“I absolutely adore that it’s like that now,” says Francks, now 25. “I think it’s incredible that people are speaking up now that they’re saying I’m going to be gone. It’s hard for me because on one hand I visited the message boards while we were in Season One and there wasn’t much interest in Ford. So it’s one of those things that it’s human nature where you don’t miss something until it’s gone and now ‘Oh, you could’ve built him up.’ I wish they would’ve done that before.”
After all, no Stargate fan movement goes unnoticed. “Nothing is in vain that the audience gives, especially on a show like Stargate, more than any other. We do this show for our fans and that’s the feeling around all of the production and around all the writers, around everyone. Everything that every fan writes, and everyone in the [Stargate production] office checks the message boards all the time. These people are so smart and watch with such detail and care. That’s something that the fans do. That’s why I love being a part of Stargate, that something like the ‘Save Ford Campaign’ can happen, and there is a board on GateWorld that can facilitate that. I think that’s the thing that’s wonderful. Whether it’s in vain or whether it’s whatever, I think that the thing that’s important is there is a way for me to know that people care and I thank them so much for it, really.”
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Francks has had some computer trouble during the off season, and was also abroad at conventions. Since the news about the character, he’s had time to check back in. “I just went on GateWorld because I hadn’t been on for our whole hiatus … I just read all the posts about Ford and stuff and it was amazing. It almost brought me to tears that people were actually caring … It’s incredible to see people sign up. And then some people that have their own opinions about Ford come in defense. I thought that was great.”
Rainbow is not just on the look-out for the sugar-sweet Ford remarks, however. He takes the good and the bad in stride. “I really haven’t had a problem with people having negative opinions about Ford because there wasn’t enough to be negative about. There wasn’t anything for them to say bad things about, really. I’ve been very excited. My friends all said ‘Oh, God, we went on this board and they’ve got this thing and you can sign it.’ All my friends signed it,” he laughs. “I love it! It’s great for me as an actor. My God, these people care about my well-being and my career.”
GateWorld will bring you more on Rainbow, his new position on Atlantis, and updates to his other projects in the days ahead.