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Trinneer Trips Over to 'Stargate Atlantis' Again

By Michelle
March 16, 2006 - 9:05 PM

Connor Trinneer said that he felt as if Trip Tucker's death was a metaphor for the cancellation of Star Trek: Enterprise, but is excited to be returning to another science fiction franchise in a recurring role on Stargate Atlantis.

In an interview at GateWorld, Trinneer admitted that while he was not a science fiction fan growing up, his exposure to Star Trek and Stargate and the shows' fans has made him much more interested in it. He came to Atlantis by accident, though he knew that some of his castmates from Enterprise had appeared on SG-1, he added; "I literally had just looked at the breakdown one day....I called my agent and I asked if I could get a read for it because I thought it was really interesting. They called back five minutes later and said, 'If you want it it's yours.'"

On the series, Trinneer plays Michael Kenmore, whom viewers discovered last season was a Wraith - something the actor said he knew going in. "I had to know. We don't shoot it in order. I didn't wake up on Wednesday and go, 'Oh, Jesus Christ, I'm a Wraith!'" he laughed.

Though news had been leaked on the internet about his character's nature, just as Enterprise spoilers were often leaked as well, Trinneer does not believe that this takes anything away from the storytelling. "You can have a lot of knowledge about something. But this is entertainment. This is theater. So if you don't see the thing, who cares?" he asked. What appealed to him about the part is what he considers to be the best aspect of science fiction: the ethical dilemmas presented by the storylines. "I think it's very timeless. What is an enemy? What responsibilities do you think we have to that enemy and also what you're willing to sacrifice? I think that's very interesting."

Trinneer sat through two and a half hours of makeup and yellow contact lenses to play a Wraith and did most of his own stunts, saying, "Ninety-eight episodes of Enterprise trained me pretty well." He enjoyed working with the Stargate cast and crew, whom he described as very welcoming. "As soon as I got there I could tell that it's a really good environment up there," he said. "Everybody's having a good time. I think in turn that creates a good product."

Though the actor could not say whether he would appear without heavy makeup on, he did reveal, "Michael's back and it all sort of - it just keeps happening to him. Things just don't go away, [don't] wind up working out well for him...I find him fascinating. I'm awfully pleased that I get to do it."

For more, including Trinneer's explanation of how he dubbed another actor's work as the same character when he was unable to play the role himself, see the full interview here.

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