Don S. Davis as General George Hammond in Stargate SG-1. Photo copyright of MGM.
In today's Sci-Fi Blast From The Past, the late actor (and much-missed dear friend) Don S. Davis talks about his final appearances as George Hammond on Stargate SG-1.
At the beginning of Stargate SG-1’s eighth season, General George Hammond ended his seven year stint as head of Stargate Command (SGC). He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and placed in charge of Earth’s new Homeland Security department, which was in command of the SGC as well as the Prometheus project and the off-world Alpha site. Hammond has since made the occasional visit to the SGC, much to the delight of the actor who plays him, Don S. Davis. This (10th) season, he reprised his Hammond role twice. The first time, though, the general wasn’t exactly “himself.”
“I came back and voiced the Hammond puppet in SG-1’s 200th episode,” says Davis. “It was a pretty relaxed time and I got a great deal of enjoyment out of that.
“With my second appearance on the series this year, I was very much a last minute substitute in an episode [The Road Not Taken] that was supposed to feature William Devane, who plays the President of the United States. The script was changed, some characters’ positions were moved around and Hammond ended up being one of three main players along with General Landry [Beau Bridges] and Colonel Carter [Amanda Tapping]. It’s one of those things I really can’t say too much about because the show hasn’t aired yet, but I can tell you that it’s an alternate universe story.
“It was a very pleasant experience and it’s always nice to see the SG-1 cast and crew. I enjoyed the opportunity to work with Beau Bridges. He’s one of the kindest, gentlest, warmest human beings I’ve ever met and he’s a wonderful actor. Beau’s character also makes an excellent head of Stargate Command. As for Amanda Tapping, I’ve always had a particular fondness for her. There aren’t many actors in the history of TV who have been called upon to carry the kind of load she’s had on this show. Amanda did it graciously and did it well. Very often she was the first one called to the set in the morning and the last one to leave at night. So by any stretch of the imagination she earned her money many times over and created in Sam Carter a character imbued with her own warmth as well as delightfully quirky personality.”
Just prior to the airing of SG-1’s 200th episode, the U.S. Sci Fi Channel released the news that it would not be renewing the show for an 11th season. Not too long ago, MGM Television announced that for the immediate future, the SG-1 saga would continue in the form of two direct-to-DVD movies for 2007. While nothing lasts forever, Davis feels the programme’s cancellation may have been a little bit premature.
“I was surprised when I heard the news,” recalls the actor. “I thought SG-1 was still number one in the world. With the fans who keep in touch with me, it still is. Funnily enough, this year I’ve done a couple of what are called ‘Gen Cons,’ which are combination feature film, comic book, Fantasy and Sci-Fi events, and from what I could see, Stargate was still pulling in just as long a line as the other TV shows as far as fans wanting autographs and buying paraphernalia. And these were huge conventions, too.
“So I was rather shocked about SG-1, and I’m saddened, too, because I have friends who will now have to look towards finishing their careers elsewhere. Honestly, I thought SG-1 would run for15 years, and had it done so, then these friends of mine, who are behind the cameras, would have pretty much been able to put their children through school, pay off their mortgages and have the kind of retirement that I’m extremely fortunate enough to enjoy. That’s the only thing that is really disheartening to me about all this. Otherwise, this has been a miraculous show to have lasted 10 seasons, especially given the [entertainment] industry’s current climate. The episodes I’ve seen over the past couple of years have been quite good, and the performances just as solid. So it just doesn’t make sense either practically or artistically for SG-1 the series to end, but that’s what life is. Things begin, blossom, wither and then die, even in the fictional world of feature films and TV.”
Besides guest-starring this season on SG-1, Davis completed work a couple of months ago on the yet-to-be-released feature film Beneath, in which he plays Joseph. The actor is also involved in a couple of other behind-the-scenes projects. “I’m writing a monograph on acting that might be expanded on and that I’d like to use as the basis for speaking engagements,” he says. “In it I try to explain somewhat briefly the responsibilities of being a character actor and the difference between performing onstage as opposed to in front of a camera.
“The problem with most actors who aren’t formally trained, and a large percentage of film and TV actors don’t seem to be, is that they think every line they’re given is their big chance to become a ‘star,’ and yet they don’t prepare properly. They don’t seem to understand that their character is there for a specific purpose, which is to help round out a scene. It’s not their job to be the star of the piece. Except in very rare instances, the person who is supposed to stand out is the lead or main player. So that’s what this monograph focuses on."
A former theatre teacher at Southern Illinois University, Don S. Davis moved to Vancouver in 1982 where he continued teaching at the University of British Columbia. It was this job that helped pave the way for him to be cast on Stargate SG-1. “The theatre department insisted that during the summer I do something related to acting and/or theatre, so I got work as a film extra,” says Davis.
“In 1985, the TV program MacGyver came to town to film. There’s a wonderful gentleman named Dana Elcar who played MacGyver’s [Richard Dean Anderson] boss, Pete Thornton, on the show. Dana and I are physically very similar, so I was hired as his photo double and then became his stunt double because of my background in athletics and the military. This eventually led to the producers giving me my first guest-starring role in one of the episodes. After that aired and was favourably received, every series in town started offering me guest-spots.
“When casting began for Stargate, Richard [SG-1‘s Jack O’Neill] and his business partner/co-executive producer Mike Greenburg [MacGyver producer] were already familiar with my work and had me read for the part of Hammond. I auditioned here in Vancouver and then again in Los Angeles before being lucky enough to be chosen for the role.”
Steve Eramo
As noted above, photo copyright of MGM, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!
Don was a great amigo and a great actor and it is still hard for me to believe that he is gone. But fortunaltly his smiling face pops up in the most of interesting of places. For example here. And the lump in my throat and the ache in my heart subsides and I remember all the good times I spent with him and how much I enjoyed working with him. thank you so much for posting this article. He will never be forgotten. The good ones never are. Here's lookin at you budski. Love Jay Brazeau
Posted by: Jay Brazeau | 05/10/2012 at 01:28 AM
Jay, thank you so much for dropping by and leaving this wonderful tribute for Don.I had the pleasure of getting to know him during his time with Stargate, and he became a dear friend who I still miss to this day. I'm so glad that you enjoyed my article, and thank you again for taking the time to write the above. All the best, Steve Eramo
Posted by: SciFiAndTvTalk | 05/10/2012 at 01:28 PM