 
GW: Was it nice to come back as a permanent character, and moreover, a human one, in "First Strike?"
JS: Dr. Keller is a pretty cool girl so far. She has a lot of sides to her personality, all depending on what the situation is. She has this apprehensive side to her where she has a tendency to doubt herself -- which is kind of ridiculous because she's so capable and really intelligent. She feels she has to prove herself a little bit. Maybe because she's new, and maybe because she's young and has always had to prove herself around people that doubt her abilities.
She's not a very violent person; she scares easily. But she's also courageous when she really needs to be. She's also a bit of a romantic, and has a funny, quirky side to her as well.
She's the type of person you would feel very safe with in a medical situation, but she'd also be fun to have a beer with. I like that she seems like a good friend.
Being friends with Paul McGillion meant Jewel knew of Beckett's departure, but she didn't realize she would be taking his place. | |
GW: Were you aware at all going into the role that it was as a replacement for the character of Dr. Beckett -- and that some fans were vocal about the fact that his character's death was an unpopular choice?
JS: I was aware that Dr. Beckett was departing, because Paul McGillion and I are very good friends. But when I was asked to come back, it was as a recurring character, not "The New Doctor on Atlantis." It never occurred to me that I would be replacing Beckett, as stupid as that may sound.
I looked at it as a new career opportunity on a show that I very much enjoyed working on that happened to shoot in my home town, which was a job opportunity that I was actively looking for. I didn't know how long it would last or how it would pan out. So the idea that I was completely replacing another character seemed a bit presumptuous to me. Especially since this show takes place in the world of sci-fi, and nobody's dead forever!
I knew Paul had a lot of fans. But I knew being sci-fi fans, they were probably intelligent enough to not completely write me off just because I was new and I wasn't Paul. I've been a fan of shows in the past where they happen to kill off my favorite character, and I've had a cry and absolutely hated the decision. If Charlie on Lost really drowned, I'm going to fly off the handle! So I can identify with them.
Beckett is a great character. But I didn't have anything to do with his departure, so I'm not going to take any flack from the fans personally.
GW: Did it affect in any way how you've approached building the character of Keller?
JS: Absolutely not. The best part of beginning to play Keller was that there was little information about her. It was up to me, for the most part, and I had a lot of fun figuring out her quirks and personality traits. I would never let my apprehension about being liked as the new kid on the show affect my performance or the way I chose to build or approach a character. I can only hope that people will give her a bit of a chance.
Not everybody is going to like her, because everyone has different tastes. But I'm really happy about the way things have turned out so far, and I'm learning more and more about her with each episode we film.
There's a lot of people out there who don't like change, which is unfortunate, but I can understand. I'm one of those people, too. I do change my socks, though. Occasionally.
GW: How would you contrast the writing and production values of both Firefly and Atlantis?
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Jennifer Keller tends to Dr. Weir in "Adrift." |
JS: They're incredibly different from each other, that's for sure. Firefly was about a very poor crew of renegades who seemed to have no one in the world to depend on but each other. They were stuck in a messed-up universe full of violence, crime and a corrupt government that had spiraled out of control 600 years into the future. There were no aliens, just the struggle of human existence.
But the world of Atlantis seems to be more privileged, cleaner, safer and lighter. Even the sets are better lit! The people on Atlantis face fear and threats every day, but they are so much better equipped to deal with those threats!
I think on the whole both Firefly and Atlantis have a certain fantastical aspect to them, but it's just different kinds of fantasies.
GW: Was it easy to go back to the set in this recurring basis? Has the cast treated you like one of the family already?
JS: I'm not going to say it was easy at first, just because I was still finding my footing and feeling things out, both with the character and the atmosphere. It's a bit strange being the newbie in a family that's been at it so long, especially with some of the crew who came over from SG-1. But the whole thing is such a well-oiled machine. I keep using that phrase, but it's so true.
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