Date of publishing: 20th December 2006

Ryan Robbins began his career in the arts performing in a circus; he then started a band, and it was while performing with them that he was discovered and got his start in acting. He has appeared in many television shows and movies.
His most known appearances are in Stargate Atlantis, playing the leader of the Genii "Ladon Radim" and in Battlestar Galactica playing 2 roles, he was the first actor seen on the show, playing the old armistice officer (the reasons of playing an old man are explained below) and then playing "Charlie Connor" in season 3. He also recently got a role in "Alien VS Predator 2".

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Linda Craddock: Having won a Leo Award (Men Feel Pain 2004) and nominated for When Jesse was Born 2005) another for Best Performance by a male in a drama, would it be safe to say a dramatic role would be dream role for you?
Ryan Robbins: Dramatic roles are great. I do have a soft spot for comedy. I have done a fair bit of comedy. The key for me is just finding a role that is interesting and unique and I’m a big fan of just being as sincere as possible in the character. I just think comedy or drama you know, you make that character sincere and relatable, but there is something to be said about doing drama, that you know doing a really good drama sometimes feels like you’re almost kind of selfish cause it actually feels really good to get that kind of performance out.

Linda Craddock: To tell the story.
Ryan Robbins: Yeah

Linda Craddock: Tell us a little about your role in "Men Feel Pain" and "When Jesse Was Born".
Ryan Robbins: “Men Feel Pain”, its a film about, it’s actually a dark comedy which if funny that it got a dramatic title. It’s about the false messiahs syndrome and I play a character who comes across as a guy going through a really rough time and I miss interrupt his rough times or him trying to sort of sacrifice himself in a way to atone for my sins and it becomes this case of a false messiahs where my character’s so desperate to have somebody make my life better I find the poor guy and bring all these other people to him and decides that he’s going to be the one who saves us all and in actuality he’s unable to even save himself. And then “When Jesse Was Born” is written and directed by Christopher Petry who is somebody I continue to collaborate with. Actually same with “Men Feel Pain” with Brad Dryborough and Kris Elgstrand who collaborated on things for a number of years. But, with “When Jesse Was Born” it’s a story of a father, a young father and husband whose trying the best as he knows how to make a good life for his family. Unfortunately it entails some criminal activities and some really bad choices and its a story about how the best intentions of somebody can go horribly, horribly wrong. Great role to play. I had a lot of fun playing that role and had definitely nominated for the character. That film actually won a number of awards throughout the U.S. including several awards from the Sacramento Film Festival, including a best actor for myself, well it won a whole bunch of awards down there.

Linda Craddock: Will have to look into that, interesting. What aspect of the role of "Charlie Connor" in Battlestar Galactica motivated you to audition?
Ryan Robbins: Well, I’ll tell you what, I don’t know if many people know this but I have the dubious distinction of being the only actor on Battlestar Galactica to return after being killed whose a none Cylon because I actually played a role in the pilot, in the mini series but the character I played was an old man. At the very, very beginning of the mini series, the first guy you see is me.

Linda Craddock: Really?
Ryan Robbins: Yeah and the reason that happened is they had originally shown that character aging over a series of decades. So see me as a young man and gradually age but all they ended up using in the final cut was a shot of me as an old man. So we were trying to find something for me to come back on the show for a couple of seasons and we finally found something in “Charlie Connor”, who, because we didn’t want the character to look at all the same or be at all similar. Didn’t want, obviously people to try and draw any conclusions, they are completed unrelated characters I just happened to be the fortune actor to get to come back on the show. Now “Charlie Connor” I related to as a father because he is an insurgent who lost his family during the collaboration, humans with the Cylons, his son was put on a death wish list and killed, his 7 year old son so he becomes somewhat of a vigilante, angry. And being a father, I can only imagine how painful that would be and it was just a great character, its a great role and he’s still around, “Charlie’, “Charlie” keeps popping up here and there, so we get to see him some more, and plus there are so many of my friends on that show. That show is such a pleasure to work on for an actor, it’s such a treat to be involved in it.

Linda Craddock: Well that laid the foundation for the next question. You were actually a part of the “Battlestar Galactica” TV mini series in 2003. Was this prelude to the current weekly series at conception?
Ryan Robbins: Well, my role was uh, he was meant to be – there’s a character in the mini series “boxey” the kid and my character was his father who is the first Cylon casualty upon their return, the Armistice Officer at the beginning of the mini series. You see when #6 comes in and they have a little bit of dialogue exchange, then they kiss and the station blows up and it starts the war all over again. “Charlie Connor”, I think, you’re going to be the first person to actually put that out there. I don’t think anybody else knows that. We’ve never told anybody else. So this may be somewhat of an exclusive for you.

Linda Craddock: Well, we’re honored (laughter). We are absolutely honored.
Ryan Robbins: That’s great.

Linda Craddock: “Battlestar Galactica” is one of the most popular sci-fi series on television. Tell us a little about the chemistry among cast/crew members.
Ryan Robbins: Gladly, I’ll tell you it is such a great show to work on, its just such a great atmosphere. You know, I’ve never been on a show where the actors care so much about the show and the characters and the dynamics between everybody is really amazing. You know when we get scripts everybody is eager to read the script to find out what’s going on, not just with their own character but they want to find out what’s going on with everybody else, its really fun. Scripts come and people are reading scripts “Oh my God, can you believe this is really happening”, this is really crazy. Everybody talks about it, everybody has a lot of input and really, really cares about it, the cast and the crew. The attention to details and the caring that goes on is incredible. And it's, you know Edward James Oleos, I unfortunately don’t get a chance to work directly with him, but I do get to know him and I see him a lot at work and he is such a great guy, he is like the father figure to everyone, he legitimately care for everybody as does Mary as does the entire cast. A lot of cast has become close friends, you know. A lot of children have been born in the last few seasons. People actually hang out. You know you got to a lot of shows where cast members don’t hang out afterwards, they’re just kinda of happy to get rid of each other.

Linda Craddock: Yes, I’ve heard.
Ryan Robbins: But on Battlestar Galactica, Aaron Douglas is one of my close, close friends and has been since before the show, Jamie Bamber, our daughters are close in age so they spend time together and James Callis’ children is close the age of my child and we have all gotten to know each other quite well. I’m just happy to be a part of it even at the level of a supporting role, you know. I am just actually, I’m going to meet Michael Trucco for coffee after we finish this conversation.

Linda Craddock: Great! So you were a fan of “Battlestar Galactica”, the original, prior to landing role as "Charlie Connor"?
Ryan Robbins: I totally was. I really like the show and as you know, but watching the show, the two are totally dissimilar. They don’t really have a lot to do with one another it’s a complete re-imagining, but yeah the original was great. One of my first days back on the show, like when I came back as “Charlie Connor”, I got to hang out with Richard Hatch who of course is the original “Apollo” and its’ funny because we both have circus backgrounds and so we sat there all day talking about our past circus lives which is really fun.

Linda Craddock: Interesting.
Ryan Robbins: I’m talking to the original “Apollo”. How cool is that? (laughter) Yeah, there’s another great guy, just can’t say enough about him and also the crew. They’re really, really fun people (great)

Linda Craddock: Great! "Charlie's” motive for participating in the secret tribunal of 6 “Galactica” crew that try and convict those accused of collaborating with the Cylon during the occupation is the death of his young son. Can we anticipate more "Charlie Connor" as the group is sure to be discovered by senior staff?
Ryan Robbins: We do keep talking about it because I was actually at this shooting the other day and we were talking about the discovery of the tribunal, this circle we like to call it and we’ll just have to see, you know. It's hard to say because you know “Laura Roslin”, she did part in everybody for their behavior at New Caprica. But then again, what happened with the circle, the tribunal although it was, it was allowed when “Tom Zarek” was President, he gave us the free reign. This did happened after New Caprica so its falls into a really interesting crack in the politics because although Laura pardoned everybody, she pardoned everybody prior to coming back on Galactica and “Tom Zarek” had written this letter saying that we could still do what we were doing so that is still fishy. We keep talking about it and to be honest, we don’t know. We’re just as curious as everybody else is if we get busted, but I will say this, you will see more of “Charlie Connor” in season 3 and hopefully the plan is to see much more of “Charlie Connor” in season 4, especially if the fans like it.

Linda Craddock: Ok, so you collaborate with your fellow members of the circle, decide who to target, by comparing notes of their collaboration with the Cylon, vote guilty and execute them by blowing them out of the airlock. I'm curious, how does one open an airlock on a battle cruiser without the control room knowing there is a breach?
Ryan Robbins: Well, (lots of laughter) we were in the control room, we were in the launch bay and I actually pushed the launch button to open the hatch. You would think that maybe somebody in the CIC that a hatch had been opened, boy oh boy, that’s a Ron Moore, David Eick question (lots of laughter) I’m going to defer to those guys along with Michael Rymer. There was so much discussion about what it would actually look like when someone goes out an airlock. These guys, “Battlestar Galactica” really try super hard to pay attention to details. We have people, you know from NASA, that you know, technical people that get phone calls from time to time saying what would actually happen. There’s a fine line between scientific fact and truth and dramatic effects for television so sometimes I think lines get a little bit fuzzy. But I’ll bet somebody out there has a great excuse has a great reason why nobody notices that airlock being opened. (laughter) but it ain’t me. I just push the button and pushed poor “Jammer” out that thing, poor guy.

Linda Craddock: What are your views on the evolution of the Cyclon war and the effects of the virus on the resurrection process and the high command's reluctance to download during this process?
Ryan Robbins: Well, I think you guys are just going to have to wait and see. My personal thoughts are as a fan of the show is seeing more and more Cylons getting more of a conscience and concerned and the fact I like the idea that there is something within the Cylons that threatens the Cylons as opposed to them always threatening the human race. The human race threatening the Cylons you know we as human beings constantly have these issues amongst ourselves so I really like the twist of the Cylons actually having to deal with a plague within themselves, you know. You see more and more ironically, human clause in quote unquote machines, and I think that is a really interesting twist on the Cylons relationship. We’ll see how they recover.

Linda Craddock: I’m looking forward to it. How familiar with Stargate Atlantis were you prior to your role as Ladon Radim?
Ryan Robbins: A little familiar with it, you know, from SG1, knowing a little about SG1 and again, Stargate Atlantis knowing some of the folks on that show. Paul McGillion is a good friend of mine. I really had to brush up on the back story of the Genii because when I first came on the show I was a Genii scientist, then the next thing I know, I’m the leader of my people and so I really had to do a little bit of home work there and again another show where the writers have a back story for everything. They have a little meeting, sit down and talk to the writers and ok so what do you know, what haven’t you shown yet. What do you know about these people that I wouldn’t know as an audience and that’s really helpful to figure, then again, they really let me sort of create my own story for Ladon, especially when Ladon becomes the leader, he’s very conflicted, he a very, very different kind of leader, again, there’s another guy who appears to be a bad guy who really just wants the best for his people.

Linda Craddock: Well that answers my next question about your approach to the role and also, do you think Ladon will evolve as a real ally or turn to the dark side so-to-speak?
Ryan Robbins: My opinion is that I think Ladon would love to be considered any ally and would like to be an ally but at the same time he will always do what is best for his people first. So, if at any point his people are threatened or compromised by any sort of friendship with Atlantis then the friendship with Atlantis would definitely be in jeopardy if it in any way conflicted with the betterment of the Genii. That’s my opinion about Ladon. I he sees Atlantis as a great opportunity, you know technologically and also as a protective ally. I think the Genii tend to be a proud race of people who want to be in as self-sufficient as possible ironically by any means necessary. I’ll be as self sufficient as possible right after I steal all of your stuff (laughter).

Linda Craddock: The beard disappeared. was it a personal choice or a choice from the producers?
Ryan Robbins: Let me ask you something, what did you think about the beard disappearing?

Linda Craddock: I actually liked I because it’s like you have a new role, and so it’s a new image.
Ryan Robbins: Yes, that’s what I thought

Linda Craddock: That’s my perception.
Ryan Robbins: I mean I had the beard when I first became the leader but then as I settled into the role of the leader, I was shooting, I think I was actually working on “Battlestar”, I think but I didn’t have a beard anymore so when I went back on Atlantis, it was a little bit of a concern, people were a little worried. They thought about putting on a fake beard, but I think I convinced them that they didn’t need to do that and I think the fans, you got to give the fans credit, you know, there’re not going to realize who that guy is, you know. They’re not, I think people realize it’s the same guy, just without a beard. People shave, even in space. We were just talking about this the other day because I was shooting a movie and had all my hair cut short so towards the end of “Battlestar” I pop up towards the end, but I’ve got short hair. And it’s not talked about. No one complains or anything. Those guys were like people cut their hair, you know, no big deal ...

Linda Craddock: Absolutely.
Ryan Robbins: You know we’re not stuck back in the days when people thought they have the exact same hair cut for 5 seasons, you know. I mean you look at Battlestar Galactica and Stargate Atlantis. All the other actors change their hairstyles and whatnot, so.

Linda Craddock: Yeah, Sheppard does the beard things sometimes.
Ryan Robbins: Yeah

Linda Craddock: Very rarely, but yes.
Ryan Robbins: Yeah, that’s it.

Linda Craddock: Martin Wood directed several Stargate Atlantis episodes you've appeared in including "The Return, Pt1", "Coup D'etat", "The Storm" and "The Eye", William Waring directed "Common Ground". Can you describe any differences in the director technique between the two?
Ryan Robbins: Well, Martin’s really energetic, he a very outgoing personality, he’s really fun. Will is also an incredible nice guy. Will’s also got, I think he looks at it from a completely different perspective I imagine because he’s also a camera operator and DP, so he, I think comes at it from a slightly different angle than Martin does. When you get on a show like that and people are staying true to the vision of show, the difference between directors is, you know, it’s pretty slight. Both those guys are really hilarious, both are really, really fun to work for. But, I think probably the only difference is maybe just seeing that maybe Will spends just a little more time behind the monitors checking shots and framing and stuff and Martin will come right out there to chat with the actors. You know Martin is responsible for Ladon even hanging around, to tell you the truth. Here’s a little scoop for you: In the... I believe it was “The Storm”, originally they had thought about killing Ladon and then Martin and I talked and then you know we got along very well and he said I’m going to kill somebody else. That’s when he kept me around and made me the leader of the people, so there’s a good actors story.

Linda Craddock: Well thank you Martin Wood!
Ryan Robbins: Yeah I do, Martin paid my mortgage for awhile.

Linda Craddock: Will the writers continue to exploit the rivalry between Ladon Radim and Robert Davi's character Acastus Kolya in the second half of season 3 on Stargate Atlantis?
Ryan Robbins: Not so much just yet. I think we’re, I think there’s taking a bit of a break from the Genii with all the events that are actually happening within Atlantis right now and I think there’s a lot going on with the wraith right now, as well. So you’re not going to see a lot of Ladon towards the end as he does pop up a little bit and then we’ll see what happens for next season. I think what with the end of SG1, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some characters cross over, I don’t know, I mean I don’t know if that’s going to happen, I have no idea, but it wouldn’t surprise me. So you gotta imagine you know you got to find where’s there room for old Ladon and the Genii. That’s up to the writers and the fans.

Linda Craddock: In the Stargate Atlantis Episode "The Return Part 1", Ladon pays a visit to Teyla and Ronon in hopes of convincing them to join him in the fight against the wraith but didn't want to share any plans developing within the Genii ranks as a method of persuading them to join even with Ronon's resistance. Why to do you think that is?
Ryan Robbins: Well, if I couldn’t tell them, I certainly can’t tell you (laughter). I think it goes back to what we were talking about earlier with Ladon, first and foremost looking out for his people, you know and you remember Ladon tempting them before with the ZPM that actually didn’t work. You never know what’s up his sleeve. I think Ladon definitely learned from that lesson and I think he definitely does have a plan. I think there is something more that he can use the folks from Atlantis’ help, but we’ll just have to wait and see. Again, it’s a funny time for Ladon and the Genii. They left so much unsaid. They left a lot of potential there. We don’t know what’s happening. They’ve got so many story lines going on right now and I think its’ up to the writers and the fans to decide what story lines they want to see more of. Right now I think they’re just letting the Genii hang around and make their big plan and when they do finally see the Genii that something significant will be going on.

Linda Craddock: What other projects can we expect to see you involved in within the next few months?
Ryan Robbins: Within the next few months, more “Battlestar Galactica”. I just finished filming “Alien vs Predator 2” so that should, well that one won’t be coming out for a while yet. Oh, I know there’s something, what else is coming up. There’s a great independent feature coming out called “Taming Tammy” and a really great film that I am really proud of that’s doing the film festival circuit called “The Visitor”. So there’s those. I did, I was hoping because I had a character on the “Blade” series which was really exciting to play. We were hoping that that was going to go to season 2 but it looks like that’s not going to happen. Wow, when the “Blade” series comes out on DVD, you should go out and get it, it was a really great series.

Linda Craddock: I enjoyed it myself.
Ryan Robbins: Yeah, I loved that character I played on that, but that’s the nature of the business.

Linda Craddock: And that again brings me to my next questions about your appearance in the “Blade” series, 2 episode to be exact. Wanted to talk a little bit about your experience on the set, your character “Sands”.
Ryan Robbins: Sands, again what an interesting guy. Such a fun guy to play because he’s a loner, he’s a vampire who maybe doesn’t particularly like being a vampire, you know, he used to really like it, didn’t have he’s a hustler, he’s a gambler, he’s charming, he had everything and then after the abduction and torture, he’s got nothing. He’s scared and ugly and a shell of his former self and he’s just kind of done with this world. Then he meets “Blade” and he is secretly hoping that “Blade” will just off him, but it turns out “Blade” needs him and then they form a sort of an interesting kind of a bond, an interesting kind of relationship and “Blade” decides to keep him around. Then you see that “Sands” is really one of the first vampires to rebel against “Marcus”, other than pure bloods. He’s willing to go toe to toe with “Marcus” and tell him how he really feels. And they were really setting up David Goyer and some of the other writers were really setting up an interesting story line had it gone to season 2 with regards to some of the house of vampires, you know simply forming a house. I mean that was rumors and that was stuff that was being talked about. Again “Sands”, there’s another guys that originally, in the original script was supposed to die in that scene where I’m telling “Marcus” off and the guys comes up from behind me with the stake and was going to stake me. Well originally he was going to kill me. I was supposed to die and after speaking with the folks from New Line and Spike and David Goyer they’d all really liked what I had done with the “Sands” character in the previous episode then they thought man we got to keep this character around and all of a sudden say a lot of potential for “Sands” for season 2 so we were actually set to see a lot more of him and have him be considerably more significant in season 2 what I was told, then we didn’t get a season 2. Now we’ll never know what happened to poor old “Sands”.

Linda Craddock: Yeah, but I enjoyed that, though.
Ryan Robbins: Chase disappeared, you know, there was Krista, she had become completely disillusioned with “Marcus” and his journey and his behavior. There was lot of great potential there for a whole nother house, you know, of loners. And I think the speculation is, I think that they were setting up to have sort of a the house of the houseless, so-to-speak who would maybe, possibly be double agents of sorts, not really team with “Blade” at all because no vampire likes necessarily likes “Blade” but be a house that conspired against ... That was a rumor that we’ll never know. But that would have been cool. They were even talking about bring back Deacon Frye from the movie. Yeah, you would have imagined the rumor, again, please because this is just a rumor, I don’t know how much fact is in this but, it doesn’t matter anyway, but there was a rumor that part of the house would be run by “Chase” and would consist of “Sands” “Boone” and “Deacon Frye”, among others so you can imagine just the dynamic of those characters between “Chase”, “Boone” whose crazy, “Sands” who is kind of an intellectual, but an angry intellectual and then “Deacon Frye”. It would have interesting.

Linda Craddock: It would have been. Would writing, or directing television or movie be a goal for you in the near future?
Ryan Robbins: I tell you I wish I could write. I have a billion ideas in my head, I just wish that, I need to find a writer that I can collaborate with. So, writing is just some how just doesn’t, I guess I just don’t have the patience for writing. I think eventually I would like to direct, try to directing. It's not something that I’m in a hurry to do. I love acting, I love it, I am literally living the dream. I’m doing the thing that I most wanted to do as a child for a living and I’m very blessed, very fortunate. I still have a lot to do as an actor and a lot to learn as an actor, I think. So one day I think I’ll direct, film, I like acting more in films as well. But it’s all coming. There’s some things in the works for 2007 as far as acting and television. So, yeah, one day, one day I will direct, but I’m in no hurry.

Linda Craddock: Have you attended any sci-fi conventions since your work with both Atlantis and Galactica?
Ryan Robbins: I haven’t, you know. I hear about them all the time, but to be honest with you I haven’t been invited to one. I’ve been to one in Las Vegas with Aaron Douglas who as I said is one of my very, very close friends. I just went because we were together in Las Vegas together for his birthday so he had an appearance for that convention so I went and checked it out and it was so much fun, but no I haven’t done them yet. I get talked to a lot about it, just having done Atlantis and “Blade” and of course “Battlestar Galactica”. No they haven’t come my way yet. I’d be interested to do one, if the opportunity arose.

Linda Craddock: Well, I’ll have to keep an eye on the guest lists for different conventions to see when you do decide to attend.
Ryan Robbins: Yeah, I’ll let you know. When someone wants me there, I’d love to go.

Linda Craddock: How do you feel about performing in theatre?
Ryan Robbins: I love it. I mean that was my first sort of, what I started doing when I was really quite young. It's been a while and I think if I were to do it again, it would be quite terrifying, but there’s nothing like, you know there’s an energy in the theatre that’s really, really exciting, I mean its live right there ...

Linda Craddock: Yes, you and the audience.
Ryan Robbins: Yeah, but it's nerve racking and intense because you can’t really mess up cause it's live and if you do, you got to cover cause it's live, but to me it's immediate gratification, you know, I mean we all, as performers, I don’t care what anybody says, there’s something about the gratification of pleasing an audience that we all feed off of and theatre, you know, it's right there. Hopefully they’re gratified, otherwise (laughter) you’re running backstage.

Linda Craddock: What are some of the things in life you enjoy outside of your craft?
Ryan Robbins: Music, I used to be involved in music professionally before the whole acting thing took off. Really love music and my family, my daughter. Try to be a good dad and be here as much as I can, be around my daughter. She’ll be 3 in February and she’s my life. I am very fortunate to have a very supportive wife and family unit so you know, I don’t want to miss anything when it comes to her so that’s definitely a priority and just, I like adventure. You know, I want to look back on my life and just go “yeah man, I did some crazy stuff”. A lot of things, I want to travel, I want to do something new and exciting as often as possible. I think that life is for the living and I want to make sure I live my life to the fullest.

Linda Craddock: Well, Ryan I don’t want to take up anymore of your time. I just want to say to you that I am so grateful that you took the time to do this interview.
Ryan Robbins: Oh, my pleasure. Thank you so much and thank you for being interested in doing an interview. I appreciate it and I’m flattered, you know, anytime and hey I don’t know if anybody else cares about this but I just realized I also have, I maybe the one of the only actors, one of the few actors I know that has a trading card for “Battlestar Galactica” and “Stargate Atlantis”. (laughter) I just thought about that when you were talking about conventions. But my “Battlestar” trading card is from the mini series. It’s just a picture of the old man, so maybe hopefully I’ll get another one for “Charlie Connor”.

Linda Craddock: Oh, really, wow.
Ryan Robbins: Hey you can find it, I even autographed like 700 of those things at some point. I think you can find them around and when you see the Armistice Officer, it’s a picture of me as the old man. I have another dubious distinction with trading cards from sci-fi shows and I tell you what, if I get invited out to a convention, I’ll send you an email.

Linda Craddock: Please do, that would be perfect!
Ryan Robbins: I will. I was glad to meet you. Thank you!

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