Helo Hath No Fury: An Interview with Tahmoh

The first part of Aeolus's excellent interview with Tahmoh is now online at Sci-fi Brain (who are advertising it on their front page with this lovely header):

Helo Hath No Fury: An Interview with Tahmoh Penikett, Part One
In the interview Tahmoh talks about Battlestar, including his thoughts on Helo and Starbuck's backstory, exploring Helo's dark side and how far Helo would have gone to protect Sharon and the baby.

Also, one lucky fan who submitted her question here got her answer!

One aspect of Helo’s character to yet be explored is his dark side. One fan, Mahalia from Sapporo, Japan, wanted to know if the show would ever take him down that direction and how the Canadian-born actor would react to it.

“Absolutely!” he answers. “I am up to any challenge. I mean Helo obviously has a dark side, yet he is such a nice guy. He is honorable, a selfless, brave individual who steps to the plate because of his ethics and his morals. If we have the opportunity to see Helo’s dark side, yeah I’d love to explore that. There is always the possibility for it, because of the animosity, the prejudice [Boomer and he] face. If he is put in a certain situation, I think one thing that we sort of just treaded around the edges of Helo’s temper. I think if he is put in the wrong situation he could be violent and he could definitely be dangerous.”

If you like the interview and want to discuss it (or thank Aeolus), check out the Sci-fi Brain discussion thread devoted to it.

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To read the entire interview, click below.

"Helo Hath No Fury: An Interview with Tahmoh Penikett"

“Well, as an actor and as a person, it makes me feel honored,” Battlestar Galactica’s Tahmoh Penikett answers about the show’s season long subplot created just because of the positive fan reaction to his character. By the end of the reimaged mini-series, which is based after the campy 1970s space opera with the same name, Penikett’s character, Karl “Helo” Agathon, is left to defend by himself on his war-bruised homeworld. The actor continues, “They wrote me into the storyline with the fact that they didn’t see the character going into anything but the mini-series. Helo dies on the planet. So, I mean it was a surprise. I was very excited, and once I found out everything just sort of fell into place.”

After the mini-series was done shooting, Penikett joined a well-known Canadian series known as Cold Squad. He said he flew down to LA during the pilot season to see what was brewing, but didn’t find anything. To make matters worse, he said he got a call from the producer of Cold Squad, and was told the show was in its final season. “I was having a bad week!” Then, as luck would have it, “I got a call from Ron Moore, who said, ‘hey, we got an idea for Helo on the planet out of the ship. It is totally different storyline and would you be interested?’ I was like, ‘Hell yeah!’ ”

Thus began another tale in the myriad of the show’s dramatic stories. The character, in constant pursuit by Cylon agents, was reunited with former Raptor co-pilot (and the secret love of his life), Sharon “Boomer” Valerii (Grace Park). Little did Helo know that Boomer was in fact a Cylon herself. Their love tryst was born out of deception of the Cylons’ master plan. What plan is that? To produce a Cylon/Human hybrid—something they were unable to do previously. By the end of the first season, Boomer unwillingly revealed herself as a Cylon infiltrator and soon-to-be mother of his child.

It has been long debated whether Cylon Sharon’s affections for Helo are genuine or another elaborate ruse built up by the mimicking machines. “I think that she absolutely cares for him,” Penikett affirms. “There is no doubt about that. It was established in the first season. It adds to the story and the plotline whether she is loyal or [not]. As far as I am concerned, it is established that this Cylon, [whether] she is this organic creature or not, is in love with Helo. She loves him very much. That she would trade in her own people to save his life.”

In the first season, Cylon Sharon turned her back on her fellow Cylons, but didn’t admit to Helo what exactly she was. He discovered it by spotting another Cylon copy of the Sharon Valerii model, also known as Number Eight. By the beginning of season two, they reunited and he even stopped an assassination on her life by his longtime friend, Kara “Starbuck” Thrace (Katee Sackoff). Cylon Sharon and Helo eventually returned to the Battlestar Galactica, where she faced the sins of another Number Eight model, Sleeper Sharon, for shooting Commander Adama. Cylon Sharon was incarcerated, yet Helo and Boomer’s relationship still flourished.

However, at the end of that season, things went for the worse between the star-crossed lovers. Their baby, a daughter named, Hera, was born. Their love strained, Cylon Sharon cursed Helo’s affections. What became of their doomed romance, or the fate of Cylon Sharon, is unknown. But, Canadian-born actor Penikett has a positive outlook.

“I hope to see [their] rekindling love and intimacy. Maybe a small reprieve from the antagonistic state that they are always in. They have always been trying to survive, you know, feeling the animosity and prejudices with everyone else, but hopefully, we will see a change to that.”

The crowning glory to any romantic pair on television isn’t the lighting or the angle the camera is pointing, but the chemistry between the actors. “Grace and I have been working together since the mini-series, and we are great friends. We have grown together as the show has gone on. I have watched her become and blossom into this amazing artist. It is incredible the challenges they have given her on this show. Having to play multiple roles with the same character. She has stepped up to the plate, and has done an incredible job!” He goes on to say, “The one thing I appreciate in working with Grace is that because we share so many scenes together, we have gotten to the point where we do a lot of analyzing together. If we see a scene that is worked a certain way, we are always trying to look back on the story. We just do a lot of extra work trying to figure out where we are coming from.”

Probably the most emotionally charged episode was season two’s “Pegasus,” in which the crew of the Battlestar Pegasus attempted to rape and dehumanize Cylon Sharon. When Helo and Chief Tyrol (Aaron Douglas) caught wind of their comrades' unscrupulous intentions, the duo raced to her rescue. In the end, the two were charged with treason and the murder of one of the Pegasus’ senior officers.

“Grace does a lot of research about it. She reads about posttraumatic stress. She talks with people about it. She had some strong choices and that was one of the few times we didn’t discuss it so much.” Penikett gave his fellow actress nothing but high praise for her emotionally stressful and motivating performance.

A groundbreaking stand-alone scene for Tahmoh Penikett was in the episode, “Epiphanies.” An ailing President Roslin (Mary McDonnell) orders Admiral Adama (Edward James Olmos) to abort the hybrid child before it is born. During the scene where Adama is escorting a sedated Boomer, Helo blocks his superior officer from continuing on to the medical bay. With his hand firmly held on his holstered gun, Helo consciously debates whether or not to take action. He even goes as far as to ask for a Raptor to leave Galactica behind. But, the Admiral doesn’t cave in, he talks Helo down.

“If Adama wasn’t there,” the actor addresses the scene if his commanding officer hadn’t talked him out of it, “I think there is a strong possibility—you have to understand I am asked this question many times about Helo’s character, but you have to remember he is a soldier. He believes so strongly in his rank and being in the military. Yet, at the same time, he also realizes that he is the only one who can protect this woman and his unborn child. Because, they have everyone against them. Because of his values, because of his morals and who he was before he even met this creature and fell in love with her. He didn’t ask for this, it just happened. I don’t know if he’d take it to the point of shooting fellow soldiers to protect his unborn child and [lover], but hopefully or possibly he’d disarm them and do what he could to get off the ship. Helo would have taken it all that way, but I would definitely change the situation if Adama had not been there. I don’t think there is anyway Helo would have harmed Adama.”

This scene, also, is one of Penikett’s favorites.

“Adama plays father to so many of these kids on the ship, and I think he has known Helo for a long time. I really felt that scene was one of the first episodes where I got to share some heavy scenes with Eddie. The scene before where he tells me the bad news that the President wants to terminate the pregnancy is a huge scene for me! I finally got to do the dance with Edward James Olmos, one of my idols. It was a big deal for me.

“I really felt that relationship like father and son—and mentor. I look up to this man completely and I am at the same time, I am trying to tell him, ‘Look, this is what I am willing to do, give me an opportunity to get out of here. You have a child of your own, we don’t need to get into this.’ I mean it was a heavy scene.”

One aspect of Helo’s character to yet be explored is his dark side. One fan, Mahalia from Sapporo, Japan, wanted to know if the show would ever take him down that direction and how the Canadian-born actor would react to it.

“Absolutely!” he answers. “I am up to any challenge. I mean Helo obviously has a dark side, yet he is such a nice guy. He is honorable, a selfless, brave individual who steps to the plate because of his ethics and his morals. If we have the opportunity to see Helo’s dark side, yeah I’d love to explore that. There is always the possibility for it, because of the animosity, the prejudice [Boomer and he] face. If he is put in a certain situation, I think one thing that we sort of just treaded around the edges of Helo’s temper. I think if he is put in the wrong situation he could be violent and he could definitely be dangerous.”

Since Tahmoh Penikett’s character is supporting, much of his back-story remains left to the imagination of the audience and interpretations of the actor portraying him. Penikett has hopes that the future will hold enlightenment on the character’s past life back on Caprica and the family he’s lost along the way. “One story I have given Helo is about his family and who he lost, but I defiantly have chosen that Helo has lost people he’s loved. Maybe we can explore that some time in the future.”

One close person Helo hasn’t lost from his life on Caprica is best gal-pal and fellow officer, Starbuck. While the origin of their friendship hasn’t been shown on screen, it is obvious the two have a strong bond together that goes beyond friendship. “Katee and I made choices a long time ago, initially in the mini-series you have the fight scenes. I mean we are old friends and we have been through a lot together. I have been asked this question before, but I think it is pretty safe to bet that we were either in the academy together or we have known each other for years. Whether there has ever been a romantic relationship, that is definitely a possibility—especially with Starbuck,” he jokes. “It could have been a one night stand, but there is in fact a relationship. We are more like brother and sister, and have been through a lot together. Helo really understands Starbuck and she understands him. They are a lot closer than most people think.”

When it comes to their off-screen relationship, they’re nevermore all chuckles. “Katee and I, when we get to goofy on set, we are always giggling and laughing.”

“It’s funny,” Tahmoh Penikett speaks about how his parents feel about seeing their son on the hit show, Battlestar Galactica. “I think they are both very proud and they enjoy it. But, I’m still at that point where my career is young enough so that it is strange for them to see. My father is more accepting to it, because he was an actor. But, my mother, I have been with her a couple of times where she has seen some of my projects and she is,” he pauses, looking for the right phrase. “I couldn’t really elaborate what she is thinking, but it is still a little strange for her. Especially when I am in anguish. One time she asked me, ‘why do you have to be so harsh on film?’ I had a scene where I was yelling at a girl.” Jokingly, he gives an impression of his mother, “ ‘I didn’t raise you that way, to talk to a woman like that.’ ”

Tahmoh’s father, Anthony “Tony” Penikett, was a premier of Yukon, Canada—one of the country’s northern territories. And, like father-like son, was an actor while attending university. “Of the things my father and I did when I was young, he would take me to films. My dad is a big film critic, he loves to watch films. He was an actor when he was young at the university. So, I have been going to adult, well-driven plot dramas ever since I was a really young child. [I’d] really listen to my dad critique and appreciate it. One of the first films I remember my dad taking me to was Blade Runner.”

Of all the science fiction films the Canadian-native has seen, Blade Runner has been the most influential. The 1982 cult film—directed by Ridley Scott, features Harrison Ford, Daryl Hannah, and fellow Battlestar alumni actor, Edward James Olmos. “I think Edward James Olmos leaving such an impression on me [made me want to act]. I was very young when that came out and I will always remember it being so great. I remember wanting to know more about him and see more of him in that film.”

At the end of season two, Penikett’s character, Helo, was promoted to executive officer aboard the poorly manned Galactica. Which, he served directly under Admiral William Adama, played by Olmos. While shooting the final scenes of Lay Down Your Burdens part 2, Helo is seen manning the DRADIS station aboard Galactica’s Command Intelligence Center—a job he normally does in the cockpit of a Raptor.

“This is funny,” he admits, laughing, “people are going to get a kick out of it, but I didn’t realize until the [third season] that a couple episodes in, that I was actually the XO! I thought I was simply put in Gaeta’s (Alessandro Juliani) station.

“I am a senior lieutenant all ready, but I thought because of the skeleton crew, and not that many people left up there with Adama, there was a small establishment. So, I sort of overlooked the XO thing. This season, I remember reading a second time and it said ‘Helo, the XO, is coordinating a mission plan’ or whatever. I though, ‘XO?’ I kinda got a kick out of that then!”

Penikett’s place as XO also has him shooting his scenes almost entirely with Edward James Olmos. “I mean, so far, I have only read the first three episodes. There is definitely more scenes with Eddie and I. Which, is great for me, a dream come true!” He also says that some of his favorite and most challenging episodes have been with his role model. “I got to do a scene with Eddie in 'Home Part 2,' that was my first big scene with him. Although it wasn’t very long, it was well written. It was an emotionally challenging scene; those are the thing I get a high off of as an actor.”

Outside of the studios and convention arena, Penikett admits that since season two has begun airing in his home country, he’s being noticed all most all the time. “I am getting stopped all the time now, it’s really [weird]. It’s happened a lot more in the last year, because of the second season. In the last eight months, it’s funny, I was taking an acting workshop a couple of months ago. There was this really big guy who was giving me a funny look. I was on my cell phone, and I was looking back and I was like, ‘who is this guy? Have I had a situation with this guy before?’ He was looking at me really strange. I am looking back and I put down my phone. I say, ‘Is there a problem?’ The guy walks away. I forgot about him.

“The next day, I am walking to class again, and I see this guy walking towards me and I am like, ‘Ok, we have a situation here!’ ” Penikett chuckles. “The guy is looking at me funny again and out of nowhere, he points and says,” the actor paused briefly, apologizing for his language, “ ‘I love the f***ing show man! Keep up the good work!’ And, he walks by and he literally screams this at me. He is so enthusiastic about it. I got a kick out of that cause, you know, it was just funny and I am just proud. I love getting into conversations with fans about it.”