Edward James Olmos Would Have Left Battlestar Galactica Over One Condition – SlashFilm

Science fiction is as malleable as any style, however not each sort of sci-fi attracts the identical style. Some sci-fi might be gritty, social commentary-heavy, and philosophical, whereas different examples characteristic plenty of area battles, goopy creatures, and other people with humorous ears. That is possible why Edward James Olmos, upon being requested to steer a remake sequence of “Battlestar Galactica,” was cautious sufficient to incorporate an escape clause in his contract when requested to affix the sequence in 2003. As he defined to the AV Membership in 2021, he knowledgeable the present’s producers about his hesitation in no unsure phrases:

“‘I do not need issues which might be out in outer area; you get to this world and all of the sudden they’ve these creatures, big creatures.‘”

The truth is, Olmos went one higher than simply voicing issues. He instructed the present’s producers precisely what he would do if he ever noticed, in his phrases, “some type of science fiction-sort thought of some weirdness out in area” whereas making the sequence:

“I’m going to have a look at no matter it’s that I am on digital camera, and I will faint. And I stated, ‘You are going to have to put in writing, ‘Adama died of a coronary heart assault.’ You are going to have to put in writing me out. As a result of I am out.'”

Olmos wasn’t the one “Galactica” actor to have doubts; Jamie Bamber was hesitant, as nicely. It is attainable that Olmos and Bamber would possibly’ve skilled pause given the unique Seventies “Battlestar Galactica,” which had a historical past of that includes so-referred to as “weirdness out in area.”

With the advantage of hindsight, Edward James Olmos’ feedback and insistence on that particular clause in his contract may sound somewhat closed-minded. But, odd as it could appear now, style films and tv used to hold a shocking quantity of cultural and social stigma, one which had the power to negatively have an effect on the careers of those that labored on them due to typecasting. It is because of this why so many actors was once trepidatious when requested to signal on to style tasks, particularly a sequence.

Moreover, Olmos was coming from a spot the place the community behind “Galactica,” the Sci-Fi Channel, was then primarily identified for authentic programming that was the very definition of bizarre. Exhibits like “Farscape,” “Lexx,” and others prized themselves on their weird creatures of the week, and whereas these two examples have been typically very grownup of their themes and characterizations, the aesthetics have been understandably odd. Then there’s the truth that, as beforehand talked about, the unique “Battlestar Galactica” concerned the titular ship encountering numerous different planets or ships alongside their means, which contained the odd creature or two. Given all this, Olmos was understandably uncertain what showrunner Ron Moore and firm had deliberate for the long run. Nevertheless, they put it in phrases most acquainted to Olmos to reassure him:

“…they chuckled and stated, ‘No, we’re extra to the understanding of Blade Runner.’ I stated, ‘Now, that is actually good. There was no monsters in that, they have been all human beings.’ Nicely, it was replicants and Cylons, however you recognize.”

Whereas “Battlestar Galactica” ventured into its personal model of bizarre throughout its 5-season run, there by no means have been any huge extraterrestrial monsters. The sequence helped legitimize sci-fi TV, and Olmos by no means needed to train his “coronary heart assault” clause.