Firefly

LOCATION: Burbank Hilton, March 10-12, 2006

THE SKINNY: The recent Creation Entertainment SciFi Summit held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, CA. a cavalcade of stars were present representing popular shows such as FIREFLY/SERENITY, FARSCAPE, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, STAR WARS, STAR TREK: VOYAGER, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION and DEEP SPACE NINE and along with numerous other shows in the science fiction/fantasy realm.

Although the show ran for three days, we were only able to attend two of those days but still were able to get loads of fun quotes from the guests on stage and lots of cool photos from known television and film stars.

FIREFLY/SERENITY panel

The FIREFLY/SERENITY panel featured three stars from the television/movie including Summer Glau (River Tam), Morena Baccarin (Inara) and Adam Baldwin (Jayne).

Summer Glau was asked if the rumor that River was supposed to be recast was true. She assured us that even though she had her personal doubts that she’d get to play the role again, Joss Whedon continuously said he wouldn’t make the movie unless he had the entire cast from the series.

Baldwin, when asked about INDEPENDENCE DAY, told us a story about filming in the desert, and the spectacle of the production assistants just off camera waving the alien’s tentacles.

The panel was asked what their favorite and least favorite scenes in SERENITY were.

Baldwin loved the mule chase. He told us a story about the reaction Jack Green, the cinematographer, had when one of the cameras fell and was destroyed while filming this scene. He checked to make sure no one was hurt. He asked whether it was a new magazine of film that had been lost. Only then did he go looking for a new camera to start filming again.

Baccarin really liked Glau’s last scene, and the hardest thing about filming was running in the shoes they gave her.

When Galu mentioned that her most difficult scene was the locker room scene, Baldwin piped in with, "See, with women it always comes down to the wardrobe."

Baldwin was asked what it was like to work on MY BODYGUARD. He said he was blessed and lucky to work with such talented people. He was given the advice by [Michael Cain] to "always keep your face in repose. Don’t move your head, and don’t blink. When you blink you give the audience a chance to blink,” Baldwin says. When Baldwin started talking about how similar the problem teenager he played in this movie was to himself in 1979, a funny panel interaction ensued. Baldwin dropped out of high school in 1979 and Baccarin said, "I guess you are old enough to be our father, indicating Summer." Baldwin said, "Just call me daddy." Much to the delight of the crowd.

Asked about how to prepare for an audition, Baldwin talked in length about reading lots, including philosophy, because the people you audition for are smart and you have to be able to talk to them. His answer was interrupted by Baccarin who stated, "I don’t know what interviews you’re going on, but they just ask me to take off my shirt." She laughed “Just kidding!”

Asked for their favorite episodes of FIREFLY, Baccarin instantly responded with “Out of Gas,” with nods from the rest of the panel. Baldwin’s favorite was “War Stories” and Glau’s was “Objects in Space.”

Baccarin was then asked what back story she’d like to know about her character. “I’d like to know why she was so crotchety."

When asked about future projects, Baccarin mentioned that she’d just been on a few episodes of THE O.C. Baldwin pointed out that it was pilot season, which is hard, but he’d gotten a role in a pilot he hopes will be picked up. Glau will be appearing in a movie made for television called MAMMOTH, which is supposed to air in April. She’ll be in an upcoming episode of THE 4400. Baldwin concluded with the statement, "We’re gypsies."

Glau was then asked how natural the transition from ballet to martial arts was. "Not natural at all,” she says. “It made me feel like the little 5 year girl on the first day of ballet class. Ballet dancers don’t hit each other!” Glau added that even though she was a vegetarian, during the days they were filming the martial arts sequences, she ordered steak or chicken and even though she never really understood the martial arts, she could mimic the movements perfectly. The really hard part was “because of the camera angles, I had to make actually contact with all my kicks and punches,” she says. Baldwin contemplated aloud to himself "Full contact ballet."

When asked about STARGATE SG-1, Baldwin says he’d played hockey with Richard Dean Anderson in the past, and that he’d been on a nearby sound stage when the first season of SG-1 was filming and it was good to finally work with Richard and he liked the character he played.

One of the fans then asked Baldwin about playing a bad guy on ANGEL. Baldwin stated “I never play a bad guy. You’re always the hero, and you have to play it that way... without blinking. Now Nathan Fillion played a bad guy on BUFFY. Blood flowing from his black eyes and everything.”