Tahmoh Returns to Whitehorse

Sorry for the unexpected break in posting. Work and family got busy for a while. With summer here in the North, these breaks may get more frequent, but we're still around. Now onto the Tahmoh news.

After traveling far and wide for multiple convention appearances, Tahmoh joined his family in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory to celebrate his father Tony's political career with the New Democratic Party in the territory and critical party victories in the 1980s.

The Whitehorse Star shared a lovely family photo and had this to say about Tahmoh:

After excusing himself for being a poor public speaker, the younger Penikett had the crowd of 200 laughing, mostly at themselves, as he recalled his years growing up as the child of the party.

Source

CBC shares a very interesting seven minute interview with Tahmoh conducted at the Music, Art, and Drama Center Tahmoh attended in high school that launched his serious interest in acting. You can hear students rehearsing in the background of the interview. Here's an exert:

The fact that we have a program like this in the Yukon is incredible. Anyone who's from here knows that it's an incredibly artistic community. Always has been.... Especially in Whitehorse, there's a lot of music, there's theatre. It's very much a part of the community. Because of it, a lot of these kids with artistic ambitions and talent, to give them an outlet and a place to train, really to encourage them to pursue those dreams, it's awesome that they have that avenue and opportunity. Most small northern communities don't have that.

Tahmoh, along with BSG alums Tricia Helfer and Grace Park, made Hello! Canada Magazine's list of the 50 Most Beautiful Canadians. CTV lists all 50 here but if anyone has actual scans from the magazine, please let us know.

In continued support of the charity Caleb's Hope, Tahmoh took part in the recent Vancouver photo shoot for the Real Men Don't Rape Campaign. Caleb's hope founder Holly Dignard gave us permission to repost this mobile upload pic of Tahmoh at the shoot, and we'll be sure to let you know when a final picture is available. See the new Caleb's Hope Facebook page for final pics from the LA shoot of the same campaign.

The Whedonverse is abuzz with news that Joss may have a new project on board ... as Tahmoh let slip in this interview conducted at FedCon in the original German or the imperfect but still readable Google Translate Version.

LiveJournal posters thedothatgirl and abby-i share recent con pictures and reports (and fan art). They have allowed us to link to their posts, but please do not to repost the pictures or otherwise share them without first receiving permission.

To end on a sad note, Canadian actress Babz Chula passed away on May 22 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She co-starred with Tahmoh and Tricia Helfer in The Green Chain, filmed just after Babz first round of chemotherapy treatments. A while back, Tahmoh and another BSG alum Kandyse McClure, helped to raise funds for The Babz Chula Lifeline for Artists Society. The society has posted this public picture of Tahmoh and Kandyse at dinner with the winner of the auction and his guest.

For more on Babz Chula, her life and career see the following:
Memorial Facebook Page
The Babz Chula Lifeline for Artists Society Facebook Page and Website
Tribute Written by Green Chain writer and director Mark Leiren-Young

Calgary Con, Green Chain DVD, Riverworld

A reminder that Tahmoh is appearing at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Convention this weekend.

Booth:
Tahmoh Penikett will be at Booth 3005

Panels:
Saturday at 12:00pm, Spotlight on Tahmon Penikett - Panel Room D
Sunday at 3:00pm, Battlestar Galatica Panel - Main Events Room E

Photo Ops:
Saturday at 3:30pm
Sunday at 11:30pm

Signing:
Saturday at 10:00am until 12:00pm, at 2:00pm until 3:30, and at 4:00pm until 6:00pm
Sunday at 10:00am until 12:00pm, at 2:00pm until 3:00pm, and at 4:00pm until 5:00

ScifiandTVTalk shares an interview with Tahmoh about his role as Matt Ellman in Riverworld.

This has only happened to me a few times, including with my character of Helo on Battlestar, which is when I first read the [audition] sides for the character of Matt in Riverworld I thought, ‘I understand this guy; I know where he’s coming from,’” says Penikett. When the pieces fall together like that, you’ve got to trust your instincts, so I was really eager to get into the audition room.

I met with [Riverworld director] Stuart Gillard and, honestly, I was a bit rusty as far as the audition process goes. You can be a professional actor who has been working all year long, which I’d been, but if it’s been a while since your last audition it can feel a little weird. So in this instance I had a couple of rough starts, but I subsequently worked on three scenes with Stuart and he seemed pleased with what I’d done.

The Green Chain DVD was launched on Earth Day, April 22. Read more here.

Trick r Treat Released on DVD October 6th!

Filmed in 2007, Trick 'R Treat is finally being released on DVD and Blu-Ray on October 6th. Tahmoh plays "Henry" and Leslie Bibb his wife in the movie. According to Tahmoh: "Henry is very much into Halloween. He loves it. He loves the tradition of it where as Emma isn't so keen as him." (Source)

Check out the movie's website, including the trailer, in which Tahmoh briefly appears. The movie also stars Brian Cox and Anna Paquin, among others, and was produced, written, and directed by Michael Dougherty. IGN review here.

The trailer has been released for the SyFy miniseries Riverworld in which Tahmoh plays the lead character "Matt Ellman." Watch the trailer and read an official synopsis at IO9. A few weeks ago, RHI Entertainment released some promo pics and a video featuring co-star Alan Cumming.

Thanks to Rebelliousrose for the cap.

Rebelliousrose also sent us a link she found on Youtube. The video features Enver Gjokaj, Dichen Lachman, Joss Whedon and the cast of Glee, but Tahmoh makes a surprise appearance at about the 1:00 mark.


Fox has released some more Dollhouse S2 Promo pics, including a few of Tahmoh.

Tahmoh, Eliza, Enver, and Dichen interview eachother using fan questions at AOL Television. (Video follows a short commercial.)

Steve Eramo at ScifiandTVtalk compiles some information and interviews with Tahmoh here and promises a "detailed interview" about Riverworld later in the year.

Finally, a long article in CinemaSpy about The Green Chain that focuses on Tricia Helfer and Tahmoh.

Cons, interviews, Green Chain reviews & more

So it's been a while, but things have been fairly quiet. Riverworld has wrapped. Dollhouse starts filming at the end of July. Here's what's been happening:

The Green Chain has released in Canadian theaters.

"The movie is a lighthearted yet passionate and profound comedy detailing the eternal struggle between tree loggers and environmentalists." ~ Metro Toronto

More reviews: The Globe & Mail, Toronto Sun

In the US, you can watch The Green Chain on Hulu here.

Fox's Season 2 description of Paul in Dollhouse:

Former FBI Agent PAUL BALLARD (Tahmoh Penikett) determined to solve the mystery of the DOLLHOUSE and find the missing Caroline, accomplished his goal in the first season finale and was convinced (or was it coerced?) to become Echo’s new handler. DOLLHOUSE revolves around Echo’s blossoming self-awareness and her desire to discover her true identity. But with each new engagement, comes a new memory and increased danger inside and outside the Dollhouse.

Convention Appearances:

• Comic-Con - Dollhouse panel on July 24, 2009 (Eliza & Joss)
  
• FEDCON - April 30-May 2, 2010 (Bonn, Germany)
• Echo-1 Con - May 7-9, 2010 (Heathrow, England)

Interview in Men's Fitness (Feb. 2009):

"Fightin' fit: actor Tahmoh Penikett uses MMA workouts to survive the rigors of television"

Anyone have scans?

Wondering how Riverworld will differ from the books? See this article.

Statement from Tahmoh supporting the charity Caleb's Hope:

"I'm so proud to be involved with Caleb's Hope, a project that's not only giving these children and their families real hope but more importantly empowering and enabling them to change their lives for the better. I commend Holly, for developing and seeing this project through. It's an inspiration for all of us to do more."

Tahmoh at the Luminato Festival. (Photo thanks to Henry Chan.)

New address for fan mail:

Tahmoh Penikett
c/o RED Management Inc.
Box 3, 415 West Esplanade
North Vancouver, British Columbia
V7M 1A6 Canada

Tahmoh said you could also send things to FOX.

New Year brings new photos, interviews & videos!

Happy New Year! It's been a busy holiday for Tahmoh news. Here's what you may have missed:

Los Angeles Times Profile: "Faces to Watch: Tahmoh Penikett," which has some nice comments from Katee Sackhoff and Joss Whedon and was accompanied by this lovely photo:

"He's really introspective and smart, that was always clear."

Whedon, a very vocal "Battlestar" fan, echoed the sentiment. "I don't know where it comes from, but Tahmoh has this wonderful sadness amidst being tall and handsome and strong. He was the first name I came up with to play Paul.

"He brought up this book I'd read, Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘Never Let Me Go,’ that I'd completely forgotten about as a precursor to 'Dollhouse,' " Whedon said. "At that point we just absolutely clicked." (Penikett said Whedon's reaction was more like: "Oh, my God, I think I jacked the idea from there!")

Kristen from E!Online interviews Tahmoh about Battlestar's finale:



Extra! interviews Eliza Dushku and intercuts clips of Paul & Echo fighting:


Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive clip from the Dollhouse premiere.

Tahmoh, Eliza & Joss will be at a FOX press junket soon, TV Addict is taking questions.

Reviews of Dollhouse's premiere episode, "Ghost":

• IGN- "Dollhouse: Advance Review"
• The TV Addict - "Welcome to the Dollhouse"
• Toronto Star - "Sneak peeks boost the new year"
• Pop Culture Examiner - "2009 in Preview"
  
• The Futon Critic - "First Looks: Dollhouse 'Ghost'"
  

Dollhouse heads EW scribe Ken Tucker's list of new shows to watch.

It's also featured on TV Guide's Editors' Winter Watch list. Also E!Online.

The quasi documentary/forrestry movie, The Green Chain, which stars both Tahmoh and Tricia Helfer will premiere in theaters in 2009 in Canada.

More Starfury convention pics of Tahmoh over on Flickr.

Anything else of note? Please comment below!

Bid to win dinner with Tahmoh & Kandyse McClure

Next week you'll be able to bid to win dinner with Tahmoh and his Galactica co-star Kandyse McClure (Dualla) at a special eBay auction to benefit their friend, actress Babz Chula. Chula, who starred in The Green Chain along with Tahmoh and Tricia Helfer, is fighting a recurrence of her cancer.

Here's the message Tahmoh sent me about the auction:

"One of the most respected actors in Canada, especially Vancouver, has been battling two rare forms of cancer. The community is coming together to do a charity auction of dinners with many notable 'celebrities'. I've volunteered as have many others. Check out the site and if you could post it that would be most appreciated: www.babzchulasociety.org."

You'll also be able to bid on dinner with actor Callum Keith Rennie, who plays Leoben on Battlestar and will star in the upcoming X Files movie.

Here are some more details on the effort:

Babz Chula, a key figure in Vancouver's indie film scene, recently learned breast cancer has recurred and has spread to her liver. She has made plans to start an integrated healing program.

The film industry has rallied around her to help raise money to pay for her medical bills by creating The Babz Chula Lifeline for Artists Society.

The Society will launch an auction on eBay running from April 2 to 12. Auction items will include the opportunity to dine with stars, and movie and TV memorabilia.

Excerpts from a profile of Chula from The Green Chain website:

Award-winning actor Babz Chula is one of Canada's most accomplished, versatile and daring actors. Known as "Queen of the Indies", she is a fierce supporter of the independent film scene in Canada. In 2006 Babz was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Vancouver Film Critics Circle and an Outstanding Achievement Award from the Leo Awards. Recently she took home another Best Actress award from the New York Film Festival for her portrayal of Mother in Claudia Morgado's evocative film Bitten.

I'll post more details on the auction as they become available next week.

Last chance to see Taming Tammy; Green Chain Praise

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 11th at 12:30 pm is the last screening of the romantic comedy Taming Tammy at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Tahmoh has a small part in the film--a modern adaptation of Taming of the Shrew--as Wilson, an arrogant plastic surgeon (at left).

Also screening at the festival was the logging docudrama The Green Chain, in which Tahmoh plays an underemployed firefighter. Battlestar's Tricia Helfer also stars. Press for the film has been quite positive and the most recent screenings prompted two more reviews:

Vancouver Sun: Capsule review of The Green Chain

Everything you wanted to know about the B.C. logging industry but were afraid to ask, emerges -- in one way or another -- over the course of Mark Leiren-Young's new film. It has the guts to explore the issue in emotional terms without getting bogged down in the endless rhetoric -- or the facile argument of people versus nature. A smart and well-researched film that successfully sees the trees through the forest.

Vancouver Courrier: Review of The Green Chain

All seven characters in this docudrama by Vancouverite Mark Leiren-Young claim to love trees--and surely they all do. But their perspectives on B.C.'s forestry industry vary as much as their positions in life. A second-generation logger, granny protester, underemployed firefighter, cause-championing star, naïve tree-sitter, First Nations forestry executive and long-suffering diner waitress deliver engaging monologues that lay out their views, movingly and convincingly. The technique pulls viewers into their emotional spheres, leading us to abandon presumptions or at least recognize the complexity of the situation. Standout performances include Scott McNeil as a baffled logger facing the realities of less work and fewer trees, and noted stage actress Jillian Fargey as his burdened wife, whose diner job and reflections on family and community reveal the human cost of changing times.

Local up-and-coming actor Brendan Fletcher is also delightful as tree-occupying Dylan, babbling to his Handi-cam 100 feet up a cedar. Leiren-Young's strong and nuanced writing pinpoints these varied personalities, and his background in comedy injects levity (where appropriate) into a generally sombre subject. There may be no easy outs, the film implies, but a good debate can't be off the mark. Aimed at local viewers, Green Chain references real people (most notably Babz Chula as recently freed senior protester Betty Krawczyk) and events. It's more difficult, however, to understand the omission of a treeplanter, or mention of the pine-beetle plague. Still, this film is a timely artifact to inspire discussion.

Tahmoh to appear at Chicago Con on October 7th

In more late-breaking convention news, Tahmoh will now appear at Creation's Chicago Salute to Star Trek, Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica with Katee Sackhoff. Jamie Bamber had to cancel again due to filming commitments.

Here are the event details:

Creation Salutes Star Trek, Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica

CHICAGO, IL area - Fri., Sat. & Sun. October 5 - 7, 2007
Wyndham O'Hare Hotel (6810 N. Mannheim Rd., Rosemont, Il.)

Sunday, OCTOBER 7th
10-11:30 am - Galactica Breakfast & Silent Charity Auction
Noon to 6pm - Katee & Tahmoh on stage

For those in Vancouver, this means that presumably Tahmoh won't be at the Taming Tammy premiere at the Vancouver Film Festival that night... Though he could still show for The Green Chain on the 8th.

Vancouver Film Festival Tickets on sale now

The Green Chain and Taming Tammy will both be screened twice at the upcoming Vancouver International Film Festival. Tickets are on sale now! (Click the film titles below for descriptions and tickets).

The Green Chain (87 minutes)

• Monday, Oct. 8th at 7 pm at the Empire Granville 7. ($9.50)
• Wednesday, Oct. 10th at 12:30 pm at the Empire Granville 7. ($7.50)

Taming Tammy (78 minutes)

• Sunday, Oct. 7th at 7:00pm at the Ridge Theatre. ($9.50)
• Thursday, Oct. 11th at 12:30pm at the Empire Granville 7 Theatre 2. ($7.50)

A new profile of The Green Chain was recently published by Straight.com. No mention of Tahmoh, but director Leiren-Young discusses how the film came to be made. If you haven't already, be sure to check out Tahmoh's recent interview about the film with Galactica.TV.

If anyone here sees either film, please share your reactions by commenting or emailing me a report!

New Interview with Tahmoh at Galactica.TV

Marcel Damen from Galactica.TV had a chance to interview Tahmoh at the recent Wolf 3 Galactica Convention in London (see photos from the event here).

Marcel asked some great questions about Battlestar--both past episodes and what is to come--and Tahmoh's other projects, including Smallville, The Green Chain and Trick 'r Treat.

Here are some excerpts. Read the full interview here.

Can you tell us about The Green Chain and your character as Brett Hall?

I play a forest fire fighter, who going through rough times trying to support his family, and what have you. He doesn't have that much of an education. I think he was at one time probably the popular athletic guy, maybe the hockey player. The hockey star in high school, what have you, but he never finished his education. Hooked up with a girl, got her pregnant right away, so he's living in the typical small town BC (British Columbia). Living and trying to support his family by being a fire fighter and of course fire fighters up there... The forest fire fighters, they completely depend on whether there's a fire or not. So when there's no fire, there's no work. So he ends up having to work at the Dairy Queen, or what have you, to try to provide for his family. Yeah, that's the character I play in there. Really, it's a neat part. Each of us does these really lengthy monologues. It's probably the longest monologue I ever did.

I was also wondering how your father, a former Yukon Premiere would have felt about a movie like that?

Oh, he absolutely agrees with it. My dad's a left wing man, he's a socialist, he's the leader of the NDP (New Democratic Party), so he's very much... He's always been a conscious environmentalist and he's all about sustainable resources. I was raised in that environment. Of course my mother is First Nation, so I have a huge respect for the environment, Mother Nature and to just use what we need, and respecting the environment and what have you.

Okay. Can you tell us about Trick 'r Treat and your character Henry in that movie?

Yeah, I can't really say that much about it other than my character Henry is the loving husband to Emma, who's played by Leslie Bibb. She's a great actress, really funny, beautiful energy, and a nice spirit. Anyway, Henry is very much into Halloween. He loves it. He loves the tradition of it where as Emma isn't so keen as him. But it was a neat role. We had a loaded cast on that film: Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, Anna Paquin...

Is it working okay for you as a character, for Helo? Is it what you wished?

Yeah, it's good! I just finished some mid-season stuff that I'm really prevalent in. An opportunity to act with some actors who I haven't been able to work with for a while, so that's always fun. That's great, I'm really enjoying that. It's been some strong stuff.

Read the full interview.

Thanks to Marcel for a great interview and for sharing his convention photos!

Review of The Green Chain & Vancouver Festival news

The collective blog Indyish recently reviewed The Green Chain at its Montreal premiere:

"The film is a genre-bending journey that can in all truth fit into any of the following categories: character piece, documentary, dramedy, dark comedy, indie, artsy… Oh, forget it! The list is too long! Let me just state for the record that this film is one worth seeing....

The film takes you deep into the longstanding (so much that it’s almost stereotypical) conflict between loggers and environmentalists and sits you face-to-face with opinions from connected individuals you might not have even thought of. The cast includes some of Canada’s most talented actors...."

Read the full review here.

Director Mark Leiren-Young also blogged about the film's premiere at The Green Chain blog. More positive buzz from a Myspace user here.

In other festival news, the Vancouver International Film Festival Sneak Peek Guide is now available (PDF). Here are the entries of the two films featuring Tahmoh and a first look at the poster for Taming Tammy:

Taming Tammy (Canada, 78 min.)
This spirited modern-day adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew is a romantic comedy from Tracy D. Smith about Tammy, a feisty sex-toy party organizer who is happily single—much to her ailing father’s dismay. An entertaining secret scheme is soon orchestrated to find Tammy a match...

The Green Chain (Canada, 87 min.)
These seven monologues from different perspectives on the logging industry and the environment will challenge your perspective regardless of your stance. Writer/director Mark Leiren-Young presents a nuanced and engaging look at one of BC’s biggest and most controversial industries.

Vancouver-area fans: Two chances to see Tahmoh!

On the big-screen at least. The Vancouver International Film Festival (September 27 - October 12, 2007) will be screening two of the independent films that Tahmoh has starred in in the past two years. According to their official release:

Canadian films already confirmed this year include TAMING TAMMY, a lively modern adaptation of Shakespeare's “Taming of the Shrew”, by Tracy D. Smith; GREEN CHAIN from director Mark Leiren Young, where nothing is ever clear-cut in the battle between loggers and environmentalists.

Tahmoh has a small role as Wilson, an arrogant plastic surgeon (at left) in Taming Tammy, directed by Tracy D. Smith who also helmed a short film starring Tahmoh, Sandra Goes to Whistler.

He stars as Brett Hall, a firefighter in The Green Chain (above right), which also features Tricia Helfer as Leila Cole. (For more on both projects, see the related posts linked at the bottom of this post.)

Of course, it's quite possible that Tahmoh will attend one or both of these screenings as he'll be in town to film Battlestar...

Tickets go on sale September 8th.

If any Vancouver-area fans are planning to go, please let me know.

The Green Chain premieres this Sunday in Montreal

The program listing for The Green Chain is now up and you can now buy tickets to the three screenings this weekend at the Montreal World Film Festival. Here's the official film description:

THE GREEN CHAIN

The battle between loggers and environmentalists is defining, dividing and destroying communities in Canada and around the world. THE GREEN CHAIN, a funny, thoughtful "documentary" on the subject, examines a community and a way of life through a series of riveting inter-linking monologues inspired by the true tales and personalities that define today's forests and the lengths to which some people will go to protect their personal visions. Everyone "loves" trees -- the logger, the protester, the firefighter, the movie star, the company executive, the tree-sitter, even the local waitress. For entirely different reasons, of course. And not always the best of them...

The film (in English) is screening for three nights at the Cinema Quartier Latin. Click the links below to buy tickets for the specified screening from Admission.com:

Sunday, August 26, 2007 • 7:30 pm (L10.26.6)
Monday, August 27, 2007 • 12:00 pm (L10.27.2)
Tuesday, August 28, 2007 • 5:30 pm (L10.28.5)

Even if you can't attend a screening, you should be sure to check out the new Green Chain podcast from the film's director, Mark Leiren-Young, over at thetyee.ca. The first installment of the podcast, in which Leiren-Young talks to people about the issues defining our forests, is available now!

If anyone attends a screening, be sure to send in a report!

The Green Chain to premiere at Montreal Film Festival

The 31st annual Montréal World Film Festival will host the world premiere of The Green Chain, which looks at the logging industry from multiple perspectives and stars Tahmoh and Tricia Helfer.

It will screen on August 26th at 7:30pm as a part of the festival's Focus On World Cinema program. It will also play on August 27th & 28th.

The film's writer/director, Mark Leiren-Young, was recently interviewed by Sci-fi Talk. The podcast is introduced by Tahmoh. Leiren-Young talks about Tahmoh, his role in the film and even Battlestar; here's a brief excerpt:

"What was interesting was that I went after Tricia (Helfer) and Tahmoh (Penikett) because in large part from where they were from. It wasn't connected to Battlestar. In the case of Tricia, I was so excited that she was in a small town in Alberta. I loved the idea that someone who grew up in a farming community would both get the loggers and the environmentalists. It was so vitally important to me to have people who were willing to look at all sides to this.

In Tahmoh's case, he grew up in the Yukon. You don't get more rural than growing up in the Yukon. He came in and read the piece which is about a firefighter who ran into some hard times. And he had just come from speaking to an old friend of his who was having the same dilemma of his character. He has grown up in this type of industry. And really if Tahmoh wasn't an actor, he could have been one of these guys. If you are growing up in a community like this that is resourced based, your used to jobs being there. But those jobs are vanishing."

Download the podcast.

See more on The Green Chain here.

New Interview with Tahmoh now online

Kindreds, a Helo/Sharon fansite, recently conducted an excellent and extensive interview with Tahmoh. A full transcript is now online in two parts:

• Part 1 - mostly discussion of Helo and Galactica
  

Hera represents something very, very big in the Battlestar universe. A bringing together of two races in the name of love. You’ve said before that you’re proud of your own mixed heritage, and I’m wondering if that mixed heritage gives you a deeper appreciation of what’s being told in the Helo/Sharon/Hera story?

Tahmoh: Absolutely. I think that story is more relevant and more important right now, with where we’re at in history, than maybe any other time. Maybe since the civil-rights movement in the 60’s. Right now we have such a clash of cultures and religion around the world, and I like to think that it’s not breeding more ignorance. If anything, I hope it’s forcing us to be open to different cultures, ideas, religions. To agree to disagree.

And that’s an optimistic view, but it’s a tumultuous crazy time in the world right now, and a lot of the reason for that is ignorance. People aren’t accepting the idea that it’s a big, beautiful, wild world out there. People have different views, and we have to accepting and accommodating to that, because that’s what the future of the world is about...

• Part 2 - more on BSG, but also Trick 'r Treat, The Green Chain, Smallville & more

"I did a great project last Christmas, which was Trick ‘r Treat. I got to work with Michael Dougherty, who’s the writer of X-Men 2 and Superman Returns. He’s just a brilliant, brilliant kid. He’s awesome and we clicked right away. He’s a friend. I think it’s going to be an awesome movie, I really do. I’m only in there so much, but I got to act with Leslie Bibb, who’s a sweetheart; really funny, great little actress.

I can’t wait to see that movie. That was fun. It’s been a good year for me. There’s a great local project, The Green Chain where I have an extremely long monologue, which was a lot of fun to do. I’ve never done a nine page monologue, which took like 13 minutes to do, so we’ll end up seeing that. I’m looking forward to that. That was a neat experience in itself, a totally different character. "

In happy news, he mentioned he's signed on to appear at the official BSG convention in November in Burbank!

Also, he wanted to pass on the news of a new project he's involved in, Whistler:

"It’s pretty much a Canadian OC, and it’s based in Whistler, one of the biggest ski resorts in the world just outside of Vancouver. It’s in the soap opera genre, and it’s very much like the OC. But the character I get to play in it is just incredible. I play this reclusive artist who’s an ex-junkie that’s become really quite famous, and I’m approached by one of the lead female characters played by Holly Dignard. She plays Nicole who works for this big hotel chain and approaches me to donate a piece, and I’m straight-up a prick to her. Very, very anti-social and hot and cold with her. We have this tumultuous relationship that goes over what is now a four episodes..."

I'll try to find out more and post an update.

ETA: More on Whistler now posted.

New Interview with Tahmoh at Pink Raygun

Pink Raygun recently posted a new interview with Tahmoh. In it he talks about his acting inspirations, what he's most proud of, how he got involved with The Green Chain and Trick 'r Treat and much more!

PRG: Pink Raygun was very happy to see a Helo-centric episode in “The Woman King“. What were the most challenging and the most rewarding aspects of that episode for you as an actor?

TP: The most challenging aspects of that episode as an actor had to be the fact that I was finally given an episode to “carry”. This was obviously a Helo-centric episode and with that comes the responsibility to give the story a beginning, middle and end. There has to be a plausible arc that the character takes within the parameters that the writers have given you. It really comes down to how strong of choices you make as an actor.

I was lucky of course to work with Michael Rymer on this episode. We discussed at length where we thought Helo was at and what the internal struggle really was within him in this episode. I also had the luxury of changing some dialogue which better suited where I thought Helo was coming from and what he’s trying to communicate. After three some odd years, to have an episode which primarily features my character is extremely gratifying and exciting. I had the opportunity to act with four veterans, my favorite director and, of course, my lovely cast mate, Grace Park.

Go read the full interview now!

The Green Chain picked up by Christal Films

Christal Films will distribute the eco-feature The Green Chain, which stars Tahmoh as a firefighter, sometime within the next year in Canada.

Christal Films has also acquired the rights for Mark Leiren-Young's debut feature The Green Chain from Canada's Middle Child Films, Perpetual Motion Productions and Donna Wong-Juliani. The film is scheduled for release in late 2007 or early 2008.

The Green Chain examines the battle between loggers and environmentalists using the framework of a series of inter-linking monologues which are inspired by the true dramas taking place each day in North America's forests. The film stars an acclaimed group of actors including Tricia Helfer and Tahmoh Penikett from TV's Battlestar Galactica....

Read the full press release.

Read director Mark Leiren-Young's announcement here.

Here's hoping for a US release! See previous posts on The Green Chain here.

Update on The Green Chain (with poster)

The movie about the Canadian logging industry, in which Tahmoh and fellow BSG cast member Tricia Helfer star, is nearing completion. The director, Mark Leiren-Young, reports on the film's blog:

"The editing is done... and now it's all there except for the audio mix, which is happening in early April. And then it's time to send this out to festivals and start linking this chain to the rest of the world. Coming soon to a theatre near you..."

Here's the poster for the film:

To keep up with the latest, be sure to visit the movie's website, MySpace or Blogspot blog. A recent post highlights all the film's Battlestar connections:

Tricia and Tahmoh are the two Canadian actors that Battlestar's Executive Producer David Eick recently raved about as the show's breakout discoveries in a recent interview in Reel West Magazine (that'd be the same mag that featured Tricia and me on the cover)....

"Tahmoh is quite a success story because he was a day player for the miniseries and he was so compelling in the role and such a natural star we recreated the role when we were trying to convince the network to give us a series order."

The Green Chain's executive producer, Donna Wong-Juliani, has her own Battlestar connection. Her son, Alessandro, plays Lt. Felix Gaeta -- one of the show's most idealistic characters.... When we were casting and wanted to find out whether Tricia and Tahmoh were good to work with, it was Alessandro who assured us they were amazing.

To see my previous posts on The Green Chain, including photos of Tahmoh & Tricia and the Reel West feature article mentioned above, click here.

Article about Tahmoh's upcoming film, The Green Chain

There's an interesting interview in Reel West with the director of the docu-style flick about trees, The Green Chain, in which Tahmoh and Tricia Helfer star.


Tricia's on the cover of the issue and the 5-page article inside details the movie's development from a play to a screenplay. In the film, each character delivers their monologue to camera in one scene, which had to be pretty intense. It also means though, that unfortunately Tahmoh and Tricia don't share any scenes. The article uses the same photo of Tahmoh as "Brett Hall" (above) as the website, but includes 3 new shots of Tricia as "Leila Cole."

Click here to download the article, "Tree Line" (pdf, 1.9mb).

Hopefully, the film will start showing up at festivals soon. The article mentions a possible Earth Day premiere (March 20th).

Tahmoh talks about tonight’s Battlestar episode

Paul Florez from Wizard Entertainment spoke with Tahmoh recently about tonight's BSG ep, "The Woman, King," in which Helo plays a prominent role. Tahmoh also discusses his roles in the upcoming films, The Green Chain (which also stars Tricia Helfer) and Trick 'r Treat.

WIZARD: So this upcoming episode is going to center around Helo, correct? What can you tell us about it?

PENIKETT: It’s a great episode. It’s the best to have a Helo-centric episode after three years. I’m put in charge of the very difficult job of trying to organize all the refugees. We lost so many of the ships during the Exodus. So basically, Helo is trying to organize this whole refugee camp down in the hangar bay of Galactica with these hundreds and hundreds of refugees with specifically this one group of people, the Sagitarrons, who are despised by many for their specific religious beliefs.

Read the full interview. (includes spoilers)

ETA: Full text of the interview.

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TV Q&A: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA—TAHMOH PENIKETT
As Helo on the hit Sci Fi Channel show, the actor finally gets his day in the sun
By Paul Florez, posted February 9, 2007 6:20 PM

“Battlestar Galactica” actor Tahmoh Penikett has much to celebrate. His character on the critically acclaimed Sci Fi series, Helo Agathon, is finally stepping into the spotlight with the first-ever Helo-centric episode, “The Woman King,” airing at 10 p.m. this Sunday. On top of that, he just wrapped up two flicks, “Trick ’r Treat” and “The Green Chain,” the latter of which also stars fellow “Galactica” actor Tricia Helfer (Number Six).

The 31-year-old actor graciously took time from his hectic schedule to talk with Wizard about Sunday’s episode and his upcoming movies.

WIZARD: So this upcoming episode is going to center around Helo, correct? What can you tell us about it?

PENIKETT: It’s a great episode. It’s the best to have a Helo-centric episode after three years. I’m put in charge of the very difficult job of trying to organize all the refugees. We lost so many of the ships during the Exodus. So basically, Helo is trying to organize this whole refugee camp down in the hangar bay of Galactica with these hundreds and hundreds of refugees with specifically this one group of people, the Sagitarrons, who are despised by many for their specific religious beliefs.

Besides religious ideology, why are the Sagitarrons despised?

PENIKETT: Well, they are quite extreme with their views. They don’t believe in modern medicines, they brew and drink very potent-smelling tea, which drives people nuts. They also don’t believe in outsiders, and can be quite difficult and negative toward anyone who tries to help them; to anybody who is not a Sagitarron, they are very untrusting. They start to get a lot of animosity and anger pointed toward them on the ship, and especially because we get this disease that starts to spread amongst them, pretty much an epidemic. This disease is spreading fast amongst them and part of the reason is because they’re refusing the vaccine.

Wow, sounds like hell down there.

PENIKETT: I’ll give you a little tidbit from the episode. My fellow pilots start to nickname me “The Mayor of Dogsville,” calling the area Dogsville because it’s really bad. I’m in charge of it, so it’s a very difficult job. So yeah, I’ve been given that title. Of course, there are things that happen in this episode. Some distrust and some almost very violent confrontations I have to come in between.

We’ve seen themes of genocide this season and now discrimination. Does the show seem to be getting darker to you?

PENIKETT: I don’t know if I would agree with that. We aren’t a light, fluffy show, and that’s not to say we’re negative all the time. But we deal with some heavy issues, and a lot of it is a reflection of what’s going on in the world today. I feel a lot of it is quite relevant, and it’s important that we touch on these issues.

One thing I always find in our series is the constant theme of no matter what everybody goes through, it’s that the human spirit is always strong. We pick up and move on and hopefully we learn from those things. And this episode can have some dark things about it, but at the same time it’s a great little mystery. It’s a neat episode, and I think it will be different and a unique change of pace, compared to all the episodes this season.

What was it like to work with guest star Bruce Davison?

PENIKETT: I had a little experience when I was doing one of the opening scenes of the episode and I’m sitting there with Bruce, Michael Hogan [Colonel Tigh] and Edward James Olmos [Commander Adama], and I’m looking at these guys and thinking, “Okay, each of these guys has been in the business for 40 years. I’m sitting here with about 120 years of acting experience.” I’ve had some great scenes over the years, but this episode very much was an amazing opportunity to work with the likes of Bruce, who happens to be an Academy Award nominee. [ EDITOR’S NOTE: Bruce earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in 1990’s “Longtime Companion.”]

Does the title of the episode, “The Woman King,” have anything to do with your character?

PENIKETT: It’s the name of a woman I encounter, one of the Sagitarrons, who is affected by the sickness.

Speaking of being sick, how is Helo and Sharon’s baby, Hera, doing? Is Dr. Cottel reluctant to help Sharon and the baby out?

PENIKETT: Maybe Sharon is the one who is very suspicious of Cottel, considering everything we’ve gone through with him. I mean, Cottel was involved with the president in hiding the fact that our baby didn’t die.

Is the fleet outraged that the Cylon-human hybrid is alive?

PENIKETT: I think it’s safe to say that anything on this fleet, especially on this ship, spreads like wildfire. Regardless of what has happened recently, I think people respect Helo and Sharon now to know they are competent, able and committed in their way. When it comes to family, they’re just going to leave them alone. Like I said, I think one hard lesson the entire fleet has to learn constantly is that we have to move on.

You know, Helo has really changed this season. He used to be a pretty passive and compliant officer.

PENIKETT: Well, it’s interesting that you use the word “passive.” I’ve never really felt Helo has been passive. If he is, I think part of the reason he has been is because he realizes in many ways the adversity, the animosity, the prejudice, the distrust he’s going to be facing. He realizes he’s really a minority, it’s him and his lady. So he’s got to be cautious in his step.

I don’t think we ever doubt Helo’s loyalty to the fleet, to human beings and his survival. Over these three years, everyone has faced so much hardship and death. Helo is on the fast track of growing up really quick, and he’s on a mad survival course. He is the type of guy who only needs to learn the lesson once, and he’s willing to go to any lengths to protect his family.

Is it hard to play a character who, for lack of a better term, has dual loyalties? To humans and his Cylon family?

PENIKETT: It’s definitely difficult. Every once in a while, they’ll give me a line that really throws it off. Sometimes, as an actor, they’ll write something for you that I don’t truly believe, and I don’t think Helo believes.

When [President] Roslin and I had the confrontation over whether it was justifiable to use a biological weapon to wipe out the Cylons completely, I have a line in there where I say, “Well, they tried to live with us on the planet.” Helo didn’t believe that when he said it. I know they didn’t try to live with us. He’s grasping, and he’s trying to come up with something on the spot, because literally they just said, “Okay, we’re going to annihilate your wife’s race.” Imagine trying to fathom that idea.

We’re a bit confused with your XO status. Now that Col. Saul Tigh is back as XO, has Helo been demoted?

My rank is still captain. I’m not XO. You can be any rank for XO. But yeah, Saul is definitely XO again.

You just finished shooting “Trick ’r Treat,” which contains four different stories all occurring on Halloween. What can you tell us about that?

I can’t tell you much. My character’s name is Henry. I play the loving husband to my wife, who is played by Leslie Bibb [“Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”]. Basically, Henry is a big kid, he loves Halloween, the spirit of it, he knows the history. He is very much into dressing up and having a good time, and I can’t tell you much more than that.

You’ve also worked with fellow cast member Tricia Helfer on another project, correct?

Yeah, a movie called “The Green Chain.” It’s a very PC story about the forest industry, all aspects of it. They touch on the old-lady conservationist, they touch on the tree-hugger who lives in the tree. I play a firefighter, and Tricia plays the movie star who lends her name to try and preserve the trees. Tricia and I didn’t share any scenes at all, though.

Have you had any scenes with her recently?

Nothing since the beautiful woman kissed me [in Season One].

One last thing: Does Helo trust Sharon? Should he?

He wouldn’t have taken their relationship to this point if he didn’t. I think definitely in the second season there was always doubt, and I think there will always be a doubt like anybody in any relationship has, but I think he very much trusts her.