GateWorld: So at this point in the process of your journey with Stargate Origins you’ve been cast, you’ve learned the language, you’ve been through rehearsals. How was it to step on set and see the pageantry and the layout of some of these sets? I mean you must have been able to get into character really easily because you know the language, you have a costume you have these real deserts, this real village. Can you give the listeners a perspective of what that’s like, and what your journey through physical production was like as an actor?
Daniel Rashid: It was magical to walk onto that set. The first week that we shot, we shot in the village — what we called Tent City. So all the village stuff was shot in the first week and a half or so. And that was so cool because when you walk on — you know, you do your imagination work and imagine what your tribe is like, and then you walk onto set and you actually are there and you have all these extras who are dressed up like your tribe members. And it’s like, “Wow. All right. We live here. How cool is this?” And then it becomes becomes real for you.
And so I spent a lot of time on set even if I was not shooting because I just like being in the world. Because it just makes it easier to then — when you are shooting — makes it easier to make that switch. It’s not necessarily like a being in character all the time kind of a thing. But it’s just to have that world kind of ruminating and playing in a very low level for you and just being there in the space … it helps.DR: And so the tent was really cool — Tent City was really cool — and then the temple was awesome. The desert was awesome!
GW: Where was that desert? Was that just outside of L.A.? Because I know everything production mostly takes place around L.A.
DR: Yeah, we shot in Los Angeles. We were on the same sound stage for the majority of the stuff. Where you see Tent City is the same room that we shot the temple in. Movie magic, baby!
But then we went out to the desert and to this kind of volcanic crater area. We shot for two days. We stayed in Baker, California — which is halfway between L.A. and Las Vegas. And the desert is called the Dumont Dunes. Apparently we really lucked out with our shooting day there because the first day that they scouted the desert it was like 120 degrees or something. You would burn your feet if any sand touches anything. And then the second day they went out it was like 80 degrees … but it was so windy that you couldn’t go anywhere. You had to have a mask on. You couldn’t move. It was like unlivable.
And so they were like, “I really hope that we can do this because this location is perfect, if not for the weather.” And we show up and it’s like perfect. It’s like 95 degrees (which is hot), but it’s not windy.
GW: Did you guys shoot in summer? When was the production in the deserts?DR: This was I think early November or late October. I think it was early November.
GW: For post-production they turned it around pretty quickly. I mean you got to see the finished product within a couple of months essentially.
DR: Oh, yeah. I don’t know how they turned it around so quickly, honestly. It’s like the timeline that they were on was insane. Insane.
GW: And so when you were shooting in the desert you were with the three other young leads: Shvan Aladdin, Philip Alexander, and Ellie Gall who plays Catherine Langford. I think one of the coolest scenes for me and one of the iconic scenes that came out of Origins was you explaining your name and trying to bridge that cultural divide, and the audience also discovering that we’ve seen you before … just decades from now.
So how did you guys work to cultivate that chemistry and that dynamic to make it something that is kind of very playful and engaging and adventurous in spirit?
DR: Ellie and Shvan and Philip are just so much fun to play with. And we got to know each other. And we shot in the desert — that was probably two or three weeks into production so we had known each other pretty well by that point. And we also were all in vans on the way out to the desert. There’s an inherent chemistry and camaraderie that just kind of comes together through working long days and long hours together.
So that scene was really fun to shoot. The scene that was written was really great and then we added a couple of small little moments that helped to spice it up a little bit. Just to make it more humorous and more fun. And Mercedes, she’s always very open to suggestions and playing around.
GW: So it wasn’t that strict — “You read the exact word on the page or we do it again” kind of dynamic. It was open to collaboration, actors tweaking moments the dialogue. Am I hearing that right?
DR: Yeah … to a certain extent. I mean, the script was well-written. So you want to fulfill the script, but there’s also freedom to play around within those constraints, if that makes sense.
GW: Certainly.DR: So there are a couple of times — especially for me, there were times where I feel like it would make sense for me to say something that’s not written into the script. Because maybe the writers were like, “You know what? We don’t want him to have to worry about saying another thing in ancient Egyptian at this moment!” Small things, like off-handed words.
So often I was e-mailing Stewart and asking them for ad libs and stuff. And he would e-mail me back. And apparently that’s what the guy who played Skaara in the original movie. He was apparently super into ad-libbing as well.
GW: Oh, yeah! Alexis Cruz. You in your performance, even though he’s your son — because Kasuf is the father of Sha’re and Skaara — did you at all look at his performance or vibe? Were the producers trying to maybe capture some of that Skaara? Because he probably picked up his mannerisms and personality from his father, which you’re playing at a young age. Was there any correlation there?
DR: That’s really interesting. And I’ve gotten that before. That makes me really happy to hear. I think that may just happen by alchemy, you know? And also I think a big thing that helps play into that is (a) the writers definitely had that in their mind, and (b) the hair and makeup and costume and wardrobe departments. They are the ones who dress me up like that. You know I really looked like Skaara.
GW: Yeah, yeah, with the hair …
DR: I can’t remember who … one of the guys I think for Stargate Command, when they came on set and saw me in my dreds, was like, “Woah! You looks like Skaara!” They were super stoked about it.
GW: Was it Kieran?
DR: It was maybe Kieran. But I think it may have been David, David Read. I don’t know if you know David Read.
GW: Yeah, I’m good friends with him. He was the guy who did all this before me! He did the interviews and the podcast 5, 10, 15 years ago. So he got his start with GateWorld and now he’s working for MGM and Stargate Command, which is super cool.So let’s talk about where your character lands at the end. One of the things I really loved about Origins was how it tied into the feature film in many ways, especially with where Ellie (or Catherine Langford) breaks the stone — which you also see in the movie, them have to brush through the sand and find that chunk of the stone that she broke off to hide the full gate address.
And also your moment with Aset at the end. It illuminates how you became the leader and maybe why Kasuf is who he is in the Stargate movie. Do you consider that a sad ending or something that is him fulfilling his destiny, which we’ll see fully manifested in the original Stargate movie?
DR: Right, right. What do you think? Do you think it’s a sad ending? What do you think?
GW: I don’t know. I mean, on one hand you’re thrust into a leadership role; and on the other hand you’re kept in subjugation. You know you do have this youthful optimism and generosity and warmth, and when you see Kasuf later on he’s a little worn down. He’s more cynical. His people have labored for decades for these people they considered gods.
And you know we also play around with some stuff with Catherine Langford trying to explain to you why these gods aren’t gods, and you’re just so steadfast in your belief. It’s like heartbreaking in some ways. But it’s also very innocent. I don’t know.
Did you have any thoughts or interpretations as you were developing the final stretch of your character’s journey?
DR: You know I actually haven’t thought about whether that’s kind of a sad ending. That’s a really interesting question, because for me it kind of just is what happens. And as an actor it’s kind of like, OK you’re like going from situation to situation dealing with problem after problem. And now it’s like — “and suddenly I’m brainwashed!”GW: [Laughter]
DR: I think if I’m going to take a step outside of it, I think it is kind of sad — but also there’s a hope behind it. Because it’s sad that I’m kept in subjugation but also Aset kind of lays the groundwork for Catherine to get Daniel Jackson and his crew through the Stargate again and Kasuf to lead his villagers.
So, to take a little detour: When I got cast in the film I couldn’t tell anyone that I was Kasuf, or what I was working on.
GW: Yeah, they kept it a secret! They successfully kept it a secret up until the release. I saw nothing. I heard nothing about any leaks or any inside information. So you must have kept your lips sealed completely shut.
DR: Yeah. But I did tell my parents. And they hadn’t seen Stargate either, and so they watched the original movie and they texted me. I got texts from … I can’t remember if it was my dad or my mom. They were watching it together. They said, at the end of the movie when they’re at the temple and Kasuf is there with the entire village to attack, to fight back — I think it was my dad, he texted and said, “Kasuf leads the charge!!!”
So you know it’s interesting — it’s sad that I get brainwashed at the end of Origins. But also it does set the stage for what happens in the original movie. It’s a sad thing, but there is a little bit of hope behind it — which I think is an ideal ending.
GW: Pretty bittersweet, certainly. So let’s talk a bit about you as an actor and an artist. I know you said growing up you were a Star Wars kid. I’d love to hear a bit about your influences and what inspired you to become an actor, seek out that career then maybe how you got to U.S.C. and broke into the industry.DR: Sure, sure. All I wanted to be growing up with Harrison Ford. I was [into] Star Wars, Indiana Jones … he was just the coolest guy. And I didn’t quite grow into his stature [Laughter]. But he was who I wanted to be.
GW: We all want to be Harrison Ford! It’s OK. Believe me when I say that.
DR: Exactly — who doesn’t want to be Harrison Ford, honestly?
But growing up I was always — according to my parents I was always kind of a storyteller. I would always come home from school with a story to tell. But I wasn’t active in theater in elementary school. In fifth grade I refused to be a part of the school play. I decided that I would run the sound board … which may have something to do with stage fright. It may have had something to do with the fact that the cool kids were part of the play — because everyone in school was part of the play. So it was like, “Maybe I don’t fit in with these kids. I’m just going to be up at the soundboard.”
But then in middle school, in sixth grade I had a teacher that changed my life named Betsy Quinn, who was one of those really important mentors in your life. And she kind of took me under her wing and I learned about kind of the magic of storytelling through her class. And by the time I was in eighth grade I was skipping my lunch period and going down — I was going up to the theater room to help teach the sixth grade classes with her.
GW: Oh, that’s so cool.
DR: And so that was a really important time and shift for me as as a young creative.
GW: Sometimes it just takes one person, right? Just to point you in the right direction and change your perspective.DR: Absolutely, yeah. And then I went to a public high school that had a really amazing arts program. That’s huge. And then towards the end of high school it was clear to me that what I love doing most is acting and telling stories. And so when I got into U.S.C. my decision was to major in theater and I knew that I was going to just focus on that.
But I also did a lot of improv and sketch comedy. I’ve been doing sketch comedy since I was in high school. That was another big thing for me.
GW: What year did you start at U.S.C.? Just so we can get a timeline of how your college experience lined up with getting cast in Stargate Origins.
DR: I was at U.S.C. from 2011 to 2015. While I was there I was mainly doing student film work, student theater work. I was not auditioning outside of school, because I really wanted to have that kind of school experience. What’s great about that is I worked with so many — I did something like over 40 student films when I was there. It was kind of insane. And what’s great about that is I developed relationships with so many young directors and screenwriters and cinematographers.
Since graduating I write a lot, because I did a lot of sketch comedy. And so when I graduated I was like, “Man I miss doing sketch comedy. So I’m just going to write a sketch, and I know so many actors and cinematographers, and people who just want to make stuff. Let’s just make something.” And so I wrote a sketch and I produced that sketch. I call up the DP [director of photography] and an actress and someone to hold the boom pole. And we shot that.
And so that was fun. And so we just did it again. And so now I’ve produced a lot of short sketches that are on Funny or Die and on YouTube and Facebook.
GW: Oh, wow! So you have a bit of comedy inkling.
DR: Yeah, I think so. My favorite movie is Little Miss Sunshine.
GW: I love Little Miss Sunshine. It’s an amazing movie.DR: It’s such a great movie. And so I think my favorite stories are ones that are similar to that in the sense that they are comedic and humorous on a very human level, because it’s just people dealing with their problems. And then it’s got a real heart to it — you know like that punch you in the gut without you even realizing it. Those are the stories that I love.
GW: That’s great. So in terms of your career, what’s next for you? Is there anything you want to tease that you’re involved in? Any of your own work?
DR: Yeah. So I was just in Austin for South by Southwest because a film that I shot over the summer premiered there. It’s called You Can Choose Your Family. And it’s with Jim Gaffigan, and Anna Gunn, and Alex Karpovsky, and Logan Miller, Samantha Mathis, and me. And it was a really amazing experience to get to work with some of my heroes.
So I shot that in New York and then I traveled through Europe for a couple of weeks and then I came back to Los Angeles and I booked Stargate. So I was going from that to Stargate. It was amazing. Last year was amazing. So when I graduated from U.S.C. I ended up a manager through the showcase that I was a part of. And then an agent and stuff through that. So now I’m fully repped with a great team. So I got that — hopefully that’ll come out sometime soon in the next year.
I’m in this film called Bodied, a Joseph Kahn film where I play as a nerdy rapper who gets just destroyed on stage — a very small role but a very fun role. I have a short film that I wrote and produced that’s premiering at the Cleveland International Film Festival on April 7th and April 8th. So if you’re in Cleveland come on out to the Tower Theater!
And then I’m constantly writing and producing. So the sketch comedy channel that I started is called Giggle Break. And you can find us on Funny or Die. You can find us on Facebook. You can find us on YouTube. And then you can stay in touch with me and all the projects that I’m working on — I’m currently working on a series and a feature film that I’m writing and will be hopefully producing in the near future.GW: Well it sounds like you’re keeping very busy — never a sleepless night, always in motion. So we’ll look forward to watching your career, and welcome to the Stargate family! We’re glad to have you.
And thanks again for making Origins so much fun. We really appreciate having you on the show and — well, the GateWorld “show” and Origins itself! So thank you so much for joining us. I really want to thank you for your time and wish you the best of luck in the future.
DR: It’s my pleasure! As soon as Stargate Origins came out, it’s really cool to see the positive fan reaction. There’s so many people out there who are just so passionate about this series. And I really do appreciate the support of all those people. Because you know as as a storyteller that’s how we book work. That’s how we have the means to tell more stories is if people want to watch.
I’m very grateful for all the fans for watching the show and for all the positive things that they’ve said about it. So … many, many thanks! Many many thanks to everyone listening to this and to watching this show. So thank you.
On the Web: DanielRashid.com
Twitter: @DanielSRashid