African-Americans In Galactica-Leonids

[kingfish]

This is the race that Tigh, Boomer, and Dietra belonged to which hailed from the planet Leonis. Moore's Galactica doesn't seem to have one African-American actor in it and in fact turns the Tigh character into a joke. One of the strongest points of TOS is that it featured two prominent African-American actors in key roles. Colonel Tigh was the second in command of the mighty Galactica. His role was crutial as seen in Fire In Space and Living Legend. Tigh even assumed command of the Pegasus. Boomer was another important character. He was even a defense attourney in Murder On The Rising Star. Star Trek only featured one African-American, Nichelle Nichols. At one point Nichelle wanted to leave the role of Uhura but was talked out of it by the Reverend Martin Luthor King. I wonder what he would have thought after watching Galactica? Sorry for rambling on but TOS Galactica was a great show and also ahead of it's time.

[Micheleh]

I read here somewhere that Lorne Greeen was African American, too.

[kingfish]

Originally posted by Micheleh
I read here somewhere that Lorne Greeen was African American, too.

That is news to me.

[Hito]

I didnt know that about boomer and tigh.
I'd adopted the Leo colony to do BSG fanfiction & fan art about (i called it Leone tho) and made the conjecture that it was populated by dark skinned colonials, basicaly Africa the south pacific and middle east but taking up the entire planet.
I didnt know there was any cannon data about the leo colony actually being that way tho.

As to the casting there was never any casting info on Tigh that i am aware of so we dont know if they would have cast an Afrikan ameircan or not.
What i know tho is that they did cast a latino and an asian however 2 groups that are as under represented as blacks on american television (especially Science Fiction).

Micheleh: Lorne Green was black on the inside.
He was a master of the aret of putting foot to a$$ and he had soul.

[GalacticanCajun]

Originally posted by kingfish



That is news to me.

Nope he was Canadian

[KJ]

As was John Colicos (Baltar), he was from Toronto, Ontario Canada!

KJ

[Hito]

Seems like most of the cool actors come from Canada
whats up with that?

Did it specify in any of the script drafts for SOASW that Tigh and Boomer should be black? Twenty-five years ago I didn't blink an eye about it, but when I recently looked back at some of Robert Thurston's BSG novels, it seemed really awkward how it Tigh's and Boomer's skin color were always emphasized in the text, but without anything added about how that reflected on Colonial culture. Of course, back it the 70s it was a much bigger deal to have a black exec. on TV, but how is that supposed to be remarkable in a society that only had faint ancestral ties with Earth? None of the other characters were described in terms of their skin color; the unfortunate implication is that Colonial race relations were in a similar state as 20th century America.

I happen to find it extremely irritating that the first Mexican-American lead actor in a science fiction show (Edward James Olmos) happens to be in Moore's version of Galactica! Arrrgh.

[kingfish]

William Shatner. Need I say more.

[michaelfaries]

Originally posted by Philloz
I happen to find it extremely irritating that the first Mexican-American lead actor in a science fiction show (Edward James Olmos) happens to be in Moore's version of Galactica! Arrrgh.

What about Robert Beltran (Chakotay) in "Star Trek: Voyager"?

(Thinking "actor" versus "actress", ie. Kate Mulgrew.)

Couldn't resist...
Michael
:tos:

Originally posted by michaelfaries

What about Robert Beltran (Chakotay) in "Star Trek: Voyager"?
Couldn't resist...
Michael
:tos:

Yeah, I know, but Robert Beltran was still second banana ... and .. and ... Voyager sucks.

I do remember catching one episode halfway in when I see Chakotay, having usurped command of the ship, destroys another craft in which Janeway had escaped in. "It's about damn time!" I thought ... of course, I should have known better ... it was just a holodeck fantasy. ARRRGH! I nearly kicked in my TV set.

[kingfish]

Chakotay was one of the main reasons I watched Voyager. He even wound up with Seven of Nine in the end.

[Hito]

I'll have to dig up the notes i wrote out for my version of the Leo colonials.
Mebby even finish the story i started about em.

[Archangel]

There are a few of my fellow canucks in Hollywood, and has been since they started filming movies. Here's a very brief list not including those mentioned above

Mack Sennet - Hollywood silent film director
Faye Wray - The original King Kong
James Doohan - Star Trek
Yvonne DeCarlo - The Munsters, Stop! Or my mom will shoot.
Michael J. Fox - Back to the Future
Christopher Plummer - Star Trek 6
Michael Ironside - Total Recall

The total list is a lot longer

[kingfish]

Our own OWD.

[Hito]

Michael Ironside is Canadian?
Wow he seemed a lot tougher

Kiddin

I wish DeSanto had been able to get support for his show.
Michael Ironside would have been an awesome villan.

[Fingers]

Originally posted by kingfish
Chakotay was one of the main reasons I watched Voyager. He even wound up with Seven of Nine in the end.

hehehehehe - sorry, not laughing at you Kingfish - just brought back very vivid memories of a very, very exceptional *con*(frontational) appearance by Robert B. in Germany last year .....

It was also memorable (in a very positive way) for seeing Hatch and TSC trailer <eg> (still didn't get the picture of him that I wanted tho! grrr)

Anyways, I'll stop rambling now <g> Thanks for the prod to the old memory cells.......

Fingers

[Archangel]

Thanks a lot, Hito

[Micheleh]

"That is news to me."

Yeah- I read it *here*, I just can't remember which thread......

[KJ]

More Canadians who are also in sci-fi fantasy genre stuff include

* Hayden Christensen - A.K.A. Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode 2 (Nearly shook his hand at the London Star Wars Premiere last May but lousy agent took him away inside the Odeon)

* Ryan Gosling - A.K.A. Young Hercules TV series and acted in non sci-fi movies like "United States Of Leland", "Murder By Numbers", "Remember The Titans" and was in the Canadian YTV series "Are you afraid of the Dark and Goosebumps".

KJ

[KJ]

Oh just to note Matrix star : Keanu Reeves is Canadian even though born in Lebanon?

KJ

Anymore Canucks? (is that the term you use? Guess i'd ask my cousins over there then.)