to the forefront
of the Atlantis mission and regularly sees the character
coming up with
life-saving scientific breakthroughs, bumbling through missions and
irritating friends and foes alike with his obvious shortage of interpersonal
skills. More surprisingly this year has also presented the character with a
few romantic encounters –
including and onscreen smooch with Paul McGillion’s Dr Carson Beckett in the hilarious body-swapping episode
Duet.
“Yeah, its been crazy: McKay’s been the kissing bandit this year,” laughs
Hewlett, who’s every bit as funny as his Atlantis alter ego in
real life,
but, thankfully, not at all obnoxious. “Duet was a lot of fun. Paul teased
me for weeks before we shot that kiss, but kissing him was easy to do
because we’re good friends and I do not find him attractive in the
slightest. The whole thing was mercifully un-erotic.
The only problem was
getting Paul to stop sending me flowers and notes and cards afterwards!”
Basic Instinct
So, does McKay’s increased ‘love action’ signal Hewlett’s emergence as
Atlantis’ new sex symbol?
“I hope not, because if that’s the case Atlantis is definitely sinking!” he
quips. “No, I think Joe [Flanigan] is solid in his reign as our
sexy lead.
That guy is too good looking for his own good.”
Okay, so Rodney McKay isn’t set to become Atlantis’ principle heartthrob,
but he has clearly come a long way since he first sparred
with Samantha
Carter in Stargate SG-1’s fifth and sixth seasons. Yet while the character
has developed in ways Hewlett never
imagined, the English born but Canadian
raised actor feels his portrayal of McKay has remained consistent from his
early appearances.
“There’s always a danger of going from a great guest-star role to a series
regular, because you can get away with things as a
guest-star that you can’t
do as a regular and the producers and writers might feel the need to soften
a character or make him more likeable,” notes Hewlett. “But on Atlantis, the
writers haven’t softened him at all, they’ve merely shown other aspects of
McKay’s
character. So on first appearance, he can still be a truly wretched
man. He’s still the kid in the classroom waving his hand in the air
and if
he doesn’t get to answer he’s going to make some noise; he’s still the man
who corrects you at a party. But the more you get to know him the more you
realise he’s not just a horrible person – there’s things behind it; his
hopes, his dreams, his love, his loss. All those things are part of his
personality as well.
“I think the thing about McKay that people respond to is that he’s the guy
who says what people are thinking. Whether he’s right or
wrong, witty or snarky or just plain mean he’s always got something to say. That’s his
appeal. And I love playing that part of him: I’ve always wanted to be the
person who said the Oscar Wilde or Winston Churchill-type retorts to knock
people down.”
Rat Wraith
Season two has introduced two new sparring partners for McKay, in the form
of Colonel Caldwell (Mitch Pileggi) and Ronon Dex
(Jason Momoa). As an avid
X-Files viewer and DVD collector, Hewlett has been particularly excited by
the arrival of FBI Special Agent Walter Skinner’s real-life alter ego.
“Mitch was in People Magazine as a ‘Surprisingly Sexy person’ and I’ve made
his life miserable because of that,” he admits with a
laugh. “I’m a sci-fi
geek and I couldn’t get over him joining the show at first. But he’s nothing
like Skinner at all. The ultimate
compliment I can pay Mitch is that I now
don’t remember him ever not being on the show. He came in and has totally
fitted in. he’s incredibly funny, incredibly self-effacing and he can give
it just as well as he takes it; he can be as snarky as I can be. He’s been
great to work with, and it’s been fun to see McKay trying to use Caldwell
and the military to get what he wants – with disastrous results.
“No offence to Jason but I think it took him a while to settle in – he was a
little wary at first of who was who, as anyone would be. But
Jason has
settled into the show now and he’s incredible. I mean, his first episode
Runner was just so exciting. As sad as it was to see Rainbow [Sun Francks,
Lieutenant Ford] go as a regular, Jason has been a really interesting
addition to the series.”
Hewlett believes that Atlantis’ second season has topped the show’s first
year, thanks in a large part to the show’s robust storytelling, improved
visual effects and characterisation (“This season’s scripts are really
tailored to the characters”), increased focus on the power play within the
Atlantis command structure and the development of the series’ principle bad
guys, the Wraith. He’s also excited
about what lies ahead for the series in
its now-confirmed third season. As for the prospect of spending many more
years as Dr Rodney McKay, David Hewlett reports that he’ll be happy to serve
aboard the Atlantis out post for a long time to come.
“As long as they want me, I’m here,” he states. “When I first started on the
show, my little sister called me after watching a couple of episodes and
said ‘You’re doing Doctor Who!’ I thought about it and realised it’s true.
When I was a kid I wanted to grow up and do
Doctor Who. And that’s what I’m
doing now on Atlantis – I’m travelling to strange new worlds and tackling
bizarre-looking aliens. I’m literally doing what I wanted to do when I was
seven-years-old. I’m working in a genre I love and there’s just nothing
better than that for me.
“If an actor didn’t like sci-fi, I can’t imagine what they must feel when
they’re standing in a field and there’s a large guy in a monster suit
standing opposite you. If you don’t like science fiction I’m sure there’s no
worse hell than working on a science fiction show. But I love it. People
coming up to me in masks is a lifelong dream!”
|
