Stargate's Chris Judge, 24's Brad Turner Partner for Rage of Angels

Stargate SG-1 co-star Christopher Judge has teamed up with the Emmy-winning producer/director of "24," Brad Turner, to develop Rage of Angels, a drama that tracks the earthly adventures of the angel Gabriel and his nemesis Lucifer.  MGM, the studio that wholly owns the Stargate franchise, is behind the two-hour, back door pilot

Stateside, Judge enjoys a cult following after ten seasons on SG-1 as Teal’c, the alien warrior and leader of his people, the Jaffa.  But overseas, it’s a different story altogether.  Chatting at a table adjacent to the roof top pool of Hotel Solamar in San Diego, Judge circled gingerly around the subject of his worldwide popularity.

"The fans are quite zealous about their support of Stargate," he said, "you just don’t realize.  Vancouver is removed from the scene.  People there are so respectful of space and privacy…." Then he clarified diplomatically, "I think it’s great that people are enamored of the show."

Stargate SG-1 airs in approximately 140 countries (by Judge’s count) and Judge’s overseas following is, apparently, rabid.  TV Guide reported that he was mobbed on the Champs Elysees in Paris.   By some reports, at one point during his visit to La Ville-lumière,  he and his bodyguard were forced to sprint to safety after a cluster of knife-wielding fans demanded autographs.

These days, however, fans - knife-wielding or otherwise - might walk right on by.  Judge is no longer the bulked up, head shaved, staff-toting warrior.  He has trimmed down significantly.  And the night we chatted he was fashionably turned out in an understated black and white-checked sportcoat over a black shirt that was casually and strategically unbuttoned halfway down.  His hair was long in the back. 

(Click here for photos of Judge and Turner.)

Judge said he intended to shed another "twenty to twenty-five pounds" for the pilot. "I don’t want to remind anyone of Teal’c at all," he explained,  "I want to have two very separate and distinct characters."

Judge started seriously contemplating life beyond the long-running Stargate SG-1after Stargate creator/showrunner Brad Wright put him on the spot during the wedding of director/producer Martin Wood.   "Brad [Wright] asked me ‘when and if the show ever ends, what are you going to do?’" reported Judge.

Judge said his answer was crystal. "I truly want to be the lead in an hour formatted show and prove that a black lead can be commercially viable and sustainable in overseas markets."

He’s out to crash the racial barriers and he believes he just might be the one to pull it off.  “The Hollywood thinking has always been you can’t resell in Europe,” he said, “but the Associated Press called me the most recognizable actor of color in the world.”

Wright’s response at the time, according to Judge: "You know you’re probably going to have to write [the part] yourself." 

Confessed Judge between puffs on a carefully rationed cigarette (it was apparent he’s cutting back), "I had no illusions that people were going to be running to me with lead parts on shows. "

He might have been a little bit wrong about that, since Rage of Angels has come together rather quickly to date. 

The week Stargate SG-1 was cancelled (now almost exactly a year ago) by SCI FI, Judge hit the ground running on Rage of Angels. "I think we got the notice on a Monday," he recalled, "I started writing on Tuesday." 

"But I really wanted feedback from people I respected, people who I knew would tell me the truth,” Judge explained. He subsequently teamed with Turner, a friend of ten years and a Canadian closely associated with Vancouver-based Stargate production.    "Brad read the script and right away said ‘I want to be part of it.  What do you want me to do?’  I said ‘how about we partner up and you direct the pilot?’"

The project winged its way to MGM’s Senior Executive Vice President Finance and Corporate Development Charlie Cohen who met with the pair. Judge said he asked Turner to accompany him to the MGM meeting and state that he was “verbally attached."   Judge said Cohen was “tremendously supportive” and described the meeting as "an absolute love in.   We agreed on everything.  Creatively there were things I put in [the script] and I wasn’t sure that people would get and Brad got them immediately.  It was just a very symbiotic relationship."

[Note: Alas, I’m approaching the character limits on this blog.  Part Two of this article will be posted here tomorrow.  Apologies for the inconvenience!]