Kara ‘Starbuck' Thrace Is Learning The Ropes Says Sackhoff
12 January 2005
In a new interview conducted by Steven Eramo actress Katee Sackhoff gave a little insight into her role as rebellious hot shot pilot Lt. Kara Thrace in the Ronald D. Moore Remake of Battlestar Galactica. Sackhoff added to much controversy when she took up the role of Starbuck in the series, which was a role that was inhabited by a man in the classic series, as many fans will tell you the role of Starbuck was originally portrayed by Dirk Benedict who was pretty much the break out character in the Classic show. During the build up to the mini series the actress spent most her time fending off abuse from fans of the classic show, however once the mini went into production she found a new enemy in the form of Cylons both humanoid and mechanoid in form. Her ongoing battle with the Cylons has been depicted in the 13 episode series which has been playing on SKY ONE here in the UK and will get its US Premiere this weekend when The Sci Fi Channel will be airing two episodes of the new show back to back. Steven Eramo caught up with the actress during her Hiatus from the show.
Sex change aside the new female version of Starbuck faces a few similar challenges than her Male counterpart. Starbuck in the classic series was always the lovable rogue, and Kara Thrace who has the call sign of ‘Starbuck' is also a Rogue but probably more so. We get to see a bit of growth in the Kara Thrace character in the first 13 episodes, and as the US audience will eventually find out, Kara will wind up having to take responsibility for her actions.
“My character is learning to take responsibility for what she does, and that's a big thing for her. By the end of this [first] season, we're going to find out what she's truly made of. Starbuck is put in a situation where she falls to pieces and she's going to have to dig deep within herself to find the strength to survive. That's something she's never had to do before.”
One thing is very apparent about the female incarnation of Starbuck, and that is that she has been written to be just as rough, ready and able as her male counterparts within the colonial fleet. Sackhoff who enjoys the physical demands describes just how physically demanding it can be.
“Let me tell you, I ended up with so many bumps, cuts, and bruises while we were shooting our season ender that when I'd go home, my boyfriend would look at me and say, ‘It looks like you got the crap beat out of you'. I'd say to him, ‘I know, but it was fun'. I really did have a blast, especially since most of my bruises were a direct result of Starbuck slugging it out with other women. I won't tell you which ones,” she chuckles, “but trust me, there were a lot of them.”
You can read further excerpts of this interview in the new issue of Starburst magazine which is out now.
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