 
GW: Do you think we'll see Apophis again one day?
PW: I'm absolutely certain of it. If not on the television screen, certainly in 2036, or whenever it is, because they named the asteroid after Apophis. Are you aware of that?
GW: No, I was not!
PW: There's this asteroid that's circling earth. You go and Google "asteroid Apophis." The guys who discovered this asteroid are Stargate fans
GW: You're kidding!
PW: And they named it after Apophis.
GW: That is awesome!
PW: It swings by earth in 2026, or something like that, at which point it's so close that its trajectory is going to be altered by the gravitational pull of the earth, meaning that it may hit on its next pass around earth, with is scheduled for 2039 or something like that. So Apophis could yet conquer this planet. You heard it here. And it's true.
GW: Wow
PW: Google it, "asteroid Apophis."
99942 Apophis, a near-Earth asteroid. | |
GW: That's a news story right there. "Apophis conquers earth."
PW: It's more than a news story. It's a movie!
GW: [Laugher] Oh, that's fantastic. And they were Stargate fans.
PW: They were Stargate fans. And they named it Apophis, not Anubis, not Baal, but Apophis.
GW: That's right. Sweet.
This is not your first Gatecon. You've been doing Gatecon for several years now. What is it about this particular event that keeps you coming back?
PW: I think the main thing about this event it's in the hometown of Vancouver, so its close by. It brings people here from all over the world, many of whom I've met in various places around the world. It's fun to do. It's strictly fun to do, do Gatecon wherever it was held.
GW: What about the fans. How do they react to you? This role is cherished by many. How do you receive that?
PW: It is. I love it.
GW: Do you ever find it annoying?
PW: I wouldn't say never, but rarely, absolutely rarely. Trust me, science fiction fans have opened my eyes.
GW: Really?
PW: They really, really have. It's a place where there is a distinct lack of judgment of other people. So, you can be who you are in a science fiction crowd. It's not just Stargate fans, but science fiction fans in general. Lack of judgment, you know? You can be who you are.
GW: Lack of criticism.
PW: Well, no there's a lot of criticism. Some people criticize. But judgments on who you are as a person. That's what I like about sci-fi fans, and they've taught me a lot.
Interpersonal relationships. I've become friends with a lot of fans. They're always impressed for some reason that we talk to them. [Laughter] Or even count them as friends. By and large, most of the fans have been considerate and respectful and friendly.
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Peter Williams as Sybar in "The Chronicles or Riddick." |
GW: That's why you keep coming back.
PW: That's really why I keep coming back and going to far-flung places
GW: How did you prepare yourself to play a god? How did you bring that to the screen? I mean, obviously you are a fan of "Stargate," so Ra was a template.
PW: I'm a fan of "Stargate." I came in with a big ego, so that's that. I think that's one of the prerequisites for feeling like you're a god [Laughter] And then they give me a nice big trailer and then they start calling me 'God'. No ...
GW: "I have eyes on God. He's approaching the set."
PW: You know what, he's a false god, so it's easy. Mario Azzopardi, who directed "Children of the Gods," had me analyze people with delusions of grandeur. People like Mussolini. He had me look at those people and try to find what it is amongst people who think that they are greater than. That was one of the preparations that I did.
GW: Does Apophis, the role, ever influence your audition process? "Oh, here comes Apophis." Do you ever feel yourself typecast as a sci-fi actor? I mean, I love you in "Chronicles of Riddick," even though it was way too short and you were incinerated. Do you ever encounter that?
PW: Actually "Chronicles of Riddick" was long, I was in there for a good half hour but I didn't get to say very much.
GW: That's right. Tons of Vancouverites make little appearances and then it's like, "Peter Williams!" And it's still Peter Williams! Oh, but he gets burned up.
PW: Yeah exactly. I know. I was the second to last one, or the last one to go, so I thought, "hey I'm going to make it into this franchise," which never came to be.
GW: Still a good run. Still got to play with Vin [Diesel].
PW: Play with Vin. Make sure, those of you who are watching "Chronicles of Riddick," if you don't know who you're looking at, if you don't see me in there immediately, I'm the guy behind Vin's bicep. Always the guy behind Vin's bicep. [Laughter]
GW: That's right. What are you currently working on, Peter? What's in the life of Peter Williams in 2008?
PW: Right about now I am in the process of promoting a movie that I did two years ago in Toronto called "A Winter Tale." I have the central character in this movie and its set against the backdrop of some gun violence that is happening in Toronto at this point in the Caribbean community. I play a social worker who tries to make a difference in this community.
" I'm in love with a girl [in Antigua] and I'm very happy."
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It's a really good part and the film turned out extremely well. It raised my cache amongst the Caribbean audiences and we, in fact, did a tour of the Caribbean. We went to Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados and Antigua.
And I've been spending a lot of time in Antigua since then. I'm in love with a girl down there and I'm very happy. A lot of good things happening in my life.
GW: Good. That's great.
PW: I also have just done episode of a TV series here in Canada called The Kink in My Hair, which is a comedy set in a ladies hairdressing solon. And I play the ex-boyfriend of the owner on the solon. So, I've got stuff happening.
GW: Sweet, That's fantastic
PW: I look forward to the next Stargate DVD movie, if there is one.
GW: Brad is writing it right now.
PW: OK, good.
GW: He sure is.
PW: Where is Brad?
GW: You know, I invited him this weekend and he's not here.
PW: You know, I happen to know Brad looks at GateWorld, so Brad, if you're watching this, Apophis is the number one baddy, the asteroid is going around the earth. You don't want bad karma. Put me in. [Laughter] I said it.
RELATED LINKS:
"A Winter Tale" Official Web site
99942 Apophis (asteriod)
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