Mark A. Sheppard

Mark Sheppard talks of his role in Dollhouse

We were lucky to catch up with some of the cast of Battlestar Galactica recently, among them Mark "Romo Lampkin" Sheppard. He and fellow Battlestar crewmember Tahmoh Penikett are both also appearing in Joss Whedon’s new show, Dollhouse. You can read all about Dollhouse in the latest edition of SFX magazine, issue 178 on sale Wednesday 17 December, but here we’ll share a few words from Sheppard about the character he plays:

"It’s great, being in Dollhouse with Tahmoh," he said, thinking of the great camaraderie that exists on Joss Whedon shoots. "Just walking onto a set and him being there, Joss being there of course… A lot of fun for me."

He continues: "I play a character called Tanaka. It’s pretty obvious from the character’s name that I probably wasn’t the first choice for the role! But I think Joss had wanted to include me and he asked me if I wanted to fill this particular spot - I think they’ve evolved this spot around the fact that they’ve now got me. But as I arrived and I’m waiting outside the stage and Joss is there I said, ’Can I keep the name!’ He laughed and said, ’I knew you were going to say that.’ So I think it’s going to be one of those things where there’s an interesting burden that shapes Tanaka!"

Look out for more of this interview with Mark Sheppard (who said of Joss Whedon’s love for Battlestar Galactica: "He’s a huge fan. He doesn’t really want to know [who the final Cylon is], he’s banned everyone on the set from talking about it. He says Battlestar is the best thing ever made, and that he aspires to make television like it") in 2009 as the end of Battlestar Galactica approaches and Dollhouse kicks off.