Now that actress Amanda Tapping won't be returning to Stargate Atlantis in her long-running role of Colonel Samantha Carter, the fifth season of the popular SCI FI series will see former Star Trek Voyager actor Robert Picardo step into the leadership role with his previously established Richard Woolsey character. Although Woolsey has never been as popular a character on the series as some favorites, the decision to make him a leader is an out-of-the-box move that should make for some fresh, interesting, and contentious dynamics between the Atlantis characters. Picardo's expanded role will certainly take the show to new territory from a leadership standpoint.

After a short break, the Stargate Atlantis cast returns to the airwaves on July 11 and The Deadbolt was on hand this week for a press conference with actor Robert Picardo and executive producer Joseph Mallozzi to find out what fans can expect from Woolsey's new leadership role, how the show has adapted to the departure of Amanda Tapping, and what's in store for the show's 100th episode.

THE DEADBOLT: How do you reinvent yourself as an actor after such notable roles?

ROBERT PICARDO: Well, I think that that’s what attracts - attracted me to become an actor is exactly that challenge, that every time out you’re creating, you know, you’re creating someone different. So it’s not so much how. I’m chomping at the bit to do that all the time. And what’s wonderful is when you get the opportunity to do it. So I don’t look at that as - that is the fun part. So that’s never a chore. And what I’m also hoping... I’m certainly hoping to bring whatever Star Trek fans are out there that haven’t sampled Stargate, you know.

And I don’t think there are that many of them because there’s a lot of crossover in the fan bases. But I’m hoping that if they were fans of mine from Voyager that they will - and they don’t know Stargate, that they’ll come and sample the show, you know, because it’s a great time to get into the series, because they’re going to follow my character’s - my character is starting out this year - really starting out as the commander.

So that’s a great window into the series if you haven’t watched it before because you’re going to experience it, from the beginning of my tenure and my journey will kind of be linked to yours as a new fan. So I’m hoping that those 77 Star Trek fans out there that haven’t watched yet are all going to join - are all going to be sitting in front of the TV on July 11.

THE DEADBOLT: In terms of Woolsey, how can leadership evolve out of someone who’s not a leader?

PICARDO: Well again, that’s the fun part. When Joe first called me last November and said, "How would you like to assume the command?", my initial response - which I don’t think I said out loud - was, "You’re kidding," because I don’t - I didn’t think of the guy as the leader. He’s the theorist. He’s the briefing - he’s a briefing room guy and not a real event guy. He’s not the guy who’s used to being in the fray. In fact, we had a certain amount of comic mileage on Atlantis by having him put in dangerous circumstances, and he’s not a very heroic guy.

So I think that my initial surprise at the offer turned out - sort of then transformed itself into the most fun part of the challenge. Again, we’re in a world now where everybody changes careers several times during their lifetime and supposedly our children’s generation will change them as many as a dozen times throughout their lifetime. So to see a guy in middle life or even a little behind middle life going - "I now have to put aside everything I’ve done thus far and done successfully thus far, and try to reinvent myself."

It’s an interesting challenge and a fun one, both as an actor and a character. So I’m really having a ball. And it’s exactly because he’s an unexpected choice for this job, and that’s what I think is going to - that the viewers hopefully will respond to as I have.

THE DEADBOLT: Did you like Woolsey from the...

PICARDO: Did I like Woolsey?

THE DEADBOLT: Yeah, did you like him or did he have to grow on you?

PICARDO: No, when I first met him - when I first made my convention appearance - his personal appearances that of course, all the science fiction actors make - after two or three appearances as Woolsey, I would be asked questions about working on Stargate and they’d say I really like your character. And I would say, "You’re kidding," because I thought of him as, you know, as kind of a jerk early on. But again, his very second appearance, which I think was called "Inauguration", you saw that even though he rubbed people the wrong way and was seen as someone who came in only to find out who’d screwed up and, as I said, assign blame - that at least he was driven by a personal passion that was quite positive and ethical.

He really believed in the importance of civilian oversight of a secret military operation so that it wasn’t - so that a rogue element did not come in and take it over, and would no longer serve the interest of the public.

THE DEADBOLT: Right.

PICARDO: So that - the fact that he really [had good intentions] - the audience responded, I think, right away to the fact that Woolsey meant well even though he annoyed people. And in subsequent appearances, the writers fleshed him out, gave him some foibles and gave him his own kind of weird charm, so that, I think that - and the journey is continuing right now in season five. So I think that it was a bold thing for the producers to do, to pick a guy like this who doesn’t seem to be necessarily the first choice for a leader, but to have him try to make himself into one, I think, is the really interesting and creative choice.

Robert Picardo and Joseph Mallozzi on Stargate Atlantis Season 5 Page 2