Mary McDonnell Reflects on "Battlestar Galactica"

[JamesG]

Mary McDonnell Talks the 'Return' of "Battlestar Galactica"
by Maureen Ryan
posted Jun 9th 2011


Mary McDonnell played Laura Roslin on "Battlestar Galactica" for four seasons, and when she heard that BBC America was going to start re-airing the entire series starting 10PM ET June 11, she was happy to promote the "return" of the groundbreaking drama.

"I think it's perfect timing," McDonnell said. "'Battlestar' is so rich and relevant that one time through is not enough."






Though the Syfy drama, which chronicled the persecution of humanity by the robotic Cylon race, went off the air in 2009, interest in the show has not let up, the actress said.

"The fans are still so engaged. Everywhere I go, people want to talk about it," McDonnell said of the drama, which managed to be a gritty character piece, a realistic war chronicle and a provocative political drama all at once.

"Since I stopped doing the show, I've gone to Germany, Italy and Australia to represent 'Battlestar' at conventions, and it's been so stimulating and engaging. People who loved the show were big thinkers."






Mary McDonnell said of missing the show:

"It really doesn't fade. I suppose when you lose someone, it's the same way. You always grieve. The person doesn't get replaced but you feel expanded by having known them. But there is a sadness that's left."











When a beloved show ends, part of the grieving process involves missing the particular combination of things that the show did well. And though quality dramas are not scarce on the TV landscape, few shows on the air right now ask pointed questions about society, government and touchy political issues, as "Battlestar" often did.

"I absolutely loved the questions that [executive producer and head writer] Ron [Moore] asked on a continual basis," McDonnell said.

"These were the big questions, about survival, the environment, humanity's future and past. The show was a beautiful way to ask those questions kind of in the middle of all these difficult things that were happening, and I kind of miss the global involvement that 'Battlestar' had. It was a place for us to go and bounce those questions around."

Given all of that, "it will be a very very long time before 'Battestar' is not timely," McDonnell noted. "It's a brilliant time to start airing it again."







Will McDonnell be watching when it returns?

That's a tough question. She said she can't bring herself to watch the final season of "Friday Night Lights", one of her favorite shows, because she knows she'll miss that show enormously.

"I can't even watch my kids' home movies -- I bawl my eyes out," McDonnell said with a laugh.






So going back to watch "Battlestar" would be "a really big choice" she'd have to make, and she's not quite sure she's there yet.

But she certainly treasures the memories of working with the show's cast, in particular Edward James Olmos, who played William Adama. Adama's ever-evolving relationship with Roslin became one of the touchstones of the show.



"We were absolutely blessed with each other, Eddie and I," McDonnell said.

"The writing couldn't have been more organic and we felt like we'd known each other lifetimes, and that was just instant. I think certain projects have a kind of destiny to them, it's almost as if they're pre-written and you're just stepping into them.

You almost can't make too big a mistake because the universe is orchestrating it. It's bigger than any individual, and you can feel it when you're involved in one of those big ones."

http://www.aoltv.com/2011/06/09/mary...tar-galactica/