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INTERVIEW: Actress Rachel Luttrell
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Anybody who watches Stargate Atlantis will immediately recognize Rachel Luttrell. As the beautiful Teyla Emmagan, this Tanzania-born actress brings both grace and toughness to the series. I recently had a chance to talk with Rachel about the show, as well as some big changes coming up in her life.
- Landen Pelish
Staff Writer
RACHEL LUTTRELL: Hello Landen, I love that name.
LANDEN PELISH: Oh, why thank you.
RL: I’ve just been thinking about names lately, but anyway…
[Editor’s note: Landen clearly doesn’t have children or else he would have followed up on this right away. Read on for the full scoop! - MS]
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LP: So how's the fourth season of Stargate Atlantis coming along?
RL: Fantastic. I, actually, have been wrapped for the past three weeks. And they’ve got another week and half to go in the season. So, they’re pretty much done as of next week. We’ve got a wrap party this weekend and then everything is done and in the can. I’ve actually gotten a chance to see some of the episodes, and you know, I always watch with a critical eye but I have been very happy with what’s going on.
LP: Teyla is such an interesting and unique character. How much of your own personality is in her?
RL: Oh, God. I mean, so much. That’s kind of what I love about being an actor, I mean you get a chance to show sides of yourself that you don’t on a day-to-day basis. There’s a lot of me that’s in Teyla. I think that because, in the first season, she was a bit of an outsider in the sense that she came from a different place, a different civilization etc. I just kind of drew on the fact that at least a portion of my family is from East Africa, Tanzania; a very, very small village in the rain forest region. Very much kind of “of the Earth” and a 180 degrees perspective to what happens in the western world. So, I certainly draw on that to bring that aspect of her to life.
LP: Your character is one of the more physical characters on the show. Do you enjoy filming the action sequences?
RL:Yeah, I do. [Laughs]. I like to film them when I get an opportunity to rehearse the sequence and know what I’m doing – I’m sort of a perfectionist that way. And sometimes we don’t actually have an opportunity to do that. Its like, “This is how the fight scene is going to go, and were shooting in about four hours.” Sadly, that actually happened a couple of times this year, but I do enjoy it. I’m a pretty physical person day to day. I like the physical challenge and I love that aspect of who she is. She’s a tough cookie.
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LP: Your character alwyas speaks without using contractions. Does it ever get difficult saying ‘can not’ instead of ‘can’t’ all the time?
RL: Well, no. I mean I’ve kind of gotten used to it, but we are slowly introducing the fact that she can say “can’t” now, given the fact that she has been with these people for so long. You go to another culture and suddenly you’re speaking their words and talking in their accent. So, yeah, that’s sliding in.
LP: Has it been difficult to adjust to all the recent cast changes?
RL: Well, yes and no. I mean last season obviously we found out about the shift that was happening in our structure and it was very sad, and I definitely don’t want to down play that. It was something that was kind of shocking and very sad for all of us involved. We’re a pretty tight-knit group of people. Having said that, Jewel Staite and Amanda Tapping joined us this season and they are absolutely wonderful people and their energy has been something that I think is very, very good for the show. And I certainly loved working with them.
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LP: You recently filmed A Dog's Breakfast with some of your cast mates and David Hewlett actually directed that one. Was that a fun experience for you, working with David as your director?
RL: Oh,absolutely. David has always been there from the get go. I’ve always loved David and had a great relationship with him. You know, our trailers always butted up against each other. He’s just a great guy; working with him was a lot of fun. He’s a very fun guy, a very talented man. My involvement with that movie was very--obviously I was scary at times. I was a demon role, an alien warrior…It was camped up and I love comedy so I was very happy to do something that was over the top and fun.
LP: What else do we have coming up in the future?
RL: Well, at the moment I’m working on a very personal something that is coming up: right now, it’s all about motherhood.
LP: Oh, congratulations!
[Editor’s Note: See? Told you we’d come back to it! – MS]
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RL: That’s like any moment now. I’m just working on getting the nursery ready. And then, you know I’ve always just been a very optimistic person. I think that there is much coming up. I enjoy writing and am working on a couple of scripts of my own. Obviously, I am surrounded by some very, very talented people. I really think that that is going to come to fruition as well. Yeah, I’m excited about what’s coming up.
LP: Wrapping up, is there anything else you would like our readers to know?
RL: Just that I am always incredibly grateful for the fans and their support and I think that they will be very pleased season four.
LP: Thanks again for taking the time to talk with me.
RL: My pleasure, Landen. Have a good day.
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