Talkin’ With a Terminator
SF Universe participated in a recent conference call with Summer Glau, a young actress but already a veteran of movies like Serenity (based on the Firefly TV show) and The 4400.
At this press gathering she talked about her role as Cameron, the guardian of young John Connor on the red-hot show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Playing a robot presents its own unique set of challenges and Glau admits it’s not an easy experience.
S. Glau: I think that as you do a series, you do sort of become your character in a way, and it does get much more comfortable when you read a scene. You kind of have an idea of how you want to do it. Whereas when you first begin a role, you’re really exploring it and you’re making big decisions about how you want to play her. But at this point, I think all of us in the cast have really gotten comfortable with how our characters would react in a certain situation. But I would say that the hardest part is still looking at my scene partner who might be, you know, spilling their guts to me or crying or yelling, and I can’t give anything back. You know, I mean I’m always giving something. I’m always giving energy back to my scene partner, but I can’t respond in a way that I would if I was playing a human. That never quite feels natural to me.
Cameron isn’t Summer’s first go-round playing a superhuman fighting machine, to speak. Would River Tam or Cameron win in a throwdown?
S. Glau: Well, you know, I played River for a little bit longer. I think I know more of her moves at this point, but River was all about finesse and creativity and using her form as best she could because she wasn’t the strongest person in the room, and she wasn’t the biggest girl in the room. Now playing Cameron, I don’t really break a sweat because she just gets to pick things up and throw them and bash through walls. I don’t know.
John Connor was instantly enamored with the cute girl who approached him at his new school. Then he found out she was made of heavy metal. But could there still be a love connection?
S. Glau: The writers are keeping me guessing. At this point, I can’t tell. I know that it’s a possibility. And I think that in her own way, Cameron does love John because, when I think about it, her entire existence is to protect him. Her purpose in life is to keep him safe and to be with him always. I think that she does love him, as best a robot could. But at this point, their relationship is very complicated. John is still trying to figure out how he wants to treat her and what his relationship with her should be. It’s really complicated, but I think that anything is possible at this point.
As a former cast member of the recently canceled USA sci-fi drama The 4400, Glau was saddened to hear that show’s run was over.
S. Glau: I was heartbroken. I love all of those actors. I have to say, I enjoyed my time there immensely, and I thought it was an excellent show. You know, they had a really long run though. The show was on for a long time, and I’m sure all those actors are going to do great in new projects. I wish I could have been there for the finale too because I had to leave before the last episode because I was shooting Sarah Connor, and I always thought, well maybe I’ll come back. Now I don’t know. Maybe some of those actors can come be on Terminator, so I get to see them.
The Sarah Connor Chronicles air Mondays at 8 p.m. CST on Fox.
Tags: Sarah-Connor, Serenity, Summer Glau, Terminator, The 4400Related Stories
POSTED IN: Interviews, Sarah Connor
2 opinions for Talkin’ With a Terminator
Chris Johnston
Feb 6, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Just an FYI…
The show was “Firefly”, which had a big-screen wrap-up called “Serenity”.
Chris Johnston
Feb 6, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Also, your last question seems to be missing.
I’m assuming Summer was heartbroken over the demise of “The 4400″?
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