PopCultureMadness: Hello!
David Blue: Pop Culture Madness. That's a great title.
Elyse Levesque: That's a really great title.

PCM: I'm glad to see you sound enthusiastic about what's going on here.
DB: I feel like we should be at a party.

PCM: I mean it really should be; it is a party at our website, come check it out. I have a question for my boy David. The SyFy Website said that they wanted to make this show edgier and younger in tone. Since you're knowledgeable about the show, how is your character relatable to younger viewers?
DB: You know, in a way - and I don't mean to say this sounding like I'm touting myself but in a way I am the viewers. In a way Eli is - it's more relatable which is exactly what we want. Eli is the viewer; Eli is the person who has been sitting at home who loves TV, loves movies, loves, you know, technology. And that's a lot of the people who watch.

PCM: Elyse, how did you prepare for you role on the show?
EL: Well first of all I had to read the script about three times to kind of wrap my brain around what was going on. This was a whole different animal than I had ever experienced before. And then I had to ask a lot of questions for starters, yeah.
I could relate to I think a lot of the things that she was going through maybe not necessarily the life that she had lived but a lot of the things that the character was talking about even in just the four pages of sides I had were stuff that I had going on my life and that I could relate to.

PCM: What do you think makes your show stand apart on a Friday night lineup?
DB: I think there's some great characters that you can really invest in and maybe that's what makes us different too. You will find pieces and aspects of their personalities and their relationships and just the way they approach things that you can relate to.

PCM: Was it difficult to channel these multifaceted characters or does everybody kind of bring their own piece to the table?
DB: We have - these people that we're working are so talented and experienced. I mean, Brian went to Julliard, Bobby comes from the theater world, has been around forever. Everyone is really, really trained.
EL: ...just to kind of add to that, there's such a great dynamic between us as people as well as I think really lends itself to the characters and the relationships of the characters in the show.

PCM: So how did you get this part? I mean, did you audition for it or and why did you accept it?
DB: Yeah, well, you know, as far as getting it the typical route. I was actually in New York shooting another episode of Ugly Betty and heard about it. Then we set up the original, you know, audition and then I had a screen test and the whole usual process; pretty much worked hard to get the role. I was excited about it.
And having watched a lot of the original Stargates when I actually got the script it changed everything for me. I mean it was just really interesting and gripping and in depth and it was a character that I really felt like I could sink my teeth into.

PCM: So you said you've watched Stargate; did you use any of that to prepare or did you completely go away from that?
DB: You know, when it comes down to it my character, Eli, is very much new to this world so the way he approaches things has to definitely be a fresh perspective not knowing anything about the program, about the aliens, about the different technologies.

PCM: That's great. What's been your favorite scene that you've filmed so far?
DB: Oh that's loaded question. You know, that's a hard one. I think and this is just kind of a selfish thing as an actor - I love group scenes. I love scenes where it's all of us together in a room because everyone is really, really deeply talented. And we all get along; we've all become friends and we all have really good senses of humor so we just have fun.

PCM: What do you enjoy about playing Eli?
DB: Oh that's a rough one. What do I enjoy about it? There's really not a lot that I don't. I love - it's very challenging. There have been many times that I didn't quite know how to approach something and that's what really excites me a about acting is having to figure things out.
They really are some of the top people at their game right now. It's amazing to work on a show where you show up and you don't have to worry about if somebody else is going to be prepared and bring something to the table. All you have to worry about is your part and are you going to be able to live up to it.

PCM: Actually I have something for Elyse.
EL: Yay.

PCM: Chloe is way over her head here. She wasn't supposed to be there. How do you see the character adjusting and developing from being a complete outsider with no clue- how is she going to fit into the mix do you think?
EL: Well, at first I think she doesn't fit in at all and for her that's a real big problem. You know, she I think really has to start to come to terms with who she is and sort of step up her game because, I mean, it's kind of like, do or die in this situation.
And, yeah, she definitely was not prepared for this. So, it's kind of like a challenging journey for her. But I think slowly but surely the relationships that she makes on board the ship kind of help her get through it and she begins to find footing.

PCM: The Stargate franchise is famous or maybe infamous for being among the happiest sets in television and film. Is that carrying on? Is that tradition carrying on with SGU? And do you have any good anecdotes from the set?
DB: I definitely think it's carrying on. I mean, we all get along as people from the beginning, from before we even started shooting. You know, we became friends first, you know, we're playing paintball together, seeing movies together, playing Beatles Rock Band together. Like it's a relationship that's less like a work relationship and more like a family. And that only really helps to make the show look ever better I think.

PCM: So for both of you- if you could write a storyline for your character whatever you wanted to have happen what would you have them do?
DB: Well we've been joking - this would never happen, this is more humorous, but we've been joking for a while that one time we should dial the gate and walk through and end up on the island from Lost.
EL: Wouldn't that be awesome?

PCM: All right. Okay well that's all I got for you guys today. Thank you so much.
DB: Thank you. See you at the party.

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