He has appeared in every TV iteration of Stargate, from renegades to bounty hunters to Russian soldiers. Now, Mike Dopud sits down with us on Dial the Gate to update us on his career, share in Stargate memories and take your questions LIVE!

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Timecodes
00:00 – Opening Credits
00:48 – Welcome and Episode Outline
02:39 – Welcoming Mike and “Violent Night”
06:50 – Acting and Sports Careers
12:46 – A Role that Challenged Mike- The 100 and Cannibals
17:09 – Getting Involved with Stargate
21:45 – Odai Ventrell in SG-1’s Bounty
24:06 – Playing Villians
29:09 – Kiryk in Atlantis’s Tracker
33:10 – Varro in Stargate Universe
37:26 – Varro’s Second Chance and TJ
43:58 – Favorite Stargate Character
46:12 – Hallmark Memories and Conventions
47:43 – Stunts
52:29 – Smallville Role and Star Trek Auditions
53:39 – When did you hit your stride with your career?
56:03 – Gage in Battlestar Galactica
1:00:54 – Evolution of Varro
1:02:30 – Current Projects
1:03:49 – Conventions
1:04:50 – Future Stargate
1:06:38 – Continuum Character
1:08:19 – Stargate VS Other Work
1:09:48 – Wrapping up with Mike
1:11:17 – Post-Interview Housekeeping
1:18:00 – End Credits

***

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TRANSCRIPT
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David Read
Hello everyone, my name is David Read, and welcome to Dial the Gate episode 152, I believe. Thanks so much for tuning in. Mike Dopud – you know him from several episodes of Stargate from across all three series; I believe he’s one of only eight or nine actors who can make that claim – is joining us this episode. I’ve been looking forward to having him for some time. Just a great human being. We met in Atlanta at a convention a few years ago. I’ve always wanted to have him on this show ever since I started doing this. But before we get started, if you like Stargate, and you want to see more content like this on YouTube, it makes a difference if you click the Like button. It helps the YouTube algorithm spread awareness of this show and helps the show grow its audience. Please also consider sharing this video with a Stargate friend. And if you want to get notified about future episodes, click the Subscribe icon. And giving the bell icon a click will notify you the moment a new video drops. And you’ll get my notifications of any last minute guest changes. And clips from this live stream will be released over the course of the next few weeks on gateworld.net, and upcoming Dial the Gate Clips. Mike is joining us for a little over an hour here. So what’s going to happen is, you can submit questions to him directly to the moderators – I think Tracy is in there right now – who are in the YouTube chat. And they will get those questions over to me to ask in the second half of the show. First half is going to catch up with him, talk about recent projects, things that are going on in his life, and we’re going to learn a little bit more about this gentleman. Mike Dopud, thank you so much for joining me, sir. I’ve been looking forward to having you on for some time, and I’m glad we were able to make this work.

Mike Dopud
Well, thank you, David. So good to see you again. I’m happy to be here. Here we go. Let’s go.

David Read
How are things going?

Mike Dopud
Things are going well, no complaints. You know, family’s healthy, doing great. I’m healthy, feeling good. And, you know, working on some projects, trying to get some projects going on the producer side of things. And there you go. There you have it.

David Read
We’re a couple of weeks away from a premiere of a film that you are in, Violent Nights. This is a Christmas film?

Mike Dopud
It is not your mama’s Christmas movie. Let me preface it with that. It’s rated R, but having said that, man, this movie is just a ton of fun. It’s great, the acting is amazing, the action is fantastic, we have the action team from John Wick that did all the stunts for the show. David Harbour is Santa Claus and he just crushes it. He’s amazing.

David Read
So he’s from Stranger Things. Most of us would know him from there. OK. And yeah, I was talking to you a little bit beforehand, I had a buddy who had some friends who’ve seen it and they say it’s a riot. And like you said before, they managed to squeeze some heart into the film as well.

Mike Dopud
Absolutely. Listen, this is a fun movie. It is violent, hence the title. Lots of action. Lots of amazing… How do I say this in the best way possible? Lots of amazing takedowns of the mercenaries and stuff. Santa’s pretty handy. And the acting is great and there’s heart in it. We managed to squeeze some heart in there, which you know, kudos to our director Tommy Wirkola and David Harbour, managing to figure that out, and the places where it could fit in. Because this is… Listen, this movie is wild. It’s going to be such a blast and I highly recommend it. I know I’m in it, and obviously it’s hard to be objective about a movie. But the feedback I’ve heard from people that were at certain screenings from New York Comic Con to, we had a screening here a couple of weeks ago in Los Angeles, and everybody seems to really love it. I’m really looking forward to watching it, you know, the premiere, and seeing it in front of a live audience.

David Read
Can you tell us a little bit about Commander Thorp and what kind of role you play in this film?

Mike Dopud
Yeah, absolutely. Commander Thorp. I come in halfway through the movie. And basically, I am responsible for protecting the Lightstone family, and I am the head of security for this family. Hence the name Commander Thorp.

David Read
OK, so you are Santa’s opposition, I’m guessing.

Mike Dopud
Not necessarily. I’ll leave that up… I need you guys… You have to watch.

David Read
OK!

David Read
A group of mercenaries takes the Lightstone family family hostage. And I am part of the extraction team that comes in to help save the day.

David Read
OK. All right.

Mike Dopud
So I’m gonna leave it at that.

David Read
So there’s multiple levels going on here?

Mike Dopud
Yes.

David Read
All right. Very good. Do you think it’ll join Die Hard in terms of the pantheon of Christmas movies?

Mike Dopud
That’s such a great… So many people debate, is Die Hard a Christmas movie? I believe it is.

David Read
Oh, yeah.

Mike Dopud
I’m totally with you, then. We both believe it is. So having said that, I think it will be..I mean, they’re saying it’s Die Hard meets Home Alone, is the tagline. And there’s some Home Alone references [in] the movie as well.

David Read
OK, that’s great.

Mike Dopud
And you’ll see it…when you see it, you’ll notice it right away. But yeah, I think it’s gonna be a fun movie. It’s an actual Christmas movie. And it’s a blast. It’s a wild ride.

David Read
Mike, when did you know that the entertainment industry – acting, producing, well chiefly acting – when did you know that this is what you wanted to do with your career? When did this really hit you?

Mike Dopud
Man, that is an excellent question, because it’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment. But I will say this: As I was growing up, I’ve always loved movies from day one. And my brother who’s older than I am, and we would rent you know, in beta, we had a beta machine and then a VHS machine. And we would rent movies, especially all these B movies like Mad Max, Escape from New York, those types of movies. And Mad Max, the original Mad Max, left such an impression on me as a young kid…

Mike Dopud
It’s a great film.

Mike Dopud
I agree, and it left such an impression on me that at one point, I was like, I’d love to do something and be part of this post apocalyptic world and be able to do… I mean, I just love the concept, and how these guys… It’s set in the future, and the future wasn’t so beautiful and nice. It was actually rough and tumble. And so I think for some reason, that left a big impression on me. And it’s funny, because my mom used to say, every once in a while she’d catch me outside in the backyard, and I would pretend I was these soldiers and running around and shooting – by myself, right? – figuring out, playing by myself, doing these things and running into ditches and pretending I was getting shot and diving into these ditches. You know, obviously there were leaves there. I wasn’t hurting myself per se.

David Read
Already a stunt man.

Mike Dopud
Yeah exactly, I think that was the lead up to my actual career, so it was pretty funny. So I’ve always wanted to be a part of it. And just, you know… Look, I was busy playing sports, sports was my first love. And I always wanted to be an actor. I took drama in high school. It was always something that… But I just thought, “Well, wait a second. How does a kid from Montreal get into acting?” And sports was… I was doing well, and fortunate enough to do well with my athletic endeavors. And so that took up all my time, but eventually when that was over, I started to look into acting, and that’s how it started.

David Read
OK. So high school, you went through drama?

Mike Dopud
I did some drama. Yes, I took drama… Mrs. Abramovich, if I remember correctly, it’s been a while. And she always was very complimentary. So I figured I had a bit of a knack for acting. But I have to tell you something, though. I remember my first acting class. I had no idea what I was doing, honestly, and trying to remember dialogue and trying to portray it, and it’s funny when first you’re trying to memorize these words and trying, and all of a sudden the nerves come in, and I was like, what’s going on? I had no idea. So if anybody watching – anybody that remembers my first acting class, if they’re out there watching this – would probably sit there and go, “There’s no way this guy’s ever going to be an actor.”

David Read
As a sports guy, you miss 100% of the strikes you don’t take?

Mike Dopud
Exactly or the risks you don’t take.

David Read
Right, exactly. So unless you step out there and are willing to stumble over yourself and make a little bit of a fool of yourself, how are you going to figure out what it is that you love, you know?

Mike Dopud
Absolutely. So my sports career ended up being cut short because of some injuries I had. And I was fortunate enough to play a little bit of professional football in the Canadian Football League. And I hurt my knee, hurt my shoulder, and then I ended up getting released. And so I didn’t last very long. And then I went to the World League of American football, which was…this would have been in the early 90s, early 91, 92, 93, those years. And then the league folded. And then I thought, “Ugh, what am I going to do now? Yes, I have a degree in physiology and international business.” So I thought, “OK, the corporate world might work.” But then I was playing hockey. I ended up playing a little bit in the East Coast Hockey League, which is a part of the professional farm system (back then) for the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks. I’d equate it to…say, you know how [in] baseball you have A ball, double-A ball, triple-A ball? It was more like A. And obviously, I still had enough to give, I didn’t want my career to be over with, and football wasn’t…I wasn’t able to get any more tryouts because of my knee. I was a running back. And just trying to figure out what to do. And I tried the corporate world, and I was just missing something. I was missing…I don’t know if it’s the intensity of it all? Because as an athlete, you’re always intense. There’s always something going on.

David Read
Yeah, 9 to 5, you’re not gonna meld well with.

David Read
Wow. What is a role that you look back on that you’re surprised challenged you in ways that you didn’t expect, or that you approached and had more heft – emotional, physical – that you didn’t expect to arrive at? There’s one that really made you go look at yourself and be like, “Wow, OK, this is some heavy lifting, this content? This is asking a lot of me. And it’s pushing, it’s growing me as a person.”

Mike Dopud
Oh, wow.

Mike Dopud
No. And I tried, and it just wasn’t for me. It was doing okay, I was actually doing well. But I just…I was missing something in my life. And then acting sort of happened by chance, in the sense of meeting a friend of mine who’s since passed – actually he passed last year, Greg Jonasson, rest in peace. I met him and he said, “You know, you got a great look, you ever think about acting?” I said, “I have. I’ve done some commercials. And I always loved it, but I didn’t know how to get into it.” And then he recommended… I met him in Montreal, and I was moving to Vancouver, and he’s from Vancouver originally. And he asked me, he said, “Well, you know, go to acting classes, do this and that… Because you have a great look. And I’m sure your action and your background in sports…” And I was a bit of a fighter in hockey as well. So fighting equates to stunts, maybe, and we were just trying to figure out a way, an “in” for me in acting, and then that’s when it started, really.

David Read
That’s kind of a heavy-handed question.

Mike Dopud
That’s a heavy topic, yeah. No, it’s all right, I’ll come up with some…look, I don’t know how much some of these roles have challenged me as far as making me a better person per se, or… But I will say that so many roles that I’ve read – because I play a lot of bad guys, or I play these killers or drug dealers and such, right? And I’m so far from that, removed… That’s not part of who I am as a person – really enables me to understand why maybe somebody does these things, right? Just because of the research that you do for certain roles. And one role in particular stands out as far as that goes, on The 100. I played Michael Vinson. And what had happened was, we had a scheduling conflict, and then they created… At the last second they still wanted me to be part of the show. We created this character, Vinson, and we weren’t sure how to portray him. But remember, this guy is a prisoner who’s very intelligent; however, he’s a cannibal.

David Read
Oh, fun times! But geez!

Mike Dopud
You know, it’s one thing if you’re playing a vampire or a zombie and you’re a cannibal, because it’s expected, right? You’re expected to eat humans or whatever it is. But when you’re a natural human… And yes, it’s set in a sci fi world; however, having said that, there are some people in our world that have done it. So trying to find research on it was really difficult because it’s not really something typical and then trying to create this character, right? And I didn’t want him to be… I guess Anthony Hopkins was one of my inspirations for the role; the fact that he was so calm, and quiet, and very intelligent and smart, and liked the finer things in life. Even though this guy’s a criminal, who was in prison for so long, and then finally came out of suspended animation, which is the character line in season five of The 100. And how do I make this guy not just an evil person that you have no relationship with, that you don’t feel anything for? So that was a challenge. Talking with the producers and the writers and the directors and… They basically let me come up with it, and just said, “Go for it, and if it’s too much we’ll pull you back. If it’s not enough, we’ll ask for more. You know, we’ll try to figure it out as we go.” And that was the last I heard from anybody on it; they just let me run with it. So that was really challenging. And then, as an actor, what feels good about certain things, is that people resonated, the character resonated with people. So they were trying to ship me and Abby, you know, Vincent and Abby on the show, which is like, “You’re shipping a cannibal, a guy that that eats people, right?” So the fact that I was able to make people actually even think about something like that. I felt like…

David Read
He’s not just a cannibal, he has other positive traits.

Mike Dopud
Yes.

David Read
The trick is to make people realize that there can be more than one truth about a person. Not to say that we’re going to shrug this off. But I mean, anyone [who’s] watched Game of Thrones can tell that. People are complicated, and there’s a reason why he does the things that he does.

Mike Dopud
Exactly, and then trying to find the humanity of him. Even if there’s one iota [of] humanity, if I can make that come across in the character, then I believe I’ve done my job, so to speak.

David Read
Absolutely. Wow. How did you initially get involved with Stargate? You go way back, more than some people realize.

Mike Dopud
I do! I go back to the pilot. Pilot or first…? I believe it was the pilot, and I did some stunt work. Scott Ateah, who was a stunt coordinator at the time. And I was just getting into stunt work as well. And he brought me out to do some stunt work to play…I can’t remember, I think it a Jaffa. And then over the years, I played various characters on the show. But also just doubling people or just doing stunt work, and getting blown up, essentially. I remember the famous thing, that Richard Dean Anderson looked at me one day and he’s like, “How many times have I killed you?” Because you know, you put makeup on it, and then you have different headgear on. And then they feel comfortable, and they’re able to work with you if you have a fight scene. So it’s always important to make the actors feel comfortable, right? Especially when you’re doing stunt work. And then eventually, I was doing a play and Peter DeLuise saw me in a play, and came up to me afterwards and said, “You’re not… You’re not like a stunt… You’re an actor…you’re…” So well, I was trying to get in, but I couldn’t get an audition for the show. I couldn’t get in, and eventually Michael Greenburg saw some stuff. And then he heard I was Serbian, so I could speak some Russian (very little), and I could speak Serbian, so I could portray Eastern European, and then they cast me as Colonel Chernovshev in SG-1.

David Read
Yeah, Full Alert, season eight.

Mike Dopud
That’s right.

David Read
So you had had a few appearances as a Jaffa. I think you were in the first scene where they actually used the Zat gun, in Within the Serpent’s Grasp, so that’s kind of cool. You introduced that weapon. And as a Eurondan soldier in The Other Side, another Peter DeLuise episode with Anne Marie.

Mike Dopud
Yeah!

David Read
I love this episode. You were in Revelations as well as a Jaffa, and then Chernovshev in Full Alert. So you got to bring out the accents, got to actually be in Russia, and actually I believe you were a Goa’uld at the same time, if I’m not mistaken.

Mike Dopud
No, he wasn’t. Man, you might be…

David Read
There was a lot of layers in that episode. There was a lot of subterfuge.

Mike Dopud
That was one thing we discussed with Michael Shanks, and I believe it was Andy Mikita… Was it Andy that directed that? Man, because…

David Read
Full Alert? Let me see here. That was Andy Mikita. Good on you, man, that’s great recall!

Mike Dopud
I’ve been doing this a little while, so it runs into each other. They blend together. But yeah, we didn’t mention anything about that as far as my performance and that they didn’t want. I think that was open ended. So that we didn’t really talk about that we didn’t really discuss we didn’t they want they didn’t want me to. They just wanted me to play him the way he was the way I came up with.

David Read
Okay, straight up. When you get an opportunity to play a piece of something from your heritage or something akin to that, how often do you get to really imbue your sensibilities to it, and how often is it just, “Well, I have to just do what’s on the page”?

Mike Dopud
Oh, no, you have to bring in something. I never just do what’s on the page, and maybe I should sometimes because I’d probably get more work. But having said that, you know if you don’t risk you may not… Look, this is art, at the end of the day, I still believe it’s art. So I think if you risk enough and try different things, and sometimes, yeah, my choices end up being what they wanted, or what they like, so that works out too. And sometimes it is on the nose, right? Sometimes you play character. And as far as the through line, that’s what he’s supposed to be. But I try to put in – obviously, it’s 95% me – and then I try to add little nuances if I can, and sometimes I’ll channel an uncle or friends of mine that are either Russian or Serbian, and the way they are, and their physicalities. And every once in a while I’ll channel that, and it works out very well.

David Read
Probably my favorite role of yours, if all things are equal – I mean, I enjoy the others – but there’s something about Odai Ventrell from Bounty that I just found to be delicious, because he kind of owns the room that he’s in, you know, no one really messes with him. He really is the closest analogue to Boba Fett that SG-1 had, despite the fact that there were a number of bounty hunters throughout the years. You carry that character with such swagger. Tell us about getting that role, and going to Earth and going to Cameron Mitchell’s prom.

Mike Dopud
I know, what a wild episode, I mean think about it, right? Well, again, fortunate enough to have Peter DeLuise as a friend, as a fan of my work. It was an audition like everybody else. And I auditioned and I ended up getting it and I was so thrilled that you know, reading it, reading the sides and reading the script, and you’re like, “Oh my gosh, is so much fun.” And then Anne Marie DeLuise was there, and then all of the Stargate team was there, from Amanda to Shanks. And I just was like, “Oh my gosh, this is so…” And doing scenes with everybody there.

David Read
Claudia Black.

Mike Dopud
And Claudia Black, Claudia, she was so amazing. We had so much fun, and they were so open to my portrayal of this character. And then we just played with each other, and we had such a good time. That was one of those fun roles, that you sit there and go, “Oh my gosh, I wish every every role could be like that.” Honestly that would have been a great character to play in a series.

David Read
Agreed. Yeah, he came in too late. I think that, had it gone on for like a season 11, 12 like they were talking with Apple, that character would have been back. There was there was some play there for some good stuff.

Mike Dopud
I think so, I hope so, I mean, who knows at the end of the day? But yeah, that would have been fun. But again, starting my career, it seems like I get on a show, and every once in a while it’s the last season, or it’s done in the… Instead of, “Who, was it me? Did I do something wrong? What’s going on?”

David Read
What is it that’s so freeing about playing villains? You know, especially the ones that have zero emotional foibles whatsoever.

Mike Dopud
It’s just… It’s fun, for lack of a better term. It’s just such a good time and, and you get to do things that normally you’d go to jail for. Am I right? Like…

David Read
Simulated!

Mike Dopud
Yeah, I shoot people. Yes, simulated! But you shoot people, or you blow up a building, or you blow up a spaceship, or all these crazy things. You take people hostage, and then after the scene’s done everybody claps.

David Read
Right! Instead of run for their lives.

Mike Dopud
And having the cops cuff you and send you off to jail. It’s freeing, come on. I think what being an actor, what’s amazing about that, is playing scenes like this, or playing these characters: It’s freeing. You’re able to do things that you can’t do in the normal world, so to speak. That’s why they have – what is it…you know how some people have those rooms where you go in and beat up, break everything or you can… You know, people have these…

David Read
Therapy for some people.

Mike Dopud
Therapy, right. And definitely, when you’re able to do all this stuff, you come home and you’re like, “Ah, I feel so much better.”

David Read
You know, you hear people describe themselves, “Oh, I’m a good person, I’m a this, I’m a that.” There is something to be said for the darker aspects of our nature. And not that we should give into them. But I also think that it’s a mistake to ignore them. Because if something truly sets you off in a terrible situation that you weren’t expecting, you are capable of unlocking certain doors and doing certain deeds, either to protect your family or to protect yourself. And I think it’s important that we examine those aspects of ourselves, and know what we’re truly capable of, so that we can keep our swords sheathed. And we all have one, whatever it may be. And in your case, with some of these villains, you get to study those aspects of your nature and truly think about, “Okay, how would I handle this situation if I were actually doing it? And what do I actually let out, but controlled in this situation?”

Mike Dopud
That’s a great point. For me, you know, growing up… Immigrant family from the former Yugoslavia, even though I was born in Montreal, everybody else in my family was born in Yugoslavia. And we were a poor immigrant family. My dad would dress me in a corduroy suit, and I’d have my name stamped on every article of clothing I had, and I had white hair and broken teeth. So I got made fun of a lot. And you learn at some point, okay, well, I have to defend myself, I have to do someth… And my brother was tough. So he taught me how to defend myself, and then I was able to do so. I ended up getting respect from that, which is… You don’t hear about that nowadays, right? Because it’s so taboo. “Oh, no, bullies are bullies. And you can’t fight. You have to talk.” No, well, sometimes…

David Read
You can’t get walked on.

Mike Dopud
You can’t get walked on. But having said that, and as I grew up, even as a teenager, getting into fights and doing stuff, fighting was always something, not that I enjoyed, but it was part of who I was. And so when I look back at some characters that I’ve played, and I could react to, “How would he…? How would I have – 20 years ago or 15 years ago – how would I have responded to this situation?” And then I can infuse some of that into the character. But obviously, listen, when you’re a cannibal, or when you’re killing somebody, I’ve never done that stuff. The imagination starts to take over at that point.

David Read
I’m getting an image of Varro… We’ll get to Varro in a minute here, but just as an aside, I have this image of him in the medical bay. And he had this trigger, where he could be perfectly placid and reasonable, and then he gets into a situation where he blew a bullet through a guy at close range. I remember watching… I was shocked, because he just turned on a dime. And it’s like…

Mike Dopud
But it was that fight or flight thing, right? You never know how you’re going to react in that situation. And I’ve been there in these dark situations. So I’ve seen guys totally freeze that you would never expect to freeze, and I’ve seen other people that all the sudden they, whoa, they rise up and you’re like, “Oh my god, where did this come from?” And so that’s where I could see where this character could turn: It’s fight or flight, I have to save the situation.

David Read
Right, absolutely.

Mike Dopud
And he’s a soldier. At the end of the day he’s Lucian Alliance. He was a soldier.

David Read
Yep, he’s gotta eat. One of my favorites from your roles is Kiryk. And this is one of those, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” This was an episode of Stargate Atlantis called Tracker. And we came across another runner, very similar to Ronon Dex. We heard that there were more than just him running around that the Wraith used for sport, and this particular guy came across a situation that he was not going to abandon this young child. I love this character. What about Kiryk really clicked with you?

Mike Dopud
Listen, everything with Kiryk, and the reason I say that is, even my wardrobe that I had, the wardrobe I was wearing – very, I would say Mad Max-ish…

David Read
Yes, with the leather, and pieced together…

Mike Dopud
The leather patches, and pieced together, and of course Mad Max was a thing. And I thought, “Oh my gosh, this guy is exactly, very similar to Mel Gibson’s portrayal of the character,” and I thought, “Yeah, he’s tough, he’s been through a lot, but he still has heart, he still has humanity left in him. It hasn’t been wiped away yet.” Obviously with Mad Max – The Road Warrior, it’s a whole different ballgame – but the original, he had heart, right? And I just felt like Kiryk has that, and he could not leave this poor girl alone. He had to find a way to get it… But like you said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” And it’s because at first you see him, he could easily look like a killer or somebody that would do some harm, right?

David Read
Yeah, if he had to, under certain circumstances he would. Tell us about working with Jewel Staite.

Mike Dopud
Jewel’s fantastic. I’m such a fan of her. She’s such a good person and just fun. That whole set was great. Honestly, that’s why I love the whole Stargate universe. Well, the whole, I guess, Stargate Universe…

David Read
The whole of it, not just that one show.

Mike Dopud
The whole of it, yes. Is that they’re open, and I got there… Jason was great to work with, we had great time doing fight scenes. David Hewlett, watching him spew all that dialogue – he was so good. And Jewel as well, and working with Jewel. She was very receptive, and we came up with some ways to do things. Will Waring was our director, and Will was great. Will has become a good friend of mine since that. So yeah, Jewel’s amazing, she was fun. Jason was great, lots of laughs and doing fights. And he’s a great fighter too, so we really meshed well together when it came to that.

David Read
What was it like working with BamBam And his sensibilities? Because he was he was doing stunts for this episode, right?

Mike Dopud
Yes, he was the coordinator. Stunt coordinator. Love James, I’ve known [him] for years. We’ve worked together as stunt performers. And since, we’ve become very good friends. I still talk to him every – I want to say every couple of weeks, every month or whatever – but we still, once in a while. And through social media we connect, we respond to each other’s posts and such. I’m a big fan of James Bamford. He’s a good person, really good person, amazing, very smart. And he’s directing now, he’s teaching…

David Read
I know, he’s a rising star, it’s amazing to watch him. Every time I turn around he’s doing something else.

Mike Dopud
I know. And I was very fortunate that he’s brought me on, he brought me on Arrow, a few other things. So I have a lot of respect for James.

David Read
When SGU comes along, near the the end of season one, the ship gets boarded – Destiny gets boarded – by the Lucian Alliance. I was kind of surprised that it wasn’t Ventrell who boarded the ship, but they wanted to go with another character. And that was Varro. Did you audition for this role? Were you offered this role at this point? Tell us about getting this part that extended over the rest of the life of the show?

Mike Dopud
Well, I have to… Obviously, Brad Wright and Joe Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, I’m very fortunate that I’ve had a great relationship with those guys. And specifically Joe, as far as talking about these characters. So originally, I was going to read for one of the series regulars. However, MGM had said no, because… I didn’t know it, but my Kiryk character resonated with a lot of people, and they thought it was too soon and they didn’t think… And then there was this whole thing of like, “Yeah, but he played Ventrell, but he’s Kiryk, but he’s… How? He can’t be on the show. He can’t, it’s too soon, there’s no way.”

David Read
He’s too recognizable.

Mike Dopud
Too recognizable, yes.

David Read
I’ve heard that from so many of the Stargate cast…are like, “We have this wonderful thing over here, and now we can’t use you again.” What…bunk! I’m sorry, but that’s bunk.

Mike Dopud
Yeah, I agree! But listen, I’m just an actor looking for work. Having said that, eventually they came up to me, and asked me to – I think I did audition for it – and asked me to read, and I figured they knew my sensibilities as an actor, and they brought… They needed something, I guess… They weren’t gonna introduce a Lucian Alliance – I don’t believe till season two, if they were going to introduce him – and then they decided to bring him, bring them in sooner. And I was very lucky that they came to me and asked me, and I think I did audition for it. But knowing that I was on their mind. And then I got it. You know, like every actor you audition, and you hope you get it. And I did. I’m very happy I got it, too.

David Read
They were taking the franchise into, I think, a darker, more realistic – to a degree – place. Everything was just upgraded, right down to the floor of the studio. I remember James Robbins (production designer), they built that ship with steel. They built it to last five, six seasons. And the money that they poured into this thing… Did you see a growth in the development of all the different trades that were coming together to bring this franchise to the next chapter?

Mike Dopud
Yes, it… Listen, it was a departure, correct? From the original Stargate and Stargate Atlantis. And I believe there was some backlash from the fans that weren’t…they wanted the original stuff. But they decided to make things different and to go in a more character-driven, a little darker, moody environment. Which I think was great. As an actor, it’s amazing because you really get to delve into your character and try to bring out all these nuances that, because it’s character-driven, you can bring all these things to it – more to it, more backstory, more feeling, I believe. That’s what was amazing about it. But yeah, I mean, it’s all the same crew like Val Halverson…

David Read
Costume designer. She’s amazing.

Mike Dopud
She’s amazing.

David Read
She loved dressing you, by the way.

Mike Dopud
Our joke is always, “Well, I’m on a show with Val, I guess I’m gonna be in leather again.”

David Read
She did love leather, that’s true.

Mike Dopud
I just think everybody had to elevate their game, I believe for Stargate Universe, for SGU. Everybody had to, from the directors, to producers, to the set deck, to costumes, and I think they did. I thought they did a fantastic job.

David Read
Varro’s relationship with TJ was one of one of my favorite angles from season two. And it was a look into this guy who was a mercenary, who came from a world… I mean, God only knows what the Goa’uld and these pirates had done to them. I don’t know how much you know about Star Trek Voyager, but I always looked at Varro as kind of like the Tom Paris of Destiny, whereas he… We never had this monologue with him, but I think that if we had the chance, that he would have said that he looked at Destiny as his second chance, as a chance to get away from the more “pirate” aspects of his nature, and actually do something good with the skills that he had acquired in his life, from doing what he had to do.

Mike Dopud
I totally agree. I believe Varro… I guess it would be a second chance when I think about it. But yes, he wanted to be part of the Destiny. Deep down, he wanted to be part of something good, as opposed to the pirate life like you mentioned, and I think he felt that with specifically TJ. Obviously there was some friction with some of the crew members, but having said that, I think it worked out well in the end, and who knows where it was gonna go. I remember Carl Binder and Joe Mallozzi had differing opinions on it. I think Joe was shipping more TJ and Varro, and Carl was shipping more Colonel Young and TJ, so…

David Read
Well, you got to have your cake and eat it too, with twin Destinies and Epilogue, especially the latter half of the season. Because you got to see the character in an alternate timeline explored, with the older makeup, and actually pairing off…I think with James, if I’m not mistaken? What a wild ride.

Mike Dopud
Yes. It was so different. Because you read the script and they talk about it, and you’re like, “This is crazy. How are we going to do this? How do we pull it off?” But it actually…it worked. I thought it was great. I thought that our producers did such a wonderful job, bringing that storyline and making it work. But I still think at the end of the day, I just wish we could have gone on because I just want to know where it was gonna go. And I’m sure everybody else does too. But we…

David Read
I have hopes.

Mike Dopud
…we all go in these pods and that was it, and I’m like, “Ah, what happens, what happens?” Right?

David Read
I’m hopeful that we will see some version of a piece of the story that Brad wanted to tell long term. But you’re right, the ending was such a kick in the gut, when you guys go into stasis and Joel’s music is playing. It’s one of the hardest 20 minutes for me to watch as a fan. For a long time, I didn’t. But it’s an extraordinary series. And I think that had it been… It was very ahead of its time, in terms of the texture of the storytelling that it was going for, in terms of the pacing, it was slowing down. Now that’s normal. You pick up that show, and you drop it in 10, 15 years later, people would have been so much more accepting of it at that point.

Mike Dopud
Yes, abs…I agree.

David Read
I think that what they were doing was revolutionary at the time. You’re right, the fandom responded very powerfully against the direction that they were going, so many people did, because Atlantis was lighter fare, and they were going to go in this different place. So but what a…

Mike Dopud
Listen, when you do these darker shows and more character-driven shows, it hits a nerve with a lot of fans, or a lot of people, that don’t want to… Some people escape with television, and they just want to have fun. And I think sometimes, some of the issues that we were dealing with as these characters may hit a nerve with some of the fans, and they don’t want that, they don’t want to feel that, they just want to be happy, they just want to enjoy a fun ride. And there’s nothing wrong with that. My wife, she can’t watch terrible things, like anything that has to do…especially children being abducted, she just can’t cannot watch it. She just refuses to… And I understand that.

David Read
Rob Cooper and I had an interesting conversation about this. He’s somebody who doesn’t like to, to touch if he can avoid it. And right, yes, it feels like a cheap trick for him.

Mike Dopud
Yeah, it’s not my favorite either. But I like darker stories and crime stories. There’s so many other things. I guess it’s always something I’ve always been a part of as an actor. I’ve always wanted to figure out why people do these things, or how they do these things, and why, and what goes through your mind. It’s always challenging for me to try and figure things out. So I’ll go more to the darker side. But I do enjoy fun movies, hence Violent Night coming out December 2nd.

David Read
We’re not born evil. Something happens to us.

Mike Dopud
I think some people are. And the only reason I say that is I see some kids… I’ve seen some kids, and I’ve coached kids throughout hockey, football, soccer, throughout my life. And I started young, and I remember as a kid – and you’re right, maybe it was their upbringing for the first five years that wasn’t great – but I truly believe some people are just not…something’s wrong.

David Read
Yeah, not everyone’s Well, no, I completely agree with you there.

Mike Dopud
I don’t know. It’s tough to say. Are you born evil? More often than not, I would say it’s their environment that that creates this evil spirit or this meanness. I would agree with you there. But I do have to believe that sometimes, not everybody is born fine, or normal or…pleasant, for lack of a better term.

David Read
And something happens, and…

Mike Dopud
I mean, we could talk about this for hours.

David Read
Oh, yeah, I’m totally down for a psychology discussion, for sure. General Maximus wanted to know, “Mike, what has been your favorite Stargate character to play, when you just look at them for their traits and for what they brought to the table that you can make a meal of in an episode? From the character’s perspective, or…”

Mike Dopud
Man, I love them all, I do, I do. I think Varro would be the one that, as far as just the depth that you can get to the character, and the fact that was on the show for a while. The other ones were one one-off episodes, so we really couldn’t delve into more. But Ventrell would have been fun to play, even Kiryk. Could you imagine a world where Ronon and Kiryk were going off, trying to get some people or save some people or… And that was discussed as, well by the way. But yeah, that would have been a blast to do.

David Read
Absolutely! Like, “I need this person with a certain set of skills.”

Mike Dopud
Perfect, exactly. And that would have made a great team. Ventrell is just a badass, he didn’t want anybody, he was just on his own, he was just gonna find his…

David Read
Lone wolf.

Mike Dopud
Lone wolf, yeah, absolutely. And Varro I think Varro had a bit more depth than the other two. So I’d say Varro, but man, it’s one A, one B, one C, right? At the end of the…

David Read
Karen Ford wanted to know, “Was there any trait of yours that you put into Varro specifically, since you had a little bit more time with him? Any trait that you share?”

Mike Dopud
Yeah, I think that Varro was very attentive, and I believe I am, with people. And when I speak to people, I try to just include that person. It doesn’t always work. But I think I really am into that person. I think with TJ, there was a connection, and…

David Read
There was an intensity.

Mike Dopud
Yeah, I think so. And I think I infused some of that – of who I am – into Varro, especially with TJ, and just trying to make things work. Like even with Colonel Young, when Varro was having issues and could get…”But I need to get to the bottom of this. We have to figure this out.” And I’m like that sometimes too. I’m a bit stubborn, so I…no, I think some of the some of the stubbornness got in there.

David Read
That’s great. Karen also wanted to know, “Can we anticipate any more Hallmark Christmas movies or the like, in the future?”

Mike Dopud
It’s such a departure from the… Hi, Karen, by the way, you’re a sweet person. I think I had one just come out, but I haven’t done any other…none in the last, like, six months or so. So I don’t know. I’m working on some of my own stuff, trying to get some of my own projects off the ground. It’s still more of a… Yeah, just trying to get my own projects off the ground. So if it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.

David Read
Well, if there’s any way that we can help with that. I am all here for you as well.

Mike Dopud
Thank you. Yeah, I’ll reach out to you guys when the time’s right.

David Read
Absolutely! Last question from Karen: “When can we expect you back to St. John’s, Newfoundland for another convention? Any conventions on the horizon?”

Mike Dopud
No, I stayed away from conventions… I did the Stargate convention. When was that, September?

David Read
GateCon.

Mike Dopud
GateCon was September, am I right?

David Read
Yeah, that was it.

Mike Dopud
That’s the last one I’ve done in years. I think now that my kids are getting older and I’m not as involved with the coaching as… My son’s 18 and my daughter’s gonna be 14 soon.

David Read
Wow.

Mike Dopud
Yeah, I know, time flies.

David Read
So fast.

Mike Dopud
I believe I will start trying to get out there. So yeah, hit me up Karen!

David Read
Lockwatcher: “What is one of the tougher stunts that you achieved, that you remember doing, that was one of the tougher ones that you did?”

Mike Dopud
Man, there’s there’s a few… I did a car hit, which was daunting, was like “Okay, maybe I don’t want to do too many of these.”

David Read
What was this, what project was this?

Mike Dopud
It’s called, I believe, Twist of Fate. And I was doubling…oh, what’s his name, I’m just drawing a blank…Michael, Michael Ironside. And I was doubling him, and we had to do this sequence where I run out in the street, and a car comes and hits me, and I go flying, and… Doing that the first time… I’ve done a couple car hits. That was daunting. You know, high falls are always a little scary. I did a good one for Walking Tall. And we got nominated for the World Stunt Awards for that one.

David Read
Wow.

Mike Dopud
Yeah, that was a tricky one. And there was three different, separate things to it: me bouncing off a pipe going through these cylinders, and then actual high fall, and then landing on these on these steel grates that they were able to file down so that they didn’t tear our arms apart.

Mike Dopud
Tanoai Reed was The Rock’s double at the time. So we did that together, we rehearsed, and that was a blast. It was fun trying to come up with a way to do it, and our stunt coordinators were fantastic and kept us safe. I mean, listen, some stunts just hurt. You’re going to innately get a bruise, or you may break some…you may you know, separate something and…

David Read
Oh, man.

David Read
There’s no two ways about it. You’re gonna walk away…

Mike Dopud
Yeah, you’re gonna walk with…

David Read
You’re gonna walk away with pain.

Mike Dopud
Yeah. So then it goes Advil and…

David Read
Right. BamBam, for an episode of SGU called Cloverdale, there’s a car hit, and I forget the name of the stunt performer for that episode, but he did an amazing job. They did it in one take, and he hit the car in a position that they weren’t planning.

Mike Dopud
Right.

David Read
And he really injured himself. But they got the shot, and they’re like, “We’re not gonna to do another take of that.” It’s just one of the ways you see the hit on camera from beginning to end. And the behind the scenes clip is just… The work that some of those guys put themselves through, just to be thrown in front of a situation like that. And they walk away with a smile on their face and a little bit of money in their pocket. Wow. You know,

Mike Dopud
It’s crazy, and it’s not for everybody. It’s not for the faint of heart. Most people… the stunt guys are people that have loved doing things like that, that were always the first guy to jump off a cliff into the lake or…we’re fighters or martial artists, or ex pro athletes, guys that love that juice, that intensity, that adrenaline, for lack of a better term. Because, listen, it’s not just about being crazy and a daredevil, right? It’s not just doing… They’re not all daredevils, not all stunt guys are, and I know a lot of stunt guys that don’t like heights, or… Now, as I’ve gotten older, I don’t like heights as much as I used to. Before I was doing high falls, no problem. But mind you, I don’t do stunt work anymore. I focused on the acting career. But I still do fight scenes and do a lot of my own things. It’s a different mentality. And you have to be very prepared, and it’s not a perfect science. So like doing a car hit: You try to figure out what could go wrong, try to minimize that. But at the end of the day, it may go wrong. So how do you protect yourself? What can you do to help yourself? And there’s only so much you can do, and sometimes it happens, and hopefully it doesn’t happen too much in your career.

David Read
Yeah, you can pre-plan, and then at this point, we’ve just got to execute it and let the chips fall where they may. We’ve tightened the boundaries as much as we can.

Mike Dopud
Yeah, if you take a half a step wrong, or one direction as opposed to one way, or if the driver drives two miles an hour faster than he’s supposed to, that can catapult you in a different way. So it’s so hard to do. And that’s why I… Listen, I have a lot of respect for stunt people. I was one, and I don’t think you ever lose that. I think you’re always stunt guy at heart. But I have a lot of respect for the guys, because the talent level now, too, is amazing. These guys are such great performers.

David Read
Wow. Raj Luthra: “How different was it from being involved in Stargate, when you were involved in Smallville?” A very different kind of show.

Mike Dopud
Oh, yeah, totally different. One’s more comic book, obviously, and one’s more sci fi. However they they intertwine sometimes and these worlds meet. But yeah, Smallville was fun. That was more of a…again, just fun stuff to do. Yeah, had some some fun fight scenes, I did some stunt work originally. And then it was…I played security guard. George, I think it was, I can’t remember his name. Because it changed. The reason I say that is because… We were coming up with a name, and then it changed a couple times, and then it finally worked.

David Read
Have you auditioned at all for Star Trek in Toronto?

Mike Dopud
Yes. I want to say a couple times.

David Read
Okay. I’d love to see you on that.

Mike Dopud
Aww thanks, yeah, I’d love to. It didn’t go my way. But that’s the story of an actor – you can’t get everything, and you fail a lot until you get the right role for you. But yeah, I’d love to work with them. Yep, absolutely.

David Read
StartedBlastin’. Interesting names. “I really enjoyed your work in Stargate. As an actor, where do you think you took a turn and really hit your stride in your career?” What do you think?

Mike Dopud
Thank you, by the way. I would say when I started doing plays again, not just in high school, but… Which was around that same time when I was doing stunt work, but I had made a conscious choice that, I had resolved… My body was beat up from the pro sports and such. So I was like, “I don’t know if I have, you know, many years left. I don’t want to be a cripple later on. Walking with my knee, even though…” I’m doing great right now, had some surgeries to fix some things. So it’s all good. But that was pretty much around then with the Stargate time that I… Focusing on plays, and I worked with an acting coach called Larry Moss. And it was almost like… Because, being a stunt guy… Listen, casting directors aren’t really fans of stunt performers as actors. Now I think that’s changed…

David Read
No?!

Mike Dopud
No, because they don’t think stunt guys study, and a lot of them didn’t. And because you’re brought in to do the “Freeze or I’ll shoot!” That kind of stuff, right? You’re always brought in for the certain… But I did study, I studied with Larry Moss, I studied with Michelle Danner, who were really great for my career. And Larry Moss – who’s coached some Academy Award winners – for me, was the one that just sort of enabled me to appreciate who I was as an actor, and what I had to offer. He gave me sort of the permission, that hey, you’re an actor, you can do this, you have the tools, and you’re showing them right in front of…by doing plays, and by working. And I’d work with Larry a lot. So I would probably say that gave me the confidence, and then having people like Peter DeLuise and Andy Mikita, and those guys sitting there saying, “We want to cast you, what do you think?” And I was like, “I’d love to, I’d love to work with you.” And they gave me the freedom to not look at myself as a stunt guy just trying to act, to just look at myself as an actor.

David Read
It’s so much about the connections that you make, and getting yourself out there in front of an audience and giving yourself a chance for exposure, because you never know who’s watching.

Mike Dopud
Exactly, so true.

David Read
Mr. Rick Kramer would like to ask about Battlestar Galactica. “Gage, Vireem! Standing tall, right here!”

Mike Dopud
Yeah. Oh, my gosh.

David Read
I loved that role.

Mike Dopud
Gage was such an asshole, for lack of a better term. He was, he just didn’t care.

David Read
Man, beating down officers.

Mike Dopud
Tyrol… Yeah, yeah. And he didn’t care and… Specialist Gage was a guy that looked after himself. That’s all he cared about. Shit about anything else. And that’s the way I approached him, and I think it was right. That was the tone, and that was what was necessary from Gage. As far as the through line, yeah, he was an asshole.

David Read
And it’s a situation where you’ve seen this… We’re just, at that point, getting to know the crew of the Pegasus. And just how much – when you don’t have an Adama as your leader, when you have an admiral Cain – just how left to their own devices these people were, in certain situations where she would just look the other way, and it was scary stuff. That was really intense.

Mike Dopud
It was, and it was fun to play. And Tahmoh and Aaron were great. We have such a wonderful community in Vancouver as far as actors, and very giving actors. So whenever you get a chance to work with these guys, these people, it’s amazing. And I always can’t wait. And then the crew – I tend to know a lot of the crew in Vancouver. I’ve worked a lot in New York and Los Angeles, but – and it’s great there too – having said that, I’ve done most of my work in Vancouver. So it’s always great to run into the same crew members that you’ve worked with over the years. And Battlestar was a great show as well! Look how lucky I am. Am I, right?

David Read
Yeah, you’re in a scene, you’re in one and a half scenes, one scene, and it’s such a potent moment that they’re like, “Let’s bring him back,” two seasons later. You know? That’s great!

Mike Dopud
Thank you. There was a big writers’ strike going on at the time, when Battlestar had their last season, and some of the actors were cast in other shows. And then I was doing something else, but we were able to work it out that I was able to do some. So I was glad that it did work out, because it was nice to come back to the show. And Wayne Rose, who was a director on it, is a good friend of mine, as well. And I just saw him a couple of weeks ago, we had dinner together. And so yeah, you build relationships on these shows. And luckily, these people still stay in touch with me, and respond to my emails and such.

David Read
Well, when you have a job that needs to get done – in pretty much any industry – and you know of someone who can do it, and A) who fits the part, but B) you know that they’re gonna pull it off, why not call them? You know, it’s what a lot of that comes down to, I would think.

Mike Dopud
I think so too. I think it works. I think it’s very important. And I can see why a lot of actors especially – like, say, Adam Sandler or whoever – they work with the same people because it’s fun, they’re not getting any BS, they’re sitting there having a good time, and they’re getting the job that they want. They’re getting the work that they want out of the actors, and it’s… At the end of the day, nobody likes to go to work where it’s toxic, where everybody’s at each end. Unfortunately in the film industry that happen sometimes, and there are shows I’ve been on – and I’m not going to name names – but sitting there, you can see that, “They don’t even like each other. I don’t think they…I don’t think the cast even like each other.”

David Read
Isn’t that sad?

Mike Dopud
And they don’t care about who you are.

David Read
There’s so much money at stake.

Mike Dopud
I know, and then they all regret it at the end of the day afterwards. But as I’ve gotten older I realize, okay, well enjoy every moment because you never know which show is gonna be that one. And if it’s a bad show, just do your job and go home.

David Read
Yeah, or the opportunity that you’re missing, not enjoying a show that on the output at the end of it, you’re really going to regret behaving this way, in this part of your life when all is said and done, because you have something in your hands here that’s of quality, and you don’t even see it.

Mike Dopud
Yeah, and I don’t care how bad you are or how tough you are or how egotistical you are, there’s going to be a point in your life, at some point – you might be eighty-five years old – but you’ll sit there and go, “You know, maybe I shouldn’t have been such a dick or an asshole to people.” And I truly believe that. I have to believe that.

David Read
Yeah. Philippe Canat: “Hi, Mike. The evolution of Varro along SGU season two lines was something to behold. I liked where the season was going, with the idea of different clans within the alliance, was really cool.” One of the things that season two really pushed to the forefront: This is a culture that we’d seen off and on throughout SG-1, and just a little bit at the end of season one of SGU. But there was a lot of infighting. And a lot of those clans really came apparent in season two of the show, where not only were they brought together by Kiva to do this mission, but their goals for each individual group were not all the same. So there was a lot of chaos there.

Mike Dopud
Which brings out the character-driven roles, which helps bring out more of this stuff, the dysfunction, how you have to work with people that you don’t like, necessarily, and you don’t have the same vision or the same goal. And to me, that’s interesting. With Varro, and the way the scripts were going in, where his character was going was… We talked with Joe Mallozzi, which was interesting, because I think he coined the term… He’s like, “What’s kind of interesting,” he goes, “Not a lot of people can pull this off.” He said, “You’re a killer with a heart.” “Oh my gosh, that’s Varro! That’s so good!”

Mike Dopud
“I’m so sorry I’ve got to do this.” POW!

Mike Dopud
And I told him I’m gonna use it. So I think I’ve used it a couple of times.

David Read
Oh, that’s funny. Tracy says, “It was a pleasure to meet you at GateCon. I was wondering, have you ever considered writing your own script or pitching an idea for a movie or miniseries?”

Mike Dopud
I’m currently doing that right now.

David Read
Can you give us a hint, a genre, or what kind of direction?

Mike Dopud
More…again, more character-driven stuff, more drama. And I do have a feature film that is a comedy that is written. A good friend of mine has written it. But we’re coming together, and we’re trying to start our pitches in the new year. So we’re just tweaking the script. And yeah, there’s a comedy feature. There’s a series. I just don’t want to talk because there’s NDAs involved in these.

David Read
Of course, absolutely.

Mike Dopud
I meant, to their titles or such. But there’s another series that I’m trying to create. I’m just starting to think about the storylines. So that’s where I’ve been busy, trying to come up with certain things on my own. And I’m very excited about where this could go. I had some good meetings this past week in Los Angeles. So yeah, hopefully something new.

David Read
Good for you, man. Well, I wish you all the best in that. And please keep us, keep me updated. So we can continue to push your stuff on Dial the Gate.

Mike Dopud
Absolutely. Yeah.

David Read
This is cool. Mama Nox Erika: “Would you consider doing an event or a convention in the UK?”

Mike Dopud
Absolutely, yes. I’m in!

David Read
Alaskan Ballistics…

Mike Dopud
Before…sorry to cut you off…

David Read
Yeah?

Mike Dopud
I was supposed to…I can’t remember the convention. I was supposed to do two conventions prior to COVID, and then they were canceled.

David Read
Was it Cal Mah?

Mike Dopud
Yeah, well, that was one of them. And I can’t remember the other one, offhand. I think it was in Mexico, maybe.

David Read
Wow, that would be cool.

Mike Dopud
But yeah, so I think it was Kal Mah. And then the pandemic happened, and then…

David Read
That darn pandemic, it got in the way of everything good.

Mike Dopud
Yeah, I don’t even count those years.

David Read
The before times.

Mike Dopud
I probably say something like, “Yeah, it was a couple years ago.” No, it was four years ago.

David Read
Right, exactly!

Mike Dopud
Don’t count those years.

David Read
People do that a lot, too. We were in stasis, you know, we didn’t know what was gonna happen. Now it’s time to get back to life. All right, Alaskan Ballistics: “Mike, if there is another Stargate, if Brad does get his next series off the ground with Amazon – because he’s written a pilot for a fourth – would you like to be involved? And if you had your pick, how would you like to be involved? Would you like to write, perhaps?”

Mike Dopud
No, I’ll leave that to the great writers. I have a lot of respect for Brad, he’s such a great writer. So for me, no. Obviously, if they’d have me, I’d love to act on the show. I’d love to be part of the show. Be it Varro, whichever vision that they have. But yeah, I’d love to. There’s been a lot of years that have passed since then. But if they’re still open to it, I’m in, I’m all in.

David Read
I have had this going theory that the Lucian Alliance guys and Kiryk are all the same kind of temporal being; that you’re some form of alien with 1000 faces across all the different galaxies.

Mike Dopud
Ahh, that’s…I love it. Yeah! Joe was trying to come up with a way to describe – Joe Mallozzi, that is – to describe how I came to be as Varro, and he had it worded perfectly. I can’t remember exactly how he put it, but that was going to be his explanation to people, as to how could I possibly be Varro.

David Read
He’s at least Odai Ventrell’s cousin.

Mike Dopud
Yes, I think it’s along those lines.

David Read
That’s funny. Oh, gosh. William Arends: “What did you feel about your character, Jaworski, in Continuum? Was that character similar to the ones from Stargate at all?” I’ve not seen Continuum.

Mike Dopud
No, no. He’d be similar to probably Ventrell. I would say Odai Ventrell. That would be as close…but not really, because Jaworski was a ruthless killer and a criminal, and never did apologize for it. And again, another person that is out for themselves and… But he was a badass, Jaworski was a badass. He was evil, he could be evil if he had to be, and he was a killing machine. So I had fun playing that role, and a few things… I ended up on another show… So there’s certain things that happened, but they brought me back for a great one-off episode – I think it was season three, if I remember correctly – and that was a blast, working with them. Obviously, Simon Barry is a friend of mine, and producer and showrunner of the show. He was great, and Rachel was fantastic as well, working with her. So yeah, I enjoyed playing Jaworski. Absolutely!

David Read
That’s a lot to be thankful for, a lot of these cool parts that you get. Especially with these genre shows, we get to watch and go, “Hey, it’s Mike!”

Mike Dopud
I’m so lucky that people do bring that up. So again, yeah, I’m very fortunate and grateful.

David Read
Elizabeth Lee: “What was Stargate like compared to some of the other Vancouver projects? You’ve got a show, a team of people that did 17 seasons of television. Was there a level of professionalism there that was consistent, compared to some of the other projects that you may have been a part of up there? Was there anything that set Stargate apart?”

Mike Dopud
Yes. Obviously, it was such a well oiled machine. They’d been doing this together. They knew exactly what they were doing. There was never a question… There’s always some character things that you go through, and every show has its own little challenges, per se. It was an amazing, well oiled machine. I know, they tried to make everybody happy, so yes, that probably set us [apart]. But again, the other shows were great, too. And sometimes when you’re in the first season of a show, it takes a while to get that going. So it’s not fair to judge some of the other shows.

David Read
Yeah, they’re figuring stuff out.

Mike Dopud
They’re figuring stuff out. I’m sure the first couple years of Stargate wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.

Mike Dopud
For sure.

Mike Dopud
But having said that, yes, Stargate was one of those shows, that was such a well oiled machine that it just moved itself, and then lucky to have some great actors that wanted to be there and work with each other. So yeah, that’s why it stands out in some ways. Yes.

David Read
That’s cool. Jess Marshall: “Not a question, but I just wanted to let you know I have loved you in so many of your roles on multiple shows. So thank you for doing Dial the Gate”

Mike Dopud
Thank you, appreciate it.

David Read
Sir, it has been a privilege to have you on, spending some of your Saturday afternoon with us, and going through these stories together, for characters that you’ve created, that we love to hate and then come to love. You know it’s a privilege to have you on, and I really appreciate you taking the time.

Mike Dopud
Well, I’m very grateful to you for bringing me on the show, and grateful to everybody, thankful to all the fans that watch. And you know, Stargate’s been gone a while, and people talk about it, and it still resonates with people. And having said that, again, I’m very thankful that people still watch some of my stuff from Stargate, and my new stuff, and they follow me throughout. So, again, I’m very lucky. Thanks for having me, this was fun talking again.

David Read
Thank you, and I’m looking forward to Violent Night.

Mike Dopud
Yes, Violent Night opens December 2, theatrically, Universal Pictures. Go see it!

David Read
I appreciate your time, sir.

Mike Dopud
All right, David. Thank you, my friend.

David Read
You be in touch. I’m going to wrap up things on this end. I’ll talk to you soon.

Mike Dopud
Thank you.

David Read
Be well.

Mike Dopud
Thanks, David. You too.

David Read
Mike Dopud, everyone. Nine different roles from Stargate. The roles that are confirmed on the Stargate wiki are an unnamed Jaffa in Within the Serpent’s Grasp as well as Family, the Eurondan soldier in The Other Side, a Jaffa in Revelations, Colonel Chernovshev in Full Alert, Odai Ventrell in Bounty, a Genii soldier in Coup d’Etat – we didn’t talk about the Genii – Kiryk in Tracker, and of course Varro in SGU. Always great to have some time with Mike. Thank you so much for tuning in. And if you enjoy the show, please give us a Like. It makes a difference and gets the word out there about the show. A couple of questions were left over for me last time and I did not get to them, as I often forget about myself. So for David from Tune Tamasha: “Does anyone know where exactly in Canada the SG-1 Abydos area was filmed? Carcross Desert, Sand Dunes National Park, Farewell Canyons…” There was there was a plot of sand that – I need to speak with the production people about it, and all I know is it was shrinking year over year – that they use for Abydos until it was reduced to this postage stamp. And I’m not exactly [sure] where it was in the Vancouver area. But that’s basically where they they shot the scenes for the dunes. I didn’t really know what its name was, but I don’t think it exists anymore. That’s a problem with a lot of the Stargate locations. They’re just no longer around, and it’s so disappointing. Because when we were up in Vancouver for GateCon, we went to a lot of those locations to get some footage of them, and they just don’t exist anymore. Like the village from – what was the episode in season seven where the link was resetting everybody – Revisions. It’s the same location that was used in Atlantis for the episode that Lucius Lavin came back in, Irresponsible, and that location was torn down. And it’s like, “Why? Why?” It’s a beautiful location. I mean, it couldn’t have been more than more than 10, 20 years old. But new development. The same thing happened with Sateda and that area that was used, “Oh my god, we dialed Pittsburgh,” in SGU, it was cleared for new developments. And so I guess there’s nothing that you can see – it’s gone. Theresa MC: “Have you gotten any new items for your shelves in the back?” Yes for season three specifically. Got this guy here from 3d-tech.pro. This is my second replicator. This is the B configuration, or Type Two configuration if you want to call it that. And I think this guy was introduced in Enemies, if I’m not mistaken. Every replicator before that had been more of the spider type, but this one was introduced for Enemies, and I think saw it again in the episode that introduced Reese…Menace. So 3d-tech.pro provided this guy. You can go to their website if you want one as well. You know, it’s one of these things where, you see, I never thought I would hold one. And then we get 3d printers. And then we get good 3d printers and good artists to make some cool stuff with them. And now, here they are willed into solid reality. Shipping’s a bit of a bear, let me tell you, because of the legs – they tend to break. Martin Wood is going to be joining us in 45 minutes. That’s going to be at two o’clock Pacific Time, five o’clock Eastern Time, and we’re going to be discussing more Stargate, so if you want to join us for that we would love to have you. Let me see here…and Dial the Gate is brought to you every week for free, and we do appreciate you watching, and if you want to support the show further, buy yourself some of our themed swag. We’re now offering T-shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts and hoodies for all ages, as well as cups and other accessories in a variety of sizes and colors at DialTheGate.com. So if you have a Stargate fan on your Christmas list, you still have time, so go ahead and give that a check. Go to DialTheGate.com for the current list of all of our upcoming shows. So we had Mike Dopud today, Martin Wood will be joining us at 2pm Pacific. Next week we have scheduled Andee Frizzell, the Wraith queen in Stargate Atlantis, on December the 3rd, Saturday at 12 noon Pacific Time; followed by State of the Gate, the latest episode with Jenny Stiven and Darren Sumner. Jenny Stiven is our our Hollywood guru. She’s been in marketing since…well for a while, I’ll say, and she knows pretty much everyone out there, and if she doesn’t, she knows someone who does. So she’s going to be giving us an update on where the Stargate franchise is right now based on her information, and that’s going to be Saturday December the 3rd. For the Wormhole X-treme front, we’re going to be doing tomorrow Broca Divide and First Commandment. That’s Sunday, November the 27th at 10am Pacific Time, and that’s over at youtube.com/WormholeXTremists. My name is David Reed for Dial the Gate. I really appreciate you tuning in. Thanks so much to Tracy for helping out in the chat. And my moderating team Sommer, Keith, Jeremy, Rhys and Anthony. We appreciate all of you who make the show possible. Thanks to Frederick Marcoux at ConceptsWeb. He’s our web developer for Dial the Gate. We’ll be back in about 44 minutes for Martin Wood. Again, I’m David Reed for Dial the Gate, and I’ll see you on the other side.