Bridges, Gossett, Pileggi join Stargate

Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis continue to land big talent as the two shows ramp up toward production on their ninth and second seasons, respectively. Today MGM and SCI FI announced that award-winning actors Beau Bridges, Louis Gossett, Jr., and Mitch Pileggi will join the franchise next season in on-going roles.

Beware of spoilers in the story below.

Bridges joins the cast of Stargate SG-1 as General Hank Landry, the new head of Stargate Command. When Jack O’Neill is promoted to oversee Homeworld Security (General Hammond’s job during the current season), he hand-picks Landry to be his successor. Bridges will be a regular cast member on SG-1, and will also cross over to appear in a few episodes of Stargate Atlantis.

Born in Hollywood, California, 63-year-old Bridges is the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and the older brother of actor Jeff Bridges. In his esteemed career he has starred in such films as “The Fabulous Baker Boys,” “Inherit the Wind” (1999) and “P.T. Barnum” (TV mini-series). His television credits run the gambit from My Three Sons and Ben Casey to The Outer Limits and The District.

Bridges has won three Emmys, and has been nominated for numerous Emmy, Gemini, and Golden Globe awards. He joins SG-1‘s Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Christopher Judge, and newcomer Ben Browder for the show’s ninth season.

Gossett also joins the cast of SG-1 in a recurring role as a Jaffa leader who vies with Teal’c for political control of the new Jaffa nation. Born in Brooklyn, New York, 68-year-old Gossett is a veteran actor of such films as “An Officer and a Gentleman” (for which he won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and an Image Award) “Enemy Mine,” “Iron Eagle,” and the classic TV mini-series “Roots” (for which he won an Emmy). His series television credits include The Mod Squad, Bonanza, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Rockford Files, The Dead Zone, and many others.

Science fiction fans will immediately recognize Pileggi as F.B.I. Assistant Director Walter Skinner on The X-Files. The 52-year-old, Portland, Oregon-born actor will play a recurring character on Stargate Atlantis — a hard-nosed colonel who butts heads with Dr. Weir (Torri Higginson) and Major Sheppard (Joe Flanigan). From the description, Pileggi’s character is probably Colonel Caldwell (story).

In addition to his long-running role on The X-Files, Pileggi has appeared on The A-Team, Alien Nation, China Beach, Dallas, Law & Order: SVU, and many others. In 2003 he hosted a new version of the classic reality series In Search of.

Production on both series is set to begin in March for summer premieres on The SCI FI Channel.

(Thanks to Matt Pollari, TJ, Shaun Leitch, Candice, Denise, Patric K. Hypes, Jason Cox, Lee Jamilkowski, and Michael Sacal for the tip!)