Katie Sackhoff talks Riddick film, Vin Diesel and the Battlestar finale
While promoting the A&E drama “Longmire,” Katee Sackhoff talked to Collider about joining the Vin Diesel “Riddick” film and her thoughts on the “Battlestar” finale.
Universal Pictures
The “Longmire” star explained the appeal of the “Riddick” film.
The draw there is selfish. I grew up watching science fiction and action movies. I love it. I absolutely love it! I’m a huge fan of Vin [Diesel]. I’m a huge fan of the first two movies. I don’t even know how much I can say. They’re so buried in secrecy, over there at the David Twohy camp. But, selfishly, it’s what makes me tick. It’s what I enjoy doing. It’s fun. I’ve been all over the map with my films, in the last year, and the next three or four that I have planned, so I’m excited to go blow some s**t up.
Sackhoff wasn’t offered the role, she described the audition process.
Was that a role that was offered to you, or did you have to audition for it?
“I did audition for it. It’s actually a crazy story. I went in once, and then didn’t hear anything. When I went in for the first time, I just met with David. And then, the next time, they were like, “Okay, it’s down to you and four girls.” I was like, “All right.” And they were like, “Vin’s in town, so you’re gonna have to jump. When they say jump, you’ve gotta jump.” I was like, “Okay,” thinking that it could be 5 pm one night, or 8 pm one night. I got a phone call at 11 o’clock at night, from all the producers and the casting director, which thank god the casting director is a woman because I would have been like, “You want me to come where?” So, at midnight, I got out of bed, I took off my face mask and I drove to Vin’s house with my mother on the phone going, “If I don’t call you in an hour, this is the address I’m at.” And she was like, “Katee, nothing is going to happen.” I was like, “I know, but this is so weird!” And, I got the job because I showed up. I truly believe that. When I was driving home that night, at 2 o’clock in the morning, I called my mom and said, “I do believe I just got that job because I showed up.” As far as acting goes, you get to a certain point where I think everyone can do the job and it comes down to a level of commitment. I think sometimes all you have to do is show up.”
The former Starbuck addressed preparing for working with Vin Diesel.
“It’s funny, the last movie I did, I got severely hurt on. I hurt both my shoulders and my back, so much so that I couldn’t move for three months. When I say couldn’t move, that’s being over-dramatic, but I could do nothing but walk. I couldn’t push off with my shoulders because my shoulders were bad. It was very weird, and it hurt like hell. I went and had ozone injections into my spine, and all this crazy stuff done, because I was so worried I wasn’t going to be able to get physically ready for this movie. And then, I just started working out a month ago, and I’ve packed on nine pounds of muscle, which I hate. It’s like Starbuck (fromBattlestar Galactica), all over again. It’s not where my body sits. My body sits in the 130′s, and then, when I start playing these characters, I pop up to the 140′s, and I’m like, “God, my pants don’t fit anymore!” I was putting on my pants this morning and I’m like, “They’re the same size and they fit, but my ass looks weird now.” It’s very different. But, that is intimidating. I do know Vin, and I do know how professional he is, and I do know how much of a work-horse he is. He’s so committed to making a phenomenal project. To show up less than perfect for he and David would be a million dollar mistake.”
The “Battlestar” finale wasn’t always met with praise, and Sackhoff chimed in during the interview.
When you end a series like Battlestar Galactica, that so many people love, there’s no way that you can make everyone happy, but were you at least happy with how it ended?
“Yeah, I love how it ended. I’ve always said this, and people think that it’s rude for saying it, but I do think that the writers wrote themselves into a corner. That’s not a negative thing. That’s not a bad thing. It happens. With Battlestar, there were so many characters on that show to try to wrap up, and it happened so fast, that for Starbuck to not answer what or who or why, left it ambiguous and beautiful, and it gave it that bit of question. It’s like The Sopranos. You leave them guessing. I was just happier, the way that it ended. I loved it! You also don’t want to go right, if everyone thinks you’re going to go right. You go left, on purpose. Sometimes you can’t explain why, and you can’t explain what left looks like, but you just do it.”
Check out the complete interview at Collider, here.
The Riddick film doesn’t have an official title, but will come to theaters in 2013.
