Merlin and the Book of Beasts on May 30th!

Brook Durham, the screenwriter of the movie Merlin and the Book of Beasts, has emailed me to let me know that the TV movie is scheduled to be aired on Sci Fi (or SyFy) on May 30th.

The Sci Fi site has a picture of James looking very intense indeed in the Merlin garb, on this page. (It's currently under the "7" link, but that seems to vary. Flash required.)

I will have no chance to watch this movie for now, but I am open to a guest post if any US fans wish to write a review. I am quite curious about this film.

I don't really have any other new info so far, so I refer to my earlier post on the movie.

James Callis at the Jules Verne Festival

Last updated on Saturday, 2nd May, at 7:05 PM Finnish time.

Photo by Benelie at 3xcusemyfrench. Click for larger size and see more pictures in the link. He is gorgeous!

Latest updates:

The press conference is online at 3xcusemyfrench! Great quality video with English subtitles for Jamie, thank you so much for that. Transcripts later.

Press photos at Cinema-France.

Photos, videos from the event and a transcript of the main event interview in French here.

And lots of more videos at my Youtube - I haven't made a playlist yet, they're all in my favorites so far, and there may be duplicates. There are also other videos, which are more like paparazzi stuff: James by the car, looking uncomfortable and wanting to leave as people push cameras in his face. I will not link to videos like that. I know it was in a public place and lots of people had cameras, but if it's obvious that someone doesn't want to be filmed, leave him alone. James is a nice guy and he wasn't rude in any of the videos, but you could sense that he wasn't comfortable with this. Not cool.

Thursday's photos:

More photos by Aurelianne!

Another picture at flickr.

And even more photos by Benelie at her gallery.

Transcripts of the Q&A bits that aren't transcribed below (see the bottom of the post - there really wasn't much missing).

Part 2 at the French site:
The question is what resources they used as actors, because the characters are so versatile: "Sometimes we think they are heroes, and sometimes there are so many weaknesses - (at James) especially you." (all the actors laugh)

Mary says it's on the page, in the writing, and since the actors were so incredible, it's not hard to lift yourself (se lever) on their level.

James starts in French: "Et moi, je n'ai pas des resources. Je me leve, je suis Gaius." (And I was able to parse this with a little help from Daniela. We're good!) I think it means: "As for me, I don't have any resources. I lift myself, I am Gaius." The audience applauds and laughs until James gestures them to quiet down. He looks happy with the reaction, though. I knew he knows some French! You can also tell he understands what Jamie says.

"What I would say is that.. to agree with Mary, it was on the page. But also, to extend also on what Jamie said, the family element of when we were working on the set. I've never had so much fun or been so supported by so many people. And the resources that we're drawing on, it's not just the script, it's the directors, it's the producers, it's your other actors, who are constantly wanting you to play your A-game and wanting you to get there. And the set and design and the CGI too, weave us into the fabric of the world. We have been buoyed up on air by a wonderful cast and generous wonderful people. That's all the resources, I think, that we have drawn on."

In the same vein, part 4, they are talking about how the cast became so close to each other:

"I must say I agree with Jamie, and the words of Henry the fifth echo in my mind about, "we band of brothers". The thing is, I think, initally as well, that when we set out to do this thing, I think a lot of people in America and perhaps around the world thought that BSG and the remake of it was a bit of a joke. Which we certainly didn't feel. But we were removed from the rest of the world, we were in Vancouver. And also we weren't doing it for the rest of the world, on some level we were doing it for ourselves, we acted with each other in this hermetically sealed set. And I don't think we necessarily knew that there was going to be a future of the show afterwards. But there was. And we are connected to each other in a very special way, because it's like now, being part of Galactica is a badge of honor, but we were all there from the beginning. And we were all there for each other from the beginning. It's just a tremendous [boom?]...and as they say [?something in French?] like the rest of the world has enjoyed the agonies and the extacies that we put ourselves thru, a special bond. I can only say like Jamie said, it's like soldiers coming home from the war, we'll be close to each other in a way forever."

It's funny to think of Galactica as war (even if the show was very much about war), but it does seem like the cast became unusually close to each other. It's a beautiful idea that they still like each other so much. Sometimes you hear of those shows where the cast really dislike each other and have to pretend to be in love and stuff. All of the friendships and especially couples on the show had great chemistry together, and I think that kind of thing comes only from the actors liking each other as people. It's impossible to fake something like that, and I believe it's part of the reason that fans also get that warm family feel and want to return to the show and its world, even if it's so bleak in many other ways.

Tuesday's updates part 2:

On this page, "Gonzo" has a few notes on the press conference. Mary apparently said that she saw James and Jamie become fathers to five children altogether, and she feels like the kids' grandmother.

James Callis rit et Jamie lui dit : "You told us in the miniserie that we must start making babies!"

"James Callis laughed and Jamie told him..." Hee :D

Out of the Jules Verne characters, James prefers Captain Nemo. There's something about Nemo being the son of an Indian raja, and James made some joke about that it seems, but I don't really get the French there. I also think it says that James can't keep serious for more than two minutes at a time. Hee!

More pictures here.

First Tuesday updates:
A photo with James, Jamie and his wife (whose name is actually Kerry, not Kelly), with a fan, here.

This French site has videos of the entire Q&A (complete with French translations) and their arrival and departure on the red carpet. I'll be transcribing more this evening, there are some more quotes from James. I won't be transcribing Mary and Jamie this time, especially since Jamie speaks French throughout, and mine is a bit rusty. (See at the end of the post for the transcripts so far.)

In the first video, which is their departure, James comes out and signs some autographs. The handlers are rushing him to go, so he finally agrees to, but then shouts to the people, "Pardon! You're not gonna cry?" looking genuinely worried and sorry. Awww, our soft-hearted boy!

Some photos here, along with a blog post in French. I think it says they were very sympathetic, Jamie's French was great, and they offered some nice insights to the show.

Some photos on this forum page, again in French. They were very friendly, greeted everyone and signed quite a lot of autographs.

A huge picture and some more discussion in French here. Some stuff on James:

James Callis a ésquivé deux trois fois le micro. J'avais l'impression d'avoir le Gaius Baltar du début de la série. Sinon trés sympa et un peu fatigué.

Tout les trois ont recu un prix et ont posé pour tout le monde. Ensuite chacun a fait un ptit discour. James Callis a été interrompu par la traductrice qui ne suivait pas. Il avait l'air énervé d'avoir été coupé par la traductrice lol. Mais pas facile pour elle je pense donc quand meme chapeau a elle meme si j'ai pas saisi le message de James a la fin (qui avait l'air interressant).

My high school French fails me, but I think it says that James seemed annoyed to have to pause for the interpreter. You can tell in some of the below videos that it really didn't go seamlessly with that. James had to re-read the last line of his quote in the acceptance speech. I think he seemed unused to being interpreted and wasn't really sure how much to say at once, or was a bit nervous about the speech anyway and it threw him off. I don't think he was annoyed to be intrepreted per se.

Original post from Monday:

This past weekend, James Callis received the Jules Verne award for his work on Battlestar Galactica. Some time ago, James told us about this in a post at the Unofficial website forum, and he sounded genuinely delighted and excited. Mary McDonnell and Jamie Bamber were also awarded at the same event.

And James looked so damn gorgeous. His hair! It's fluffy again! And he's scruffy! Eeee! *jumps at James and licks him* Sorry. I just spent the weekend with my cousin and her very friendly and enthusiastic dog, so I've learned bad manners there. But I know there's been a collective heat wave on the fandom at twitter at least, so it's not just me.

So, before we go deeper into what he said, some photos to prove my point above!

James arriving at the festival on Friday, the 24th:
Pictures at Zimbio: here, here, here , here and here.
Photo at Flickr.

Photos from the press conference with James, Mary and Jamie.

There will be longer videos of the press conference, but there are two short ones here.
Thanks to Daniela and M for finding some links while I was out! :)

OK, then for the deeper stuff: there are already some videos up on Youtube. They are from the actual event on Sunday. You can check my channel for briefer clips, but I'll transcribe the James bits in the longer ones. His comments are very touching, and I (almost) forgot about his gorgeous hair while listening to them. I'm so proud of him for getting this award, and for his work in BSG, and most of all for his humanity. *sniffle*

This video shows them enter the stage, and some of the Q&A session.

"Myself, I'd just arrived... [There's a problem with the microphone or sth?] Somebody out there doesn't like me. (laughter) I'd just arrived in Los Angeles, and I received a script, and my manager said, 'You would be perfect to play Gaius Baltar.' And I was like, I don't know if he knows me very well, cos that guy is like a real douchebag. (laughter) So I kind... of resisted it, and then went to lots and lots of auditions. I was cast and... that's my story."

That's the short version at least - he's told the story many times, in many ways, so I pretty much know it by heart by now. Maybe he's a bit tired of telling it, as he cut it so short. Also in this video: Jamie Bamber speaks really good French. I'm impressed, and James and Mary look like they are too. I thought James knew a little French - he seems to sprinkle it here and there in his posts online - but apparently it's either not good enough or he's not confident enough to actually speak it in this setting. My French is a bit rusty, but I can tell Jamie's talking about the relationship between father and son.

"From the sublime to the ridiculous... Probably the most harrowing moment for me was taking somebody's knickers, I just can't remember whose they were. (laughter) No, that's a joke. The whole thing for Gaius has been... he's been through the mill, he's been through like, I don't know, an emotional, psychological obstacle course or missile course. I couldn't particularly draw out one moment in time that was more harrowing than the last. But I would also echo Jamie in saying that... The ending of the man, he finally became something that he had so wanted to be.

And also as acotrs, it was... I was discussing this just yesterday, we were finishing the show, and it was goodbye, and when I was standing in that field saying, you know, goodbye... It really hit me thru the head like a brick, and... The acting was, I don't know if that was acting, cos I just burst into tears, cos I was so upset to leave... leave this incredible thing that had enhanced and changed my life in so many ways."

If he's referring to the moment in the field when Gaius says, "You know, I know about farming" and Six just comforts him - best. Crying scene. Ever. Hands down. I'm not too surprised to hear it was genuine, because that was so beautifully done, subtle, and really felt real. It was one of the most touching and defining Baltar moments. And I also love that he became the man he wanted to be - a brave, respected, forgiven and loved man; a man who wasn't alone anymore.

In another video, James describes Gaius:

"I was just going to say, Gaius Baltar has an album coming out soon, (laughter) it's a remake, it's called Oh Lords of Kobol, Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. (laughter, applause) You know, he's the wrong gaius at the wrong time in the wrong place. (laughter) And how would you describe this man? He.. (Mary whispers something in his ear) he starts... Thanks, Mary. (laughs)

He starts out with... Because he's so selfish, with very little idea of anybody else that, you know, doesn't hold up the mirror to his own reflection, cos he's so desperately narcissistic. And through his banality and his mistakes, he actually goes on an extreme learning curve and tries to find some of that humanity that, I don't know, the arrogance in his head could have obliterated beforehand. So he's in denial, he's scared, he's ashamed. He hasn't had the greatest time aboard the Galactica. And... I suppose he is constantly in search of some small kernel of redemption or salvation. If he could only turn back time, but he can't. Thank you." (applause)

I suppose he's said all of these things before, but I always feel like, when he describes Gaius, something new comes out, like a new angle to it or at least a new way of saying things. He captivates me, I want to listen and learn from his way of thinking and seeing the character. There's also the challenge of transcribing someone who uses pretty complex English. I really enjoy piecing together what he's saying. His accent and word choices constantly challenge me, and I think it's good for me especially now that I don't have a translating job to work on.

This video shows them receiving the statues, and some answers to questions.

"As far as I'm aware, I think that we're the only species on the planet that alters the environment to suit us. Every other species adapts themselves to the environment. So this is a problem that we have, a problem of our own ingenuity, and I think I said this yesterday, the problem with our progress... Basically, you know, on a really basic level, as far as I'm concerned, the only thing I can ever depend on is another human being, really. That's it. All we have is each other. And we have these discussions, as we did on the show for so long, that you know, governments all around the world are spending billions and billions of dollars making weapons, to protect ourselves from each other. This is raving mad. What could that money be used for? How can we [??] our lives [?] We've only got each other. Let's cut through the differences and let's find the similarities. And that's our future, hopefully."

Sniff! Sorry about the question marks - he sounds like he's very moved here, and perhaps some words become garbled because of that.

I'm always very moved myself to hear James talk about humanity: how we need each other and need to understand each other. It seems to be a very important theme for him; I remember he's brought it up many times before. He has a diplomatic outlook on life, and that's something I admire very much. I think fanaticism and trying to force everyone to think and live like you are things that breed war and oppression. On the other hand, trying to understand others and see our similarities as human beings will breed peace and tolerance. This is also, at least in my view, a very central theme on BSG.

James' acceptance speech:

"I thought I'd write something down. I'm actually gonna quote somebody else, cos I can't be trusted to be too serious for too long. So this ties in with our show and the extraordinary Jules Verne Film Festival, and what it sets out to do: on some level, to change the consciousness of the world. So I'm going to quote to you something from Robert Kennedy.

Each time a man stands up for an idea or acts to improve the lot of others
or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.
And crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring,
Those ripples build up a current
Which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."

He's self-deprecating, as always, but I think he can be very serious and very deep, and usually is. He has a beautiful mind, and he thinks about things on a very deep level, and you can tell that in basically all interviews. Maybe BSG has been one of the things that has broadened his thinking and opened new horizons.

Sniff. I'm just so proud of him.

James Callis on Numb3rs, Part 1

(Parts 2 etc. will follow when I've seen the episode.)

How to make James Callis look unattractive? Still two days ago, I would have said: impossible.

But apparently not so, as the Numb3rs pictures have him in an obvious black wig and beard that covers his entire frakking face! Argh.

The picture and more info on the character here:

“He played an incredible character. An incredibly scary, Charles Manson, eat-you-alive type psycho,” says Alimi Ballard (Agent Sinclair).

Wow. Some people are saying he's been typecast after the "villainous" Gaius Baltar, but that sounds nothing like Gaius. Gaius has empathy and guilt, and besides, he's a coward. If you met him in a dark alley, he'd run and hide from you, even if you were a little girl. This sounds a lot more like Haman in One Night With the King, who was a genocidal maniac. But he was a sexy genocidal maniac, so somehow it's more OK, even if the role was pretty black and white and they had him talk in a weird throaty voice.

Another picture here. It looks odd to see James restrained by the police. And he really does look mad in that photo!

And the character's name is Mason Duryea. What a name. We get it, THIS MAN IS A BAD MAN. PLEASE HATE HIM BEFORE YOU'VE EVEN SEEN THE EPISODE.

I do like Numb3rs, which is an unusually intelligent cop show, and will hopefully like the episode. But I'm a bit bugged that James has to play such a heinous role. I hope it's not all black and white. If he looked his usual hot self, I wouldn't mind so much. I actually have Don't Mess With My Man playing in my head right now.

Angels

One of the final David Eick video blogs is "Do you believe in angels?" James' response is a bit unclear - it sounds more academic than personal, as if the short answer is "not really", but he wants to expand on it and give the question the gravity it deserves.

"I think the way to answer this question is to start, really, with Gaius Baltar. You know, he sees.. Six, and he sees Baltar, and I think there's lots of things you could call them, maybe spirits, apparitions, um... But one of the things you could call them is angels."

I wish the show had tried to explain this a little bit. What are angels in the BSG universe? Are they spirits of the dead like Kara (if she is an angel)? What are HeadSix and HeadBaltar? In one way, it's good that it was left open, but in another way, it bugs me a bit. But not to get into this debate all over again.

"Angels are... I think of them iconically as people, in that western way, you know, appearing. And people embodying that idea... Well, I think people, personalities, do embody lots of... archetypes. Almost... it's like grooved into our DNA. We're, like, ritualistically inclined."

Professor James! Nice to see you again. But what is he saying, really? That he doesn't believe in angels, but he does have these western ideas that are ingrained in us through culture? Or that he does believe in them, because of our culture? Or something else? I'm not sure what he's trying to communicate here, and I feel this way about basically all religion-related comments I've heard him make. It's like he knows a lot about the topic, in an academic sense, but doesn't really know where he stands in terms of actual spirituality.

"People do perform functions in your life where they guide you, where they help you, where some ray of hope comes out of ... literally, the darkness, you had no idea."

OK, I'm gonna have to be awkwardly personal once again, because this really struck a chord in me. In my depression over the last few months, one of the biggest rays of hope has been James. It feels weird to think about it. I didn't even know about him a year ago, and now he means so much to me. He's given me something to do, new things to find, someone to look up to and fantasize about. I believe it's made me grow as a person. Through him, I also got to know fellow fan M, who was there for me and helped me understand that I needed help. I would never have met her if it weren't for James.

I don't want to say that James stopped me from killing myself, because my final thoughts were always of my girlfriend and family. But he's definitely one of the reasons that I've found life worth living lately. He's my angel.

Irritating Googlebits

aka Leave My TV Boyfriend Alone, You Morons!

This is a collection of quotes online that have irked me lately, and it's a small but biased defense of James. Because I'm in that mood.

To each his own, but this tweet bugs:

Wondering why the last of BSG had to include James Callis. Had enough of him long before that.

You do realize that he played one of the main characters from the very start? And had fifth billing in the credits throughout the show? And played the best, most complex character with the best arc? Well, I guess that last one is debatable. But still. (How can you have enough of James Callis?!)

A Youtube commenter in the James Callis 2007 interview:

hehe weird, he's had some "sniff" before he went on this. I never thought he'd be into drugs, but he's definitely got a powdered nose here. Dissapointing.

Wow. I'll admit that he seems a bit high-wound in this video, but considering his love of nicotine, caffeine, and sugar, he's probably just high on some or all of them (and possibly drunk, since it's at a con). I could be wrong, but this is one of those things where you want to know for sure, especially if you're going to disapprove. If he does recreational drugs, and you know this because he told you, fair enough. But if you don't know, don't get publicly indignant and disappointed just yet. Also, since he has to go through customs at various airports all the time, it might be a problem if he had drugs with him, right? So - pretty unlikely. Thanks for commenting though.

More pet peeves! Why is this header in a LJ that doesn't even seem to mention James?

"I cannot see that James Callis is straight."

I suggest you get new glasses then. I'm really tired of hearing this kind of thing. It's like, "Hey, James Callis is married and has never been with a man, but he must be gay because just look at the evidence! He's thin! He's emotional! He played a gay man once! He sometimes has long hair!"

I hate it when people use "gay" as an insult that basically means "not masculine enough". It's irritating and offensive. Not to mention unoriginal and unfunny.

It's a question of identity. James identifies as straight, and he has a right to do so. I'm always incredibly annoyed when people tell me that I should just "find the right man" and my feelings for women would stop. It's like strangers think they know better than me what my sexual feelings are (or would be, if only I left my loving girlfriend of three years). This whole "Sure you're straight James, nudge nudge, wink wink" thing is just the other side of the coin. Society determines your place on the masculine-feminine axis and/or your true, acceptable sexual identity. If you don't conform to that, you're cheating yourself. Annoying.

May I suggest that it's a little offensive in the same way when people complain about James' weight (or lack thereof)? There are so many links - which I won't link to here - saying he needs to eat a sandwich (and the same to Tricia), he's puny, etc. In light of the donut quote, it amuses me slightly, and while I don't want to draw too much attention to this, I do notice his various weight fluctuations. I'll accept that said fluctuations are slight and therefore not visible to everyone. He's probably still thinner than the average man, even in his heaviest times.

But is it OK to go around saying he's too thin? Isn't that another insult to his masculinity? Isn't it disrespectful of body type variety? Obviously he does eat, and he can't help being a naturally delicate guy. Some of us find that intensely attractive. Does everyone have to do bodybuilding? There can be more than one kind of masculinity, right?

For me, part of James' attraction is that you can see him as simultaneously thin and chubby, and both turn me on. Sometimes he's lighter, sometimes heavier. He'll have a slightly chubby belly, yet you can still see his bones; he'll be baby-faced, yet hollow-cheeked. It's delicate like the wing flaps of a butterfly. I realize I might sound silly now, but attraction is a funny thing.

How did I get into this topic again? Oy vey. Yes, I am still horny. I'm sure it'll cool off after a while and I'll be able to focus on something else. Or maybe I'll spend the rest of my life with a vaguely donut-related James obsession. At the moment, it doesn't sound like such a dreary prospect.

End of line.

There Are Many Donuts...

Yes, I'm still thinking about the donuts and James' - admittedly rather miniscule - weight changes stemming therefrom (see this post, section 'Donuts, guts thereof, and sex scenes'). Good sides: I am very happy; I'm totally over the fat girl in Beginner's Luck thing (if he's that relaxed about weight, he's okay). Bad sides: there's absolutely nothing online about James and donuts, other than the links I've already posted. Or if there is, it's not available on any Google search I can think of. So I think I'm going to have to give up this obsession and return to his chest hair, his hair in general, his smoking, his cheeks (or lack thereof), his kindness, his humor, his talent... Well, I must admit there's a lot to obsess over when it comes to James Callis.

I thought I could at least use my obsession for the benefit of the other fans by posting a little eye candy (or in this case, eye donuts) - a couple of James' belly screenshots from the show. For those who don't know me, I have a great appreciation for fat and this post is not meant to ridicule James' physique in any way. I'm just really horny right now. All screenshots by me.

Season 2, Lay Down Your Burdens: Part 2, deleted scene. Fairly small, but there is some protuberance that can be detected.



Season 3, Torn. Slightly bigger here. Note the way his hair is divided - lots on the chest, nothing on the belly, and then that bit below his bellybutton where he has a bit of fuzz going down to other... regions...



Season 4, He That Believeth in Me. I can't decide if it's the same size or bigger than in the Torn pictures, but it... drool...

I must admit I lack an understanding of the male physique, since I've spent my life staring at women. So what's the verdict - is it muscles or donuts or both? Either way, it's looking pretty damn hot.

Two New James Projects/ Daybreak II Picspam

Looks like our boy has been busy lately! Two new projects to report.

Firstly: James is going to appear in the season finale of Numb3rs! I'm kinda excited about this! Numb3rs is a good show and this will give James visibility in the US. Plus this show actually airs in Finland, so I'm going to be able to watch and tape it. Maybe I'll even buy the DVD box just for that episode. We'll see.

News courtesy of Ask Ausiello:

Question: How about some scoop on the most underrated show on TV: Numb3rs. --Jeffrey
Ausiello: How's this for some fraktastic guest casting: The May 15 season finale will feature Battlestar Galactica's James Callis and Everwood's Sarah Drew! Callis will play a charismatic sociopath who is suspected of abducting Amita. Drew co-stars as one of his followers.

Hmm, it sounds a bit like Gaius, with the followers. But not so much, since I don't consider Gaius a sociopath. I wonder if he'll be another British villain or try out his American accent? Either way, I am happy.

And another new project:
Scoop on a British film James is doing, called Re-Uniting the Rubins:

The next film is up! I will be down in London for about 10 weeks on a new film, a low budget (but still about £1M) comedy that the producer Jonathon hopes if we get right it could be the UK version of Little Miss Sunshine.

Ah! This sounds very promising. I liked Little Miss Sunshine a lot, and I tend to love that kind of black comedy. It's an easy genre to get wrong, obviously, but it's also something where I suspect James will really shine. No information yet on what role he's going to play. There are some pictures of the studios here. I'll keep my eye on this blog, in case some James goodness trickles in that way.

So, two new projects that actually sound good! Unfortunately, it looks like Merlin and the Book of Beasts has been delayed and there's some other Merlin project going on instead. I have no idea why. I'm getting so many hits about Merlin, but have nothing new to report on it. It's a shame - the film sounds less and less promising, but James looked kinda awesome in that armor.

And last but not least, an awesome Daybreak, part II picspam. Obviously major spoilers for those who haven't seen the finale. The most central dialogue is also transcribed on the page. Beautiful pictures - and lots of Gaius! James looks totally cute and endearing in that soldier's helmet.

And what do you know? Google blogsearch has finally found my blog as a "related" blog for a James Callis search. Maybe I should stop complaining about it in every post now. We'll see.

So Say We All - A Thank You From Fans!

A while back, I posted about a fan thank you book, but I have deleted that post, because I don't want to keep posts that only have a brief purpose. I hate finding Google results for "James will be at XX con in September 2005" etc. They clutter the searches. Seriously, take down old posts that no longer have any purpose. Sorry, I digress.

The book is finally done and online! So exciting. This is a project that Grant Gould of the Battlestar Blog started a few months back. The book has been printed out for the cast and crew, and should be in their hands by now. There's some info on it and a download link here.

It's a massive PDF file of 172 pages, and it took a while to load, but well worth it. My message for James is on page 56. Eeee! It feels weird to see it in print. For those who can't or won't download the file, I'll be vain enough to reproduce my bit here:

James Callis - You made Gaius Baltar the wonderful, complex, relatable character he is. The intellect, humor and warmth you brought to the role are the same qualities that made me your fan. You're an artistic genius, but above all, a genuinely kind person with an appreciation of life and other people. You make me want to be a better, warmer person. Thank you for your kindness.

*blush gush fangirl-eyes*

So James has a book in his house with writing by ME in it. *faints* Yes, there are some brief bits from other people too, but it's totally the Book of James, by Deniselle. I might get over my attack of Gaius-like narcissism in a bit and read some other entries too. I saw at least M and Nicole's messages there, and there may be other familiar names once I have time to browse through it more.

Or I might just re-read my own bit over and over, obsessing over how I should have reworded it/written more, like I did when I first submitted it. If you wonder why I wasn't wordier, it's because I worried it might not be printed if it's too long. I did feel a certain degree of panic, knowing James will certainly see it (he might read the blog, but I can never be sure). But it feels really good that I dared submit my text. I'm a documented part of the fandom!

And a huge THANK YOU to Grant Gould. There are hundreds of messages, so I can only imagine how hard you worked on this. It really looks great and I'm so glad to be a part of this. You are awesome!

Random Googlebits, Part Trois

Firstly, a brand new article with the BSG cast. James on Baltar:

He's "kind of a sleazy version of Einstein," says Callis. "He is a bit scatty. He hasn't really thought about the consequences of anything. If he was capable of planning and mastering his own destiny, he would be monstrous."

"He does have a conscience. It's like drilling for oil: You will find it, eventually. Nobody has been more guilty or sad," Callis says.

I love when James mentions Gaius' conscience, especially since some fans seem to think he doesn't have one. I suspect many fans are unwilling to do the "oil-drilling" necessary to get to Gaius' good sides and would rather see him as a one-dimensional villain.

Found these a while ago: James has done a couple of audio books, two of them children's books that have short snippets online. He has a lovely, soothing voice, and he sounds so cute doing all the characters. The Kin sounds awfully savage to be a children's book, but I think I'd enjoy the other one.

Photo miscellanea:

kixxa has some beautiful new screenshots of BSG and Sex and Chips at her blog. I can't get over how sexy James is as The Wolf in the latter show. There's something animal about it. Maybe he should try having his hair like that again?

The Bear McCreary concert a year ago - Baltar's idea of heaven.
Presumably from the same event - Hi Caitlin! Hee :D He's doing the dreamy longing eyes here as well.

ComicCon - eee what a cute picture! Hadn't seen this one before.

Dragon*Con - correcting the suspender strap. I totally fetishize those suspenders.

Another photo from Starfury! I love his personalized autographs - "Will the real Gaius Baltar - please stand up?" I also love the dragon they have him hold. The full site is here, in a language I unfortunately don't know, but there are lots of Starfury photos.

One of my favorite autographs - "Dear Jessie - I've got a lot on my mind - namely a 6-foot blonde!" Heee :D (Hey, I just realized even his autographs are full of dashes!) I love his handwriting. I can't always decipher it, but it looks beautiful.

Farpoint 2008 - an awkwardly positioned photo, but he looks totally cute here also.
(I always write fartpoint at first. Unfortunate name for a con, that.)
Farpoint 2008 part 2. This is another hot pose.

Donuts, guts thereof, and sex scenes

A nice paraphrase of the 2006 BSG Burbank convention, James Callis/Tricia Helfer Q&A. I wish this were online in videos somewhere, but at least it's a good read.
Edit: OK, the link above apparently doesn't work, but try pasting this into your url field and you should be able to open it: http://galacticastation.com/Ragnar_Anchorage/lofiversion/index.php?t5546.html

This in particular made me happy:

- Helfer follows a very intensive and varied exercise regimen and will often go for a 5-mile run to keep in shape. Callis claimed the only real exercise he gets is trying to keep up with his two young children. Otherwise he prefers loaf around the set, smoke and eat donuts all day.

How much do I love this man and his gleefully unhealthy lifestyle? A lot. For those who don't know me: I love junk food, I love people who love junk food, and it makes me very happy that James apparently loves it too. And you can replace "junk food" in the above with "sedentary lifestyle" and get the second reason I liked this so much. I'd love to pig out with James in my favorite burger place sometime, then slouch home with him on the bus while snacking on candy. Well, I can always do it alone and think about him. Like I did today.

There's a slightly more detailed account - and beautiful photos - of the same Q&A here, but the site apparently has some kind of code loop problem, and it keeps cutting off halfway. If you reload it several times, it might show more text, but it's pretty frustrating. I was able to catch the donut paraphrase here though:

What do James and Tricia do to stay looking so great? James’ regular regime involves smoking and donuts. The only things that keep him fit are chasing after his children and looking at Tricia.

Gotta love his horny Tricia references. I also loved these bits:

When they came back to continue the scene for season 2, Tricia had to lie still on the freezing, filthy floor of the place in her skimpy costume with rats scrambling by her head, though James declared that it was actually Jamie she heard scurrying around next to her.
...
Baltar is also reminiscent of the tragic Greek Sisyphus, (James briefly had a Freudian slip with the word “syphilis”) who was doomed to always be trying to reach for something that always kept moving out of reach.

Hee, syphilis! Professor James brings up ancient myths, with a little subconscious idea that Baltar might have contracted STD. Lovely.

But here's something bizarre. This report about the same event is written in a very confusing way, and this bit in particular made me raise my eyebrows:

(such as the call for a pickup scene consisting merely of gauis taking off six's pants so they can have sex, and him doing everything he could to hide his doughnut-gut while simultaneously thinking, "every man dreams of getting a call where they 'have to' remove tricia helfer's knickers!")

Hide his donut WHAT now? Is this really what he said? Because if he has a gut, he's doing a really good job of hiding it. My body image isn't great either, but seriously. A little self esteem, James?

Edit: I got so fascinated about this that I searched for a little more info. It's apparently something he said about that specific reshoot. Courtesy of TWOP forums:

Callils told a funny story of always eating donuts so that by the end of the mini-series he had gained a few pounds. Then they asked him to come back and film the scene where he takes off Six's knickers so he kept trying to place Tricia's body in between him and the camera so it would not be obvious he had gained weight!

Heee! :D That's hilarious - and hot! I must admit I have a bit of a weight gain fetish, so this makes that scene so much hotter for me. The loop-challenged link above seems to contain more info on this, and it comes up in a google search, but when you load the page, it doesn't get that far:

James said he’d unfortunately been indulging in donuts lately,

...I am going to spend the rest of the day trying to reload that page.

I seem to remember him saying something very similar in the BBC Cult interview in 2004. Yup, there it is, in "What is it like to work with Tricia Helfer?":

The Americans have this, you know, ideal of buffness. Me, we don't, we're not like that! It's not so important, you know, if there's doner kebab to be had or Wimpy by the side of the road. It's a different.. you know, whatever. I'm next to mister... Miss Drop Dead Beautiful, gorgeous, and I have to take my clothes off. And I'm like, "What am I going to do? This is a bit exposing right now!" And I said to the camera crew, "When I take off all of this stuff and I'm standing here in this..." rather revolting flesh-coloured thong, for the viewers... I said, "Please try not to laugh at me, my physique, or the way I do, please don't..." And the camera looked at me and quite honestly went, "Do you honestly believe we're looking at you? We don't even know where you are in the scene. That's because Tricia is getting her clothes off, why would anybody be looking at you?" (laughs)

Hee! Some of us were looking at you, James - and we think you looked amazing.
He could be just saying he's too skinny for the ideal, yet he mentions the food again like it shows somehow. It's strange. I've never heard a fan complain that James is too fat, more the opposite. But nobody's happy with their own body (even if they're as hot as James). Sometimes it's healthy to be reminded of that.

My personal taste in men is limited to either fat or thin, so I love the way James looks now, and if he did grow a donut gut (hee!), I'd still love it. Either way, beefcake does nothing for me, so I'm glad he's not that athletic. (Now I'm really turned on, trying to imagine James with a donut gut. Mmmm.)

In the same bit, there's also this:

I had lunch after the miniseries with my mother and one of my mother's friends, who (laughs)... I thought this lady, you know, she's got some kids, a lady of the world... She just asked me, [in a very serious voice] "I always meant to ask. When you do the sex scenes, are you really making out?" [adorable smile] And I said, "I am. Yes, I am. I'm knackered by the end of the day. It's very, very difficult." I just can't believe what people only believe! It's telly, it's not real! It's like 70 people watching you with cameras.

Hee :D He sounds so amused at the question and the underlying assumption. I think sex scenes are one of those things that come with the job, but are hard to understand for someone outside that circle. Like how can you not be turned on when you're kissing Tricia Helfer?


James loves names

Am I the only one who feels like being a James fan is a constant first date with "me too" moments? It's not enough that he loves books and junk food and studied literature like me, he apparently also loves names. Also, this is a totally cute meeting story, and I love when people actually transcribe a conversation with the star. (Mind you, I don't expect everyone to, because it's a personal one-on-one conversation, but I really appreciate it when people do this.) I'll reproduce a large part of it, hoping the writer doesn't mind:

James: Well, I want to write something funny but I wouldn't want to offend you.
Me: Tell me.
James: I want to write "Randi, I am." Is that crude? Is that over the top?
Me, laughing: No, that's perfect.
James: What is Randi a short name for here?
Me: For me, it's Randeana.
James: That's beautiful! I love it! (while making a very sincere face. But then again, he IS an actor.)
Me: I think my mother was evil.
James: No no, I like it. Where does it come from? I've never heard that before. (later I learned he's really into names and name meanings, etc.)

"Is that crude? Is that over the top?" No way, it's just hilarious! But I love him for being a gentleman and asking. Randeana is very rare and, while I'll admit it weirded me out at first, actually very beautiful.

I'm personally quite intrigued by James' wife's name, because I had never seen it before (which might just show how little I know about Indian names). For others unfamiliar with it, here's how to pronounce Neha, which means "loving" in Sanskrit. Beautiful. I've been pronouncing it with an e like in "bed", because I seem to default to Finnish pronunciation rules when unsure.

In case you wonder, I don't want to post my real name here, because there are only 84 of us with this exact combination. Once I bumped into someone with the same name, and I felt like I'd seen a ghost. I'm sure James' experience is the exact opposite, as the world is full of Jameses, and he's not even the only James Callis out there. (By the way, Google, I have absolutely no need for James Callison's tractor supplies, so please stop suggesting it.)

So, I'll reveal under a link that my name is this hyphenated with this. I was named after my paternal grandmother, Margareta. And yes, there's a dash, which I'm sure James would appreciate.

Finally, speaking of dashes, I think I've figured out the reason for James' dash addiction. His psychological addiction to nicotine is simply so severe that he has to reproduce cigarettes in writing - and what better way to do that than by adding - - dashes here and there? The horizontal lines must soothe him mentally, and he can imagine smoke coming from them. A little link for James: The dash.