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THE SKINNY: The recent Creation Entertainment SciFi Summit held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, CA. a cavalcade of stars were present representing popular shows such as FIREFLY/SERENITY, FARSCAPE, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, STAR WARS, STAR TREK: VOYAGER, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION and DEEP SPACE NINE and along with numerous other shows in the science fiction/fantasy realm.

Although the show ran for three days, we were only able to attend two of those days but still were able to get loads of fun quotes from the guests on stage and lots of cool photos from known television and film stars.

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DAY 1:

First up on stage was Gary Graham and Jeffrey Combs. This was the first time both of these gentleman have shared a stage at a convention, but not being strangers as they had worked together on STAR TREK and had both worked with director Stuart Gordon, who directed RE-ANIMATOR (with Combs) and ROBOT JOX (with both of them), unfortunately, it seemed most of the questions were directed to Combs.

 

Combs was asked a standard convention question and let us know that everything was scripted in THE FRIGHTENERS, praising Peter Jackson in the process. When asked how he got into voice acting, Combs says, "They called my agent."  He says that you worry about different things when doing voice acting such as mouth clicks.

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(c) Sue Schneider 2006

Sci Fi/horror master Jeffrey Combs, left, and ALIEN NATION actor Gary Graham entertain questions during Creation Entertainment's Sci Fi Summit.

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Combs let us know he is in half of the episodes of the second season of THE 4400, and he's also working on a remake to HG LEWIS' THE WIZARD OF GORE.

 

Combs responded to another sci-fi panel standard – is it easier to act in or out of prosthetics? Referring to Weyoon, a character he played on STAR TREK DEEP SPACE NINE.  Comb says “make-up frees you up. You read the script, but you have no idea who the character is until you see yourself in the mirror.” Graham added that "a lot of great stuff comes out of that desperation." Combs described the experience as a give and take between the structure afforded by the make-up and the instinct you always use as an actor.

 

Combs was then asked about future RE-ANIMATOR, and mentioned that there was an idea for a trilogy that would start with HOUSE OF RE-ANIMATOR, where the titular house would be the white house. The first would definitely be directed by Stuart Gordon.

 

Asked about this experience with FRIGHTMARE, Combs recounted how humbling it was to receive his part. His character was decapitated during the movie, and they gave him the part, because his hair matched the hair on the severed head they already had.  His first experience, getting off the plane in Eastern Europe for filming was to see 4 guys sitting around a television, smoking and watching THE SIMPSONS.

 

Finally some questions for Graham. One fan asked which projects were the most rewarding. Gary says that ALIEN NATION was the most fun, followed by ROBOT JOX.  “ROBOT JOX was just such a bizarre project. I was bruised and battered and loving every minute,” he says.

 

The next fan asks what it was like to play a Vulcan. “I thought it would be easy. What could be easier than playing someone with no emotion. Turns out conveying anything without the normal tools of emotion was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I’ve gained a great respect for Leonard Nimoy,” Graham says.

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The FIREFLY/SERENITY panel featured three stars from the television/movie including Summer Glau (River Tam), Morena Baccarin (Inara) and Adam Baldwin (Jayne).

 

Summer Glau was asked if the rumor that River was supposed to be recast was true.  She assured us that even though she had her personal doubts that she'd get to play the role again, Joss Whedon continuously said he wouldn't make the movie unless he had the entire cast from the series.

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(c) Sue Schneider 2006

The cast from SERENITY/FIREFLY pose during their panel at the 2006 Creation Entertainment's Sci Fi Summit. Left, Adam Baldwin (Jayne), center Morena Baccarin (Inara) and Summer Glau (River Tam).

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Baldwin, when asked about INDEPENDENCE DAY, told us a story about filming in the desert, and the spectacle of the production assistants just off camera waving the alien's tentacles.

 

The panel was asked what their favorite and least favorite scenes in SERENITY were.

Baldwin loved the mule chase.  He told us a story about the reaction Jack Green, the cinematographer, had when one of the cameras fell and was destroyed while filming this scene. He checked to make sure no one was hurt. He asked whether it was a new magazine of film that had been lost. Only then did he go looking for a new camera to start filming again.

 

Baccarin really liked Glau’s last scene, and the hardest thing about filming was running in the shoes they gave her.

 

When Galu mentioned that her most difficult scene was the locker room scene, Baldwin piped in with, "See, with women it always comes down to the wardrobe."

 

Baldwin was asked what it was like to work on MY BODYGUARD.  He said he was blessed and lucky to work with such talented people. He was given the advice by  [Michael Cain] to "always keep your face in repose. Don't move your head, and don't blink. When you blink you give the audience a chance to blink,” Baldwin says. When Baldwin started talking about how similar the problem teenager he played in this movie was to himself in 1979, a funny panel interaction ensued. Baldwin dropped out of high school in 1979 and Baccarin said, "I guess you are old enough to be our father, indicating Summer."  Baldwin said, "Just call me daddy." Much to the delight of the crowd.

 

Asked about how to prepare for an audition, Baldwin talked in length about reading lots, including philosophy, because the people you audition for are smart and you have to be able to talk to them.  His answer was interrupted by Baccarin who stated, "I don't know what interviews you're going on, but they just ask me to take off my shirt."  She laughed “Just kidding!”

 

Asked for their favorite episodes of FIREFLY, Baccarin instantly responded with “Out of Gas,” with nods from the rest of the panel. Baldwin’s favorite was “War Stories” and Glau’s was “Objects in Space.”

 

Baccarin was then asked what back story she'd like to know about her character. “I’d like to know why she was so crotchety."

 

When asked about future projects, Baccarin mentioned that she'd just been on a few episodes of THE O.C. Baldwin pointed out that it was pilot season, which is hard, but he'd gotten a role in a pilot he hopes will be picked up. Glau will be appearing in a movie made for television called MAMMOTH, which is supposed to air in April. She'll be in an upcoming episode of THE 4400.  Baldwin concluded with the statement, "We're gypsies."

 

Glau was then asked how natural the transition from ballet to martial arts was. "Not natural at all,” she says. “It made me feel like the little 5 year girl on the first day of ballet class. Ballet dancers don't hit each other!” Glau added that even though she was a vegetarian, during the days they were filming the martial arts sequences, she ordered steak or chicken and even though she never really understood the martial arts, she could mimic the movements perfectly. The really hard part was “because of the camera angles, I had to make actually contact with all my kicks and punches,” she says. Baldwin contemplated aloud to himself "Full contact ballet."

 

When asked about STARGATE SG-1, Baldwin says he'd played hockey with Richard Dean Anderson in the past, and that he'd been on a nearby sound stage when the first season of SG-1 was filming and it was good to finally work with Richard and he liked the character he played.

 

(c) Sue Schneider 2006

The cast members from SERENITY/FIREFLY pose with a poster from the Sci Fi Summit.

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One of the fans then asked Baldwin about playing a bad guy on ANGEL. Baldwin stated “I never play a bad guy. You're always the hero, and you have to play it that way... without blinking. Now Nathan Fillion played a bad guy on BUFFY. Blood flowing from his black eyes and everything.”

 

STAY TUNED FOR PART 2 OF iF's COVERAGE

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