Denis: Rya’c’s journey isn’t over

You’d be hard-pressed to find a Stargate SG-1 guest star who’s character has been through more life changes than Rya’c. Having received his prim’tah, bombed Anubis’s Ancient base Anakin Skywalker-style, grown into a warrior, and now married, Neil Denis argues that there is still much left unexplored.

Beware of spoilers for Season Eight’s “Reckoning” in this story!

GateWorld asked the young actor, if his days on SG-1 were through, is he satisfied? “No,” he says. “Simple answer. No, I’m not. I think it would be unfulfilling to the fans. I left, I got married. What happens? OK, if I’m going to settle down, live the married man’s life, let us know.

“I’m not satisfied. I don’t think anyone in production is satisfied with that, really. So we’ll see what happens. I think I’ll be back.”

“We’ve got to bring some resolution,” Denis continued. “That is to say, hopefully, not everyone gets killed off or anything. It’s looking like I will be back. One of my last lines was ‘I’ll see you soon, Father.’ I didn’t write that line, so hopefully someone there at MGM is looking out for me.”

With the formation of a new Jaffa society on Dakara at the end of Season Eight, Rya’c’s place as the son of Teal’c will probably involve some major duties. Though Denis often thinks of Rya’c as a warrior, deep down he finds him to be a diplomat and, indeed, a poet. “There will be more responsibilities,” he said. “Eventually it’s leading to where it’s like a Jaffa parliament, a senate, a consortium of these people.”

Denis crosses his fingers in hopes that the writers will bring him back.

“I think Rya’c could have many different, large parts to play in that, be it one as a diplomatic role or more of an up-front, ‘I’m going to fight, be on the front lines’ [role]. There are lots of places to take the character.

“There has to be resolution. If this is the final season there has to be resolution. So we’ll see where they take it. It could definitely be interesting.”

Spending a large chunk of his life involved with SG-1 has allowed the young actor to refine his craft. “Having an opportunity to work with the same character for all this time really allows you to develop how you, as an actor, have these nuances,” Denis told GateWorld. “I’m at a stage now where I do all my prep work and then I try and get in front of the camera and do my scene, and I couldn’t tell you what goes through my head. I’m at a point where I don’t think about it while I do my scene. The show’s really helped me do that and get comfortable with my own process because I’ve had so many opportunities to work on the same character. So it’s taught me tons.”

The cast and crew are also not afraid to push him. “Working with [director] Peter DeLuise, he will call you when he sees it. ‘Nope! I don’t believe you! Let’s do that again.’ So it’s definitely a learning process. No one’s afraid to call you on it.”

As a viewer, Denis is also pleased with the direction of the long-running series. “I like the way it’s going,” he said. “I think in every single season I don’t think there’s ever been a let-down or drop-off in the tension, in the quality of work, or the quality of the plot. It’s been a consistently amazing show.”

Keep your browser locked on GateWorld for more with Neil Denis in the weeks ahead!