There are perhaps few groups of devoted fans in the world than those who are hardcore about "Battlestar Galactica." When the cheesy '70s science-fiction series was updated for a new generation in 2004, the producers created not only a hit series but also a rabid following.
'Blood and Chrome' is the latest installment in the 'Battlestar Galactica' franchise
The show went off the air after four seasons, but the franchise has continued to expand. First there was the special movie "Razor." Then came the prequel series "Caprica," which explored the "BSG" universe 50 years before the original series was set, exploring the world before the Cylon War broke out."Caprica" gave more details to the history of the Adama family, but it didn't quite click with viewers and went off the air after one season. But that hasn't deterred executive producers David Eick and Ronald D. Moore from giving the whole thing another go. "Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome" is being rolled out as a 10-part web series on Machinima.com. These shorter episodes will be combined to create a TV movie, which will debut on the Syfy channel in early 2013.
Pasqualino joins a long line of actors who have played Bill Adama
Although Luke Pasqualino is new to the franchise, he's playing a character with a long-standing history: Bill Adama. The role was originated by Lorne Greene in the 1978 series and adapted by Edward James Olmos in the updated "BSG." Nico Cortez tackled a version of Bill in the "Razor Flashbacks" and Markus Towfigh played him in "Caprica."In a recent conference call interview, Pasqualino talked about being cast in a long line of stars to play the pilot known as "Husker." He admitted that he didn't have any preconceived notion of the role because although he'd heard of "Battlestar Galactica"; he hadn't watched the show.
Pasqualino chose not to study Olmos's portrayal
While some actors might go back and bone up on what had come before, Pasqualino didn't burden himself with the past. He recalled, "I found that I'd been offered the role of Adama in this early 20-year-old period of his life, the furthest thing from my mind was watching anything that Edward James Olmos had done because you're seeing this William Adama character [at] two completely different ages and two completely different stages in his life."Instead the newcomer studied "Caprica" to get a sense of the themes that the franchise addressed. And he drew on his own personal experiences to shape the personality of his onscreen persona. He explained, "Being 22, myself, I know that being this early 20-year-old, especially when you're going into something new like the flight school that he attended, can be quite a difficult time for a young man."
Watch Luke Pasqualino fill in Bill Adama's shoes on the web series "Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome" and check Syfy.com for the debut date of the TV movie in early 2013.
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