Grrl Still Kickin'

Adrianne Curry: America's Next Top Star Wars Fan
Words: Bonnie Burton

Model, actress and reality TV star Adrianne Curry does more than talk about her love for gaming, sci-fi movies, comics and all things geektastic, she shows off her pride with Cosplay and a web show where she talks about everything from Star Wars to World of Warcraft. Most recently she donned a costume worthy of the 501st Legion at their first annual TrooperFest in Las Vegas, and she also makes an impressive Slave Leia.

Here's an excerpt from my interview with Adrianne about her love for the Star Wars saga, why she thinks fans who dress up as stormtroopers rule, and how she got the nickname Chewie.

Which character do you identify with the most in the entire Star Wars saga?

Chewbacca, cause I am a huge, hairy, big-footed woman with a low voice. Most of the time, because of my mumbling habit, people can't understand what I am saying. I swear he's related to me. My dad must be part Wookiee.

Which character do you think is the most-underrated and under-appreciated?

TIE fighter pilots. Their costumes are bad ass, and they were obviously top-notch enough for Darth Vader to ask two of them to come along with him. They are pretty much Imperial elite. We see their ships everywhere; they are so iconic. However, most of the public wouldn't be able to tell ya who flies 'em and what they look like.

How did you like dressing up as Slave Leia?

I was super-depressed because I didn't have time to get a bikini from The Slave Master, and had to settle for a Rubies at a costume store I found in Chicago. Though I am normally comfortable with my body, that outfit is a hard wear for many women. I sadly do not possess Carrie's small frame. I have a long torso and a very athletic build. So, even though I am physically in great shape and can get away with it, I personally don't feel I did the bikini justice. I guess I was expecting to see her bod once I put the thing on, and was saddened to notice it was still me. That aside, it still made me feel like a kid in a candy store.

Why do fans who dress up as their favorite movie/gaming characters hold a special place in your heart?

I respect them for doing what makes them happy and not giving a crap about what others think of them. I know the joy that movies and games bring to my heart, and I feel that joy when I see people wearing costumes from them. Plus, they look amazing! Having worked on a few sets, I know how hard it is to make latex masks, fiberglass helmets, etc. I've had a mold of my face taken for a slasher flick so the killer could cut off my face and wear it; it was terrible to go through! A lot of money, time, and TLC was put into these things, and it shows. It's impressive.

Read the full interview here:
Adrianne Curry: America's Next Top Star Wars Fan
(via Starwars.com)

Felicia Day is the Geek You're Looking For

Words: Bonnie Burton
Photo: The Bui Brothers

It's fairly impossible to go online and not run into actress, new media geek and gamer Felicia Day. Log onto her Twitter and you'll most likely find her commenting on LED dresses, acting gigs, her favorite video games, nom-tastic snacks, and even traffic school. Head over to Youtube and you'll see her award-winning comedy series about gamers called The Guild.

She's also a constant in many of director Joss Whedon's projects such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog and Dollhouse. Felicia Day also guest hosted G4's Attack of the Show, Lie To Me, and geeked out in a NASA video series IRrelevant Astronomy.

Here's an excerpt from my interview with Felicia Day for Starwars.com about her singing with Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion, her crushes on Han Solo and Guybrush Threepwood, and why she tried to use the Force during a visit to Skywalker Ranch.

Okay, now it's the part of our interview where I exploit your love for Star Wars. What is your first Star Wars memory?

Going to a sleepover and seeing a friend's brother have a Star Wars bedspread on his bed. My friend had My Little Pony and I wanted the Star Wars one. Although in retrospect the texture wasn't very comfortable, and might have been flammable.

What's your funniest Star Wars memory?

Trying to make buns on my head and wondering how in the world she had so much hair to make them so thick. Mine stuck out like Frankenstein knobs.

How have sci-fi films like Star Wars influenced you?

Funny story, when I went up to Skywalker Ranch someone told me a story about the first Star Wars, that they had no budget and they had to improvise a lot of props, so they spray painted Dixie Cups for some wardrobe and props. When I heard that I was so inspired, because I'm in the low-budget filmmaking business myself. Web shows have no money. But to not let that stop you and to make the most important film in history -- that was awesome.

Who's your favorite Star Wars character?

Han Solo. He's so charming and rakish and brave. He's the hottest man in a fictional universe; no one can dispute it. I'd fly off with him any day.

What's the one Star Wars topic you debate the most with your friends?

It's always Star Wars vs. Star Trek; isn't that the universal? Thankfully there's room in this world to love both.

How was your recent trip to Skywalker Ranch? What was the coolest thing you saw?

Um, do I have to pick something specific? I mean, it's an amazing place. So many wonderful people working at the height of their craft. And beautiful architecture everywhere. The art in the Main House, and then the screening room/theatre was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. Also the movie poster collection was breathtaking. Oh, and there was the very first lightsaber in a cabinet -- right in front of me! I stared at it for about 10 minutes, willing it to turn on and slice up the display.

Read the full interview here:
Felicia Day is the Geek You're Looking For
(via Starwars.com)

Merlin: A Magical Hero's Journey
Words: Bonnie Burton

What if Yoda was a wise dragon, Obi-Wan was an elderly wizard, and Darth Vader was a prejudiced king blinded by his hatred for all those who oppose him? Jedi Knights are not so far off from the Knights of the Round Table. Some fans might be tempted to draw parallels between the hero's journey in Star Wars and that of another legendary tale of Merlin and King Arthur, thanks to the BBC show Merlin, currently airing on NBC.

Merlin explores the story of the young wizard Merlin, as well as Prince Arthur, Morgana, Guinevere, Nimueh, Mordred, Uther Pendragon, Lancelot and other well-known Arthurian characters.

I chat with Merlin producer, writer and co-creator Johnny Capps about this new twist on the tale of Merlin, why the Great Dragon and Yoda make excellent teachers, and why the master/apprentice relationship is crucial during a hero's journey.

EXCERPT:

In Star Wars, it's been somewhat of an uneasy revelation that Luke and Leia are brother and sister, especially since Luke harbored romantic feelings for her early on without that knowledge.

In Arthurian legend, Prince Arthur and Morgana are supposedly half-brother and sister, yet in the show it seems they are not related in the slightest. Was this to facilitate a romance between the two, or should viewers stay tuned for a bigger plot twist?

There's a long way to go in the story of Arthur and Morgana. That's all I'm saying!

Why is do you think the hero's journey is so compelling to both Merlin and Star Wars fans?

People like to see the best human characteristics (bravery, kindness, strength and nobility) triumph over the worst ones (cowardice and evil). It makes us all feel like there's a hero in all of us.

The Great Dragon almost has a Yoda-like quality to him. Why are all the great teachers so cryptic in their lessons?

Otherwise it would be too easy! If the hero was told what to do and how to do it, he wouldn't have any obstacles to overcome -- and he wouldn't have achieved his triumphs on his own merits. A good teacher makes the pupil work hard!

Read the full interview here:
Merlin: A Magical Hero's Journey

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Source: Starwars.com

George Takei: Trekking onto Clone Wars

Words: Bonnie Burton

Sci-fi fans already know beloved actor George Takei as helmsman Mr. Sulu on the U.S.S. Enterprise (and of course, later as Captain Sulu of the U.S.S. Excelsior), but this week he switches galaxies to voice General Lok Durd in The Clone Wars episode "Defenders of Peace."

I chat with the legendary actor about his work on The Clone Wars, as well as his thoughts on the importance of sci-fi, how he answers hardcore Star Trek fan questions, what it's like to play Masi Oka's father on "Heroes," and why he ate beans and rice in the rain forest to entertain British TV viewers.

EXCERPT:

How did the role of General Lok Durd come to you for The Clone Wars?

My agent called me and asked if I would be interested. So they sent a drawing over and I thought, "Oh no, another fat guy!" I mean morbidly obese, this one! How the animators captured this morbidly obese person -- when he moves, his whole body jiggles in a genuinely flesh-like way. We have a real epidemic of obesity here, so I'm glad villains are depicted that way, rather undisciplined with their lives and their bodies.

How has your experience been playing Masi Oka's father on Heroes?

When the show first came out, there were billboards all over the place, so I knew there was an Asian actor on the show. I hadn't started watching Heroes yet, but my email would fill up with people telling me that there was a Japanese character on the show who is a ga-ga Star Trek fan, who has powers. And I thought, "Well, I better tune in on this." And that's how I got hooked on it. Then one day my agent gives me a call and says, "The people at Heroes want you to play Hiro's father." They sent the first script, and I didn't have any lines at all. So I thought it was going to be one of those cameo things.

But then, in the second script I had much more to do. It was much more of a father and son relationship. I was supposed to be a powerful, hard-driving corporate executive and one of the richest men in the world. I have this weirdo son who's off doing his crazy thing. And I want to bring him back into the fold and instill some discipline into him so that he can follow in my footsteps. I thought that was the relationship, and then a couple of months later another script comes where I'm handing baby Claire over to HRG. And I thought, "Oh my!" I'm more involved with the older generation club so to speak. I have no idea where this is all going to lead with Heroes because they keep you in ignorance. You learn more about your character in bits and pieces with each script. So we shall see where this all leads.

Well just because someone dies on Heroes doesn't mean we won't see them again.

You may have seen me fall off that high-rise, but there I am! Actually I'm supposed to be younger because they're flashbacks, and I like them because they add hanks of hair to my head. (laughs)

Or maybe we'll see alternate future versions of you in upcoming Heroes episodes?

"Who knows what lies in the minds of the writers!" You're much too young to remember, but that's a phrase from old radio show The Shadow -- "Who knows what evil lies in the hearts of men? Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh! The Shadow knows..." Those were the days.

Read the full interview here:
George Takei: Trekking onto Clone Wars

Milo Ventimiglia’s Trooper Assistant



Getting ready for New York Comic-Con takes a lot of preparation, so it's a good thing that actor Milo Ventimiglia and the rest of the Divide Pictures crew have a Clone Trooper assistant to deliver scripts, pick up clothes and get toner for the printer.

Watch General Ventimiglia in action here:
VIDEO: Stormtrooper assistant: Part UNO (via Youtube)

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SOURCE: Official Starwars.com Blog

James Marsters Talks Clone Wars
By Bonnie Burton

As Spike (AKA William the Bloody) on the hit TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Captain John Hart on Torchwood and Milton Fine on Smallville, actor James Marsters has a talent for playing anti-heroes and witty villains you can't quite figure out until it's too late. As Captain Argyus on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Marsters again portrays a character who may not be all that he seems. Argyus appears in "Cloak of Darkness", the ninth episode of the series, airing on December 5th on Cartoon Network.

StarWars.com chats with Marsters about Captain Argyus, his childhood memories of Star Wars and why his proud to play so many roles in the sci-fi/fantasy realm.

How did the character of Captain Argyus come your way?

When George Lucas was casting The Phantom Menace he, for one day maybe, considered me for the role of Anakin Skywalker and possibly found that I was too old. But it was an honor to meet his production crew during the audition and to be considered. I also grew up in the same town, Modesto, as George Lucas and lived about a mile away from him in Marin County when Star Wars came out. I would go to the end of the earth for George, as would anyone else.

How did you prepare for the role of Captain Argyus? What was the reason you wanted to use a different accent instead of your normal voice for the character?

I was using what I understand to be Standard Stage American, which is what they train you for in school for Shakespeare -- think of it as an island between America and England. I wanted the character to be a bit arrogant so I used kind of a stuffy accent. I hope it worked, otherwise George won't hire me again.

Read the full interview here:
James Marsters Talks Clone Wars
(SOURCE: Starwars.com)

Star Wars fan fiction is fairly easy to to find online, but fan fiction written by celebrities is even rarer. Recently, actor and Original Trilogy Star Wars fan Simon Pegg writes this tale featuring Bail Organa, Shaak Ti, Mon Mothma, Kazdan Paratus, Rahm Kota, Obi-Wan Kenobi and a holo-transmission of Yoda, among others chat about Anakin's new role as Darth Vader and what to do with those twins.

( Read more... )

Ghost Hunting with Darth Wheezy
Words: Bonnie Burton

Paranormal Investigator Brian Harnois knows when to follow ghosts and when to run, on the Sci-Fi Channel shows Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters International. StarWars.com chats with Harnois about phantom hunting, finding ectoplasm, and whether or not Obi-Wan Kenobi made a decent ghost.

EXCERPT:

How did you become interested in the paranormal?

I got into the paranormal when I was about 11 years old. I was sleeping over my friend Josh Gravel's house one night. As anyone knows, when parents tell kids to go to sleep they never do. Josh had bunk beds in his room and I was on the top bunk and he was in the bottom bunk. It was about midnight and we were joking around like kids do. All of a sudden a full body apparition walked through one wall of his room, walked right in front of us and through the opposite wall. I couldn't believe what I saw. Needless to say we didn't sleep in that room that night. But after that experience I was hooked. I started reading everything I could about ghosts. I went to all the libraries and did all the research I could. Then I started to do little cemetery hunts when I was 15 or 16, and the rest is history.

Considering your ghost hunting background, and your Star Wars fandom, what's your take on the whole Obi-Wan is a ghost theory from the original trilogy?

I think the Obi-Wan ghost makes perfect sense. Considering there are ghosts in our world, how come there can't be ghosts in the Star Wars world -- especially when someone is very strong in the ways of the Force? As we all know now, Qui-Gon Jinn was the first one to actually come back from the great beyond to communicate with Yoda, and he taught Obi-Wan how to communicate with him. So having a ghost in that universe actually makes more sense than in this world considering we don't know how ghosts manifest themselves here.

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Read the full interview here:
Ghost Hunting with Darth Wheezy (Starwars.com)

"Matt Lanter: The Chosen One" Clone Wars interview
words: Bonnie Burton

Matt Lanter is the kind of actor who seems to appear in one hit TV show after another. He's played brief but memorable roles in Big Love, Commander in Chief, Shark, Monk, C.S.I and Grey's Anatomy. In Heroes, he broke Claire Bennett's heart and more than a few bones, as her crush-turned-killer Brody Mitchum. Lanter then showed off his comedy chops in Disaster Movie. Now fans can catch Lanter in The Clone Wars series voicing none other than Anakin Skywalker. StarWars.com chats with Lanter about his work on the new TV series, his preparation for the role, and why he loves working with director Dave Filoni.

As a voice actor, how do you prepare for the role of Anakin Skywalker? Did you pay close attention to actor Hayden Christensen's voice from the films, or did you have your own ideas on how Anakin should sound?

I do a combination of both. This Anakin has my own flavor and spin. You can tell that by the way Anakin is acting in the series. He's very positive, fun-loving, heroic, brave, witty and almost comedic sometimes, kind of reminiscent of Han Solo. We haven't seen Anakin like that yet. We're not changing Anakin, we're just adding to him in this point of his life. I know George Lucas and Dave Filoni wanted to tell that story of Anakin before he started that downward spiral. Now that being said, I definitely watched all the Star Wars films and took notes on Hayden's performance. He did something great with that, and he had to for the films. Those films were the story of Anakin sliding to the dark side and it needed to be done. I also watched The Clone Wars micro-series and anything else during my research that I could possibly reference to prepare. So it was a good mix of both. Now after recording episodes from the end of Season 2 I feel as though I have a firm grasp on this Anakin and where we're going with him.

Read the full interview here:
Matt Lanter: The Chosen One (Starwars.com)

Milo Ventimiglia's Lightsaber Duels
Screened before the 2008 Star Wars Fan Film Awards was this "last minute" entry -- a collection of lightsaber battles between Heroes actor Milo Ventimiglia and his friends.

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SOURCE: Starwars.com