Battlestar Galactica Reunion: ‘You had to be there’ Moments

Moderator: Even all these years later, we hear  you all still invite each other over, can you tell us about that?

Ronald D Moore: Really? I’ve never …

Edward James Olmos: (Looks at Mr Moore) You are always invited.

Michael Turcco: But he’s always off in in South Africa or the British Isles.

Mary McDonnell: (points to Mr Olmos) Especially when the Bambers still lived in LA, this one was Grandpa Eddie.

So, I sat there in the Battlestar Galactica reunion, in the dark, in the Paramount Theater in downtown Austin, taking notes. Or trying to. It was dark. I couldn’t see what I was writing. But I wrote everything everyone said. Instead of giving you guys and gals the live blog, I’m going to describe the five ‘you had to be there’ moments.

Moment

Jamie Bamber called in on Skype on a huge video screen that came down over the stage. He told us he’s in France and he just got up at 3 am to call in. The moderator asks him a really complex question about his character in the series finale. All Jamie wanted to talk about was his children.

Another

Moderator: Tell us your greatest moment with your character.

Olmos talks about the so say well speech from the pilot. McDonnell talks about Roselin having to take the Presidency without cultural training or support. Other actors talk about scenes when their characters kissed or fraked (Katee Sakhoff, Tricia Helfer, James Callis) Or they had to go to hospital covered in fake blood (James Callis). Or shot a death scene (Grace Park). Michael Turco talks about a time when he was staging a big ground combat scene with Tricia Helfer, Lucy Lawless, Grace Park and a studio executive comes to the set to visit.  Turcco is lying on the ground playing injured. The executive walks around shakes everyone’s hand inviting them all for dinner on his tab. Except he steps over Turcco. Later the executive says, ‘That was Michel? I thought I was stepping over a dummy.”

Fourth

Moderator: We’re already 15 minutes over, so can …

Olmos: (Cuts off the moderator) There’s three more fans in line with questions. We can stay and talk with them.

Last

Mr Olmos takes the mic: I want to thank the organizers and the fans for doing this. I want to close out with a certain phrase. This is the sixth year you’re doing this festival and it’s …

[crowd starts to stand up; Mr Olmos keeps talking about how great the festival is; everyone stands]

Olmos: and we want to keep this going. So say we all!

Crowd: So say we all!