From Gateworld:
Pileggi enjoying Atlantis captain's chair
New Stargate Atlantis actor Mitch Pileggi is enjoying his new role, he told GateWorld. Pileggi plays Colonel Steven Caldwell, commander of the Earth battle cruiser Daedalus, in the show's upcoming second season.
"It's a great group of people to come onto the show and be working with," Pileggi said. "They were very receptive from the get-go. David Hewlett walked up to me one day after the first couple of episodes and said, 'You know, it feels like you've always been here.' And it's like -- what a sweet thing to say! And you know what? I feel like I've been here for a long time. And I just immediately was comfortable and very pleased to see a group of people that were working so well together."
Hewlett echoed that same sentiment in an interview with GateWorld. "I think the ultimate compliment I can say for Mitch is that it's like he's never not been here," Hewlett said. "He's just such a great actor and a great personality to have around, and he fits in so well."
Pileggi makes his first appearance in the July 15 season premiere, "The Siege, Part 3," when the Daedalus arrives to help defend the city of Atlantis from the Wraith onslaught.
"It's really daunting, because you have to memorize all this stuff over all these pages," he said. "And a lot of times they'll just feed you ... because I get lost. I'll know the lines, but I don't always know where they're at because it's such a huge piece of area to cover. They'll just kind of remind me where we're at. But there's lights flashing and smoke is coming out, and we're getting hit and shooting stuff. And I'm getting to throw out these commands, 'Fire forward rail guns at will!' The battle sequences are really cool."
But there is more to being a starship captain than space battles, Pileggi says; he is also enjoying the more intimate scenes with other characters. "The writing is so good that it's really fun to play those scenes, too," he said. "They get some great, meaty stuff to go after. And it's fun.
"And these guys are great. I'm having a lot of fun working with them. It's a great group of kids. I call 'em kids, the old man that I am!"
Pileggi told GateWorld that he was originally contracted for five early Season Two episodes, with the chance to extend his role if things go well.
But he'll certainly enjoy the captain's chair for as long as he can.
"I just want to bring my own truth to this character and to the show," he said. "But I do have to admit, though: When I'm sitting in that chair it's like, 'Man, I'm Captain Kirk!'"
Pileggi enjoying Atlantis captain's chair
