Ming-Na Boldly Goes Where Stargate's Never Gone Before
The gifted actress took on a new challenge when she joined the cast of Syfy's latest original series, Stargate Universe. A self-admitted geek, Ming-Na was excited to explore the sci-fi world and work with a large ensemble cast as a group of civilians and soldiers who've been stranded in space aboard the ancient and mysterious Destiny ship. Aside from playing the challenging part of a strong-minded strategies and human resources expert member of the International Oversight Committee, Ming-Na's character, Camile Wray, is also the first LGBT person in the Stargate franchise's world. It's the first Asian American lesbian character on basic cable and one of the few lesbians currently on American prime-time television.
Planet Out spoke to the beautiful and bubbly Ming-Na about playing a lesbian for the first time, all the exciting high-stakes drama aboard the Destiny, and shooting a love scene with a woman, Reiko Aylesworth, for November 20's Stargate Universe episode, "Life."
PLANET OUT: Thanks so much for speaking to us today. I'm all caught up on my Stargate Universe episodes so I have lots of questions.
MING-NA: Me too! No, I'm just kidding ... [laughs]
M: Well, yeah. I think I'm up to something that other people might not like.
P: It's been suggested people either love or hate your headstrong character, senior ranking IOA member Camile Wray, but she seems very smart and nice! Her bold behavior seemed to be motivated by a risk or stakes that her shipmates are not aware of...
M: I think that’s what’s so great about SGU -- these characters are really put in life-and-death, dire situations ...
P: Every episode! I'm worried!
M: Otherwise it wouldn't be fun to watch; it's an adventure-action series. Just like a sitcom: If it wasn't a funny episode, you wouldn't want to watch it. So we definitely need to keep everything very heightened for our fans.
P: It's not just about getting home at all. It's about surviving every day and every new problem.
M: Yeah, and I think when you’re under that kind of stress, as any human being would, you start to do things that you probably normally would not ever consider yourself doing. And for Wray, I think she was someone who was very much by-the-book. Someone who had a very clear vision of where she wanted to end up, in a position of power. And then ultimately, when she's thrown into the situation on Destiny, she has to learn to really think on her feet and consider scenarios that I think morally might not rub her the right way. Ultimately, though, she feels it's in the best interest of all the civilians on board the ship.
P: And when it comes to tough decisions, Wray didn't seem to decide with emotion. Is she primarily concerned with their best chance at survival?
M: Exactly. I think she feels the military is always thinking in a “brute force, gun 'em down, take over” way. For her, she feels there are other ways to try and manage the situation.
P: I was wondering -- we've all known Camile Wray was intended to be an out lesbian character since April ...
M: Yeah.
P: Is she officially out on the show yet? Has Wray spoken about her romantic relationship?
M: There was a brief moment, when she was on Kino, the little floating camera we have. That's been a great, wonderful device to use as far as being kind of voyeuristic. Very confessional, very “reality TV,” so to speak. At that moment, she mentions Sharon (Reiko Ayelsworth). You don't quite know. .. she says "if anyone ever finds this ... please tell Sharon my last thoughts were of her." So it's been hinted at.
P: But the November 20 episode changes all that?
M: Yeah! "Life," the episode that airs where she [Wray] gets to go back to Earth. At least, her consciousness goes back to Earth. We have another device called the Communication Stones. It's an ancient device where we get to at least visit Earth through our minds and another person's body.
P: Recently that device seems to be on the fritz, with characters jumping back and forth in their alternate consciousness.
M: I know! I love the fact that the writers understand their fans and realize that they're really, really smart. So they're really challenging the audience to be able to keep up with what's going on. Which is good.
P: You really have to pay attention to who you're watching and who you're supposed to be seeing. It's thought-provoking.
M: It really is. And I love the fact that it's done, in a way, on an esoterical, philosophical level. It really isn't about what's on the surface. It's really what's on the inside of anybody that makes the person. I think when you see "Life" you really really get a sense of the trust that's involved between Sharon and Wray. That there is just so much love and such a sense of connection between these two characters, and it's lovely to see. It was lovely to play. I mean, I've never played a lesbian character before, so I just treated it like I would any strong, loving relationship.
P: Did you have any worries about authentically portraying a lesbian or ask questions of any LGBT friends in your personal life? Or did you just approach it with emotional intimacy between the characters as their relationship is scripted?
M: No, absolutely, you know, I did my research. I interviewed several close friends who are gay and got a more in-depth understanding of their world and the things that they encounter on a day-to-day basis and some of the prejudices that they have to deal with. Being a Chinese-American, I've had to deal with that. Plus being a woman ... you know, every day of my life. So it wasn't anything that was foreign to me. It was absolutely something that I could relate to on so many levels. This is just a part of her personality that I understood completely.
P: Was there anything that came across during the filming that was noticeably really different than when you've played love scenes or intimate scenes opposite men in your previous work?
M: Um, yeah. Reiko's lips are much softer, and no stubble!
P: I can only imagine...
M: Which was very lovely. I just remember, you know, it's so silly, but I guess I've never really laid on a woman before. And when I leaned back in this one scene, onto her chest, the first time I did it, I was like, "Oh! Boobies!" [Adorable laugh]
P: So definitely a different silhouette when you get close?
M: Yeah, yeah! It was nice, kind of like one of those air-travel pillows. [Laughs] And for Reiko, too, it was her first experience playing a lesbian, and so both of us came from the same place. We really hit it off right away, which is wonderful. I hope that when people watch the scenes they'll just see a loving couple.
P: I can't wait to see the chemistry! You mentioned researching the unfortunately common discrimination LGBT people face when developing you character. It seemed like they might have been implying that Wray had been overlooked at work in the past and the IOA may have undervalued her role previous to the Destiny mission, which landed her a very dire situation. Did that have anything to do with her being a lesbian?
M: I think I personally colored it with that, so that my relationship with [other] characters was tense ... I love the intrigue of “OK, we have to play on the same team now ... ”
P: But things transpired back at home, maybe?
M: Yeah, and I think obviously she still needs her connections on Earth because their ultimate goal is to get back. They haven't given up that hope yet; it's too early. So she's still playing what she normally would play in that man's environment, which is, “You know what, you're not going to bullshit me and I'm not going to bullshit you.” And I think this is how Wray was able to rise in her position, because she was able to play the boys’ game and say, "Look, I know what you're trying to pull here. Don't butter me up."
P: She's definitely not afraid to tell someone flat-out they're wrong.
M: Exactly, and yet, what I love about her... I didn't want her to come off as this complete bitch, the stereotypical tough female in power. I wanted to make sure she had vulnerabilities, as any person would when they're with life-and-death situations or losing their loved ones. And I think you really get to see a lot of that in "Life," which is fantastic. You really get to see the softer side of Wray. You know, we always put on her work face, and then we have our own personal life.
P: Are you close to any of your castmates?
M: Oh, yeah, that's what makes it so special. Everyone on this show, we just get along so well and it is a big family.
P: It's such a large ensemble with so many characters, and viewers are slowly learning more about their backstories in each episode.
M: Yeah, let's say between me and Elyse Levesque's character, Chloe, we don't have as many scenes together. But I think, if we see it in the big picture, let's say hopefully the series runs several years, it'd be wonderful to have the chance to explore all that further down the line. As far as being an ensemble’s concerned, so many of us are from the theater background and we all have a great sense of humor. it's great. We click; we understand each other. No one has any massive insecurities or divadom. We're there to work, and we're there to have a good time.
P: Getting back to the big episode, "Life," there was that leak back in April, involving a character breakdown that seemed to give away that the character of Wray might in some sense, be physically involved with a man, causing an uproar from many in the LGBT community. But I noticed in the "Earth" episode the consciousness glitches users of the Communication Stones were starting to experience. Does that sort of switch have to do with the encounter between Wray and a man? Is she not necessarily herself?
M: Right, I think what is interesting is that ... I mean, I understand the sensitivity of a particular minority group where you've had to deal with so much, and so many issues, that you become very sensitive to it all. But for me, I feel like if you’re going to be equal, if you want equality, there comes a point where, if like let's say with "Earth" that case has been presented: where someone has sex in another person's body. That is sort of like a given when you do exchange bodies, you kind of give up your permission for what happens to that body at that time. I think that in the future, that situation may be less of an issue. But what had happened was, it was taken out of context. There's a thing called a casting breakdown, and it's a very short synopsis of the intention of any of the scripts. And I think it was completely misinterpreted.
P: And it's a somewhat early vision, right? Things can change?
M: Yes, an extremely early vision. And I think when you see that episode, which is... Gosh, I'm trying to remember which now...
P: My own reaction was, "it's sci-fi!" You have to wait and see how it's presented, anything can happen in that genre.
M: Right, and there isn't going to be that controversy, I think. I think in later episodes, if that case does happen, the writers will present it in a way where it won't be offensive. They're not doing any situation just for gratuitous reasons; there's definitely a story behind any situation that's going to happen. So I completely trust them to present a great story line for Wray if that ever were to happen.
P: For you to play the character as a real, genuine full person, you have to trust the writers won't exploit her sexuality.
M: Exactly, exactly. And you know, I think it's a good topic to discuss too. I think any controversy is good.
P: Anything that explores realities of a minority can open new doors, right?
M: Yeah.
P: One last question: I know you're tech-savvy and on Twitter. Is it MsMingNa or simply MingNa?
M: It's just MingNa! I was able to get my name back. So it's now just @MingNa
Stargate Universe airs Friday nights at 9 on Syfy. "Life," the first episode featuring Wray's partner, Sharon (24's Reiko Aylesworth), is on November 20. You can catch up on SGU episodes here.
Tell us: What do you think of the new Stargate Universe series? Are you excited to see an LGBT character on a science fiction show? Don't Wray and Sharon make a hot couple?
Additional images courtesy of Getty
Written by Gay.com on November 19, 2009
in CELEBRITIES, TV
Why is it always lesbians and NEVER gay men, especially in the sci-fi world? Even Russell Davies 'Torchwood' is a 'bi' guy, not a gay man. Is it because straight men are somehow ludicrously turned on by lesbians and they think this will make the show more popular and even gay writers (like Davies or Whedon) are all afraid to present gay men?
Posted by: Jafuf | 11/20/2009 at 06:36 AM
Its interesting you bring up gay men on TV show's, Jafuf.
Gay men have been on many many shows for years, even as one of the stars of the show like Will And Grace.
Lesbians have hardly ever been able to have a staring role in a show.
Except for last few years, its always been men.
Now your going to whine because there's no gay men on this show.
What about Brothers and Sisters, that's one for you.
Sure its not Science Fiction?
Geez get over it, I am sure some gay producer or writer will make one in the future.
Your acting like there has been more Lesbians on TV shows then Gay men, which is not true.
While gay men get roles that where they are seen all the time in almost every show.
Lesbians are often just in the show for rating boosts only.
Like on ER, Kerry was turned lesbian, they did somethings with her for awhile.
then they just put her in the back ground, and never have anything else happen.
Other shows just have a lesbian kiss happen, and then had them regret what they did.
This has going one for years, but men have been the lead in big shows.
L Word is the first show and only show to have that for lesbians.
Sure I agree they should have Gay men in a Sci-fi show, this is the first that I know of for Lesbians too, in sci-fi.
Anyways I already loved the show, this is just icing on the cake.
But I doubt they will touch on that very much.
Otherwise they would have had the lesbian be someone a little More important to the show.
And by having her with a girlfriend back home,we wont be seeing any Lesbian loving on board the Destiny ether.
So its right on the back burner, just in the background, pretty much out of sight.
Til they need a rating boost.
And it probably is to get strait guys too watch more then anything else.
They already have allot more strait sex then SG1 had, more then needed I might add.
This show doesn't really need it, though I guess it is more real.
But its still a great show, and I hope it will be around for many years to come.
Posted by: Clara | 11/20/2009 at 12:49 PM
love the show .. loved the episode. handled very well. not a soft porn for the straight guys. just ordinary folk. still eye candy , but ...........understandable.
I'd like to see a gay guy as well addressed. just going by the percentage that there would be one ! it would be interesting to see a character like Msgt. Ronald Greer , seemingly very angry and very straight be that character !
not all are Wills or Jacks .
Posted by: Michele | 11/21/2009 at 09:20 AM
clara... your reinforcing that stereotype of the man hating lesbian. please do not speak for all of us.
Posted by: Michele | 11/21/2009 at 09:22 AM
I know this is not sci fi but right now "One Life to Live" has a great male couple. Neither is 'Will or Jack' one is a cop and the other in med school. Some man on man kissing w/my love in the afternoon. I think it's great, I get tired of lesbians all the damn time! What the hell is so special about us lesbians?
Posted by: wherewolfmom | 11/21/2009 at 02:55 PM
It's a shame that Wray has hardly been featured on the show at all so far. The writers have a history of being unable to write strong, competent women in leadership roles. I fear the same will happen here.
I'm also disappointed that Ming-Na is so nonchalant about her character and others using their swapped bodies to have sex. If the swappee has not given consent for their body to be used that way then it's rape. There has been no scene or mention that these people have given consent, only retconning by producers and actors. Who would allow their body to be used for sex? Would a gay character really be fine with their body being used for straight sex and vice versa? Who would enter into someone else's body and even think about having sex with it? It's a cheap ploy and a desperate attempt to make the show edgy like BSG.
It's disgusting that these characters engage in such actions and that the people in charge bend every which way to excuse their actions.
Posted by: How sad | 11/22/2009 at 09:17 AM
It's a shame that Wray has hardly been featured on the show at all so far. The writers have a history of being unable to write strong, competent women in leadership roles. I fear the same will happen here.
I'm also disappointed that Ming-Na is so nonchalant about her character and others using their swapped bodies to have sex. If the swappee has not given consent for their body to be used that way then it's rape. There has been no scene or mention that these people have given consent, only retconning by producers and actors. Who would allow their body to be used for sex? Would a gay character really be fine with their body being used for straight sex and vice versa? Who would enter into someone else's body and even think about having sex with it? It's a cheap ploy and a desperate attempt to make the show edgy like BSG.
It's disgusting that these characters engage in such actions and that the people in charge bend every which way to excuse their actions.
Posted by: How sad | 11/22/2009 at 09:17 AM
Gay or not gay, this is a bad show. Its not science fiction. Its a soap opera! There is a soap cable channel. There is a gay cable channel. How about writing something that fits the medium.
Posted by: Al | 11/24/2009 at 08:15 AM
I don't get what all the fuss is about? Now, as for Ming Na's character on SGU, her character to this point hasn't been that important to the plot, It would be odd if while people are dying on a jungle planet, cutting Ice for water, trying to stop a dust alien, looking for a mineral to fix the air system, etc, etc for Wray to just be the prancing around openly gay character... Would people then be upset and say that the writers are just trying to score points by having a LGBT character in every episode?
I am a straight male, so maybe it's hard for me to understand what members of the LGBT community go through in regards to feeling like there are no good role models on tv or being marginalized on TV.
I notice people bringing up Will and Jack, but those stereotypes bother me, most of my gay friends don't prance around like Jack does.
Gay, Lesbian or Straight sex shouldn't matter, what should matter is that it's done tastefully, and not to soft porn... that's just my opinion...
Posted by: Dan | 11/24/2009 at 10:55 AM