BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: KATEE SACKHOFF

With the fourth -- and final season -- of SciFi's Battlestar Galactica beginning on Friday at 10 p.m., the network staged a press teleconference with Katee Sackhoff, who plays Starbuck.

Following are edited highlights:

Question: How cool and gratifying has it been that you won over those fans who were first skeptical and negative (about Starbuck being a woman in the new version of Battlestar Galactica)? And on a larger scale, how cool and gratifying has it been that this show, this version gained so many fans in general?

Sackhoff: It is completely gratifying in a sense. I think for the full reason that it's nice to have people identify with the character that you're playing and appreciate the work you're doing. I don't think I went into this trying to win over the old fans because I think that you can't ever please everyone and I didn't want to focus on people that were all ready in a sense, you know, spewing negative energy at me. So I just kind of did what I did and it's nice to know that some of them have been converted. ... For all the people who said that it wouldn't work with a woman, it's kind of nice to know that it did work for sure.

Question: What do you think helped turn that around to make people accept Starbuck as a woman?

Sackhoff: Honestly what made people accept Starbuck as a woman was that she was just such a interesting character. I think once people put their guard down as far as the preconceived notions of what the show was supposed to be and just allowed it to be really good science fiction, I think that's also probably the same time when people accepted Starbuck for being a woman, was when they stopped thinking of the old show. It'd be hard to figure out when that probably happened bu probably after the first season -- that cliffhanger at the very end that probably got all the fans hooked.

Question: What should we make of the positioning in that "Last Supper" picture of the BSG cast? For instance, you're with Anders and Lee is alone, Six is in the Messiah's position. Are there any hints there you can tell us about?

Sackhoff: No. You know it's interesting that everyone thinks that there's something hidden in that Last Supper photo, like if you look hard enough you can find there's hidden messages in it. To be honest I think we would have had to have been in on it to create a hidden message and we were all just there having a photo shoot. I mean it is interesting the way people are standing for sure. The plastic sheath with Anders is interesting, so I don't know. And the fact that they made Tricia the messiah is pretty interesting too. But, you know, I wish I knew what they were thinking...

Question: How are you feeling now that the show is ending and how is the rest of the cast feeling?

Sackhoff: Well, I can't speak for the rest of the cast, so I don't know how they're feeling. As far as how I'm feeling, it's interesting. There's a side to me, the selfish side of you that wants to go on and play different roles, so there's an excitement I think brewing for everyone in a sense, that we get to go off and play these new characters. Why you became an actor is to not play the same character for 10 years. So it's kind of nice.

I think that it is sad just because the work environment on Battlestar Galactica is absolutely amazing and I don't think it's something that comes along a lot. I've done so many canceled television shows I can tell you that it's not normal to enjoy going to work and to enjoy the people you work with. So I know that that chances are I'm never going to find that again, so that's sad as well. But you know as far as moving on with the show, I don't think I'm really going to feel the pain of it until the very end.

Question: What do you feel like the impact of the show has had on the SciFi genre and for the channel?

Sackhoff: What was so interesting about our show is that we never relied on the science fiction of the show to drive the show. We relied on the drama and the human condition and those really important questions. That's what we depended on for the show and could move it along. Most science fiction shows rely way too much on the bells and whistles. So I think that it kind of opened doors in science fiction to realize that science fiction is just a setting.

Question: Did you know that Starbuck would become such a popular and kind of an iconic character when you signed up to do this?

Sackhoff: I didn't even know the show would become as iconic as it is. It's taken on a life of its own and become something completely different than what I ever thought it would. I thought it was just going to be a paycheck. And so, no, I didn't know Starbucks would ever become what she's become. So many things had to come together to make that a reality. I think that the writing was perfect and the way they wrote Starbuck was perfect and all the planets had to align to get this to be perfect.

Question: At the end of last season a couple of the actors playing the final five Cylons weren't too happy -- at least initially -- to find out that they were Cylons. But if Starbuck turns out to be a Cylon or an agent of the Cylons, will you be pleased or displeased or indifferent?

Sackhoff: Well, I think the reason the four actors were upset about being Cylons is that I think you play for years making choices as a character and then to realize all those choices you made would have been different had you known. It's kind of like, you get the wool pulled over your eyes for four years and then lo and behold, your character's something completely different.

But I would be completely indifferent. I have love for this character and I think we all do as far as everyone for their characters on the show, but ... they were pretty angry. I still think Michael Hogan hasn't come to terms with it. I don't think he's ready to accept it yet.

Question: How did you juggle two great characters on Battlestar Galactica and Bionic Woman at the same time and what do you like about these sort of action heavy sci-fi roles?

Sackhoff: I always had to remind myself of who I was, because I think that the two characters were so different but could have been played so similar. I always had to make sure that I knew where I was and let go of the other story line, even if I was working on both shows in the same day. Starbuck comes so easily to me now that even the lines and the dialogue, I don't even memorize the dialogue anymore.

But Bionic Woman, I always had to talk myself into it and make sure I was where I was supposed to be.

And as far as the strong characters are concerned, I have this deep affinity for these characters. I think that I've reluctantly turned into the go-to tough girl in this business and I'm ready to do a job that requires no blood and guts and ghosts or anything. So, a nice little romantic comedy with James McAvoy would be fantastic.

Question: Could you talk a little bit about how this season they're going to handle the marriage between Starbuck and Anders?

Sackhoff: If I knew, I would tell you. I have no idea. You know, we are at episode 14 right now in our shooting schedule and I am no closer to being able to have any questions answered from last season than I am now.

Question: It's not really being played up then?

Sackhoff: Without giving too much away here, I think that there are more important issues being dealt with right now on the show for these characters than what Starbuck is and how her marriage is. There's a lot of really heavy things happening right now and I think that her marriage to Anders is the least of her concerns. But at the same time it would be interesting to ask those questions, you know, because we don't identify this thing as a person. Is her marriage even legal? I don't know.

But as far as me handling it, if it ever gets broached, I think Starbuck is starting to feel compassion for the things she hates the most... These are the major questions of humanity and what the show,has always kind of asked, is that if you found out tomorrow that your best friend or your mother or something was a Cylon, would it make your experiences that you had with that person or thing less important to you?

No, it's the same emotion, the same feelings, the same thing that you had experiences with. They're just different than you always thought they were, it doesn't mean that it is less, it's just different. And I think that that'ssomething that they're starting to remember.

Question: I know that your character is one of the more rebellious, impulsive characters on the show. After playing Starbuck for four seasons, have you picked up any of her hardcore habits or anything like that? Or her love of poker or anything?

Sackhoff: No, I still have never played a game of poker.I still don't smoke cigars. I haven't picked up anything from her, I don't think. If I was to say that I picked up something it would be that... I think that her strength and her conviction is something she believes in is pretty interesting.

I would like to be able to emulate that. And then just her belief in what she has to say is really impressive. I think so many times women in general, but, you know, people as well, apologize before they say things for fear, like we give a disclaimer, like this is going to sound stupid or - and I know there's women do that all the time, like forgive me for asking this question but like the question doesn't have any merit. Well, every question does. And I think that that's something that I've learned from Starbuck is that -- and my mother used to say that as a teacher -- no question is stupid, there are no stupid questions, there's only stupid answers. That's what my mom used to always say. So that's something that I hope to take from Starbuck.

Question: Could you speak a little bit about Starbuck's mental state going into Season 4 and what finding Earth really means to her?

Sackhoff: She's very fragile, you know, she's extremely lost. We've never seen Starbuck so alone and so lost. And she's a little distressed, not only because of the way that people are treating her, but because of the questions that her coming back has raised in her own mind.

Question: And finding Earth and the sort of mission that she's on?

Sackhoff: I think it's her revolution. I think it's her end. I think that she's putting so much weight on this one thing, this one task that she believes that is her destiny, that I think she wouldn't let anything stand in her way -- anything. When that is the case, you've got a very scary person on your hands when they're unwilling, completely unwilling, to sacrifice everything to accomplish something. That's scary. So I think that we're going to see a lot from her this season that isn't kind of like a shell of her former self, at the same time a lot of her doing things that you don't necessarily don't agree with. SoŠ

Question: What is the best memory or experience that you're going to take with you from your time on Battlestar? And what one physical thing or prop or piece of the set would you take with you if you could to remember the show?

Sackhoff: That's easy. I'm getting in my flight suit with my helmet and my gun belt and driving home. I'm going to bronze that thing, I swear to God. I'm going to bronze it and put it in my bathtub so every time someone comes over and showers, they have to stand next to that flight suit. It was hell for so many years that it's only appropriate that I get to take it with me. Granted, I have to drive over a border so maybe I'll put the guns in the trunk and write prop on them.

Question: Ron Moore has said that he's not interested in doing a Battlestar feature film. Do you think you could change his mind and if so would you be interested in doing that film?

Sackhoff: No, I wouldn't want to change his mind. I think he's right.

He said it best at the (TCA). What he said was that what would end up happening is that you would have to focus on one or two characters. And what's so brilliant is that it's been a four-year movie and the time to tell these stories about each person individually and really have you become invested in those characters and to do a two hour movie or a one and a half hour movie I think takes away from that what we've been able to do for so long. How do you pick which two characters and when you pick those two characters are you going to flip off the other 17 main characters on the show?

Question: If you were in total control of how your character ended up toward the end of this last season, how would you have your character go out?

Sackhoff: Die.

Question: You'd like to have her die? How would you like to have her die?

Sackhoff: I don't know. Maybe something will blow up again on the ship. I don't knowthat there is anyway to end it with her being happy. What I do wish for her is peace, in whatever form that comes in, I'll be happy with it. But that's what I want. I want for her to finally have a sense of calm in her life. That would be very interesting and whether it comes with death or some kind of transcendence of some sort, whatever happens that's what I want for her.

Question: So with no Bionic Woman, what's next for you? Are you looking for another action role?

Sackhoff: Oh God I don't know what's next. That's the joy of it. Do I want to play a character just like Sarah Corvus or Starbuck? No. You know, I've already done it. I'm looking for things that are complete opposite from those two characters. Whether or not people give me the opportunity to do that, I don't know, but what's interesting is five years ago I couldn't get anyone to think I was tough and now I can't get anyone to think of me as the way they did five years ago.