Gate to the Sanctuary, Melbourne: Robin’s Happy Hour!

CALLING ALL SANCTUARIAN GATERS!

Gate to the Sanctuary was an incredible Stargate and Sanctuary convention, held in Sydney by Culture Shock Events, and in Melbourne by Hub Productions.

On the weekend of 11-12 December, 2010, several hundred extremely blessed fans had the opportunity to meet with some of their favourite artists, including Amanda Tapping of Stargate and Sanc tuary, Robin Dunne of Sanctuary, as well as Carmen Argenziano (Stargate) and Chuck Campbell (Stargate and Sanctuary).

Included are banners on two very worthwhile charities we ask that you support, Starlight Foundation of Australia and Sanctuary for Kids. Thank you for your generosity and support!

Further to my report on the convention, below are the transcripts of Robin’s and Amanda’s PHENOMENAL panels from the Melbourne event. Throughout Robin’s panel, the entire audience was in bouts of hysterical laughter, while Amanda’s panel was the most memorable for its soul, its beauty, its crazed goofiness, the hysterical giggles, the moved tears, and its intelligent and thoughtful Q&A.

Please note that these are written exactly how they are spoken. I chose to leave in the ‘umms’ and ‘aahs’, the little vocal nuances, so that you may read it exactly as was spoken by THEM. I did not want to filter it, but left it as it is so that you may hear it as Amanda and Robin told it. It is not a written report, but a transcript of spoken language, and should be read as such. I have also tried to include descriptions of actions and facials expressions where possible.

Some details may be blurry, so I apologise for any slight mistakes in spoken words. I hope you enjoy the panels as much as we did! May you finish with a painful stitch…it’s all about the living experience!

A MASSIVE bouquet of gratitude to the lovely @PaganX @MichelleDaGreek and @Abydos71 for your fabulous photographic contributions!

A day NEVER to be forgotten…

ROBIN DUNNE

(Intro. video playing)

(Robin appears at top of stairs, runs down. Stops. “YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAH!”! With his arms punched in the air. Runs down to floor at the front of the theatre)

(LAUGHTER AND CHEERS)

Robin: HOW ARE YOU NEAT PEOPLE?! (laughter) I gotta say, um, before we get into the REAL…meat and…and potatoes, I’m just kidding around around by the way (laughter)I’m totally like…OH NO…

Um, …okay let’s get those photos first alright? (LAUGHTER)*starts posing* (LAUGHTER)….I should just hold it up here like this *demonstrates with arms thrown apart in a sort of victory pose*(LAUGHTER)

I’d just like to warn you, um, and I mean the several people speaking today, uh… I’d just like to warn you that this may be the more X-rated of the uuh…(LAUGHTER)…I…I can’t help it, I ..I… I just go there sometimes, so forgive me. I know it’s sort of a family thing, I’ll try to keep it as..uh…family-friendly as possible! But uh…you never know. It’s me, I’m the wildcard of the…(chuckles)

Uh, but I just wanna say, before we get into it. Before we get into the..uh..all the questions..and the, you know, DEEP, DARK, and the underbelly of Sanctuary, and all those things that you wanna know, and that I will definitely tell you. Aaah, even if you DON’T wanna know, I’m gonna tell you! …(laughter).

Um, I just wanna say! I just spent the last couple of hours walking around Melbourne. *waving arms* OH MY GOD! WHAT AN AMAZING CITY THIS IS!! (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)I went to the…um, the Australian Centre for Moving Images?(Murmers of YEAAAH). Oh my GOD! It’s fantastic!! I mean, you know, I was..I was totally uh, TOTALLY blown away! And then, you know…pouring rain! Five minutes later, beautiful sun!! (LAUGHTER) YOU GUYS WEREN’T LYING, I SAW IT TOO! Wait five minutes! What is this huh? C’MON! (Audience: Four season in one day!) I know…four seasons in like…half an hour! (LAUGHTER)CRAZY! I’m sure it’s like, hailing and snow out there right now! (laughter)

Um, so anyway. Thanks for coming! It’s so great to be here, I love talking about the show! Uuum, I’ve said this many times before, you know…I’m a fan..you know, I’m a HUGE fan of the show. It also happens to be my job. But I…I love it, I love the show, and uuuh, I’m happy to, you know, let’s talk about it! I mean, um, I guess I’ll just open it up to the floor, open up some questions, you know and it’ll jog my memory. And I’ll probably you know, go into some long, boring, meandering stories. Um, but do we have…anybody who wants to open it up with, like, questions? Are we gonna, are we gonna…(Moderator: We’ve got a mic going around) Right…

Can everybody hear okay? (Yep! What? Yep! laughter)…Yeah…yeah your answer to that is, WHAT!?! (laughter). Physical comedy is my life…I’m telling ya…

Q1: Hi Robin…

Robin: HI!

Q1: I just wanna know, on the episode of ‘Breach’ what WAS the ‘knock knock’ joke?

Robin: *ponders for a moment* I have no idea! I uh…I really don’t..okay i have no idea what the ‘knock knock’ joke is. I think uh, that was the whole point of the show, you know, that there’s sort of this…this GAP in reality, um. But on that subject of that episode. What an AMAZING episode for Amanda to do, I mean, she got her ass KICKED (chuckles), uh…in that episode. And..and I remember talking to her after she shot it! She said “God!.. you know, umm, it was really tough! Like, it was really, really physical, and I really got beaten up!…in that episode!” And I sort of looked at her and went, “*STARES* WELCOME TO MY LIFE!!!!” (LAUGHTER). EVERY episode, I get my ass kicked! Um, but also! That’s another exciting thing about season 3, um, is uuh..IAN TRACEY, who is our new, AMAZING villain, um. GOD what an ACTOR! I got to do, um, quite…quite a lot with him this season, and I think he’s gonna become one of those, uuh, favourites. You know, he’s kinda gonna go into one of those Hannibal Lecter, you know, love-to-hate-him kind of zones. Um, and…you know, i think he’s gonna become a fan favourite like, in the way Tesla is, you know, Tesla…you guys love Tesla right?! (LOUD CHEERS AND WHISTLES)

Yeah…’cause like..You know, ‘Sanctuary’ is so cool, ‘cause like, they’re CONSTANTLY…you know, it’s such an INNOVATIVE show, and..and we’re constantly getting these new characters coming onto the show, who are…who are SO amazing. You know, of course Ian, Pascale Hutton, who plays Will’s girlfriend this year…WILL, has a little bit of a romance this year. Kinda nice, you know, I…I’ve been unlucky in love a few times! I’ve had…I’ve had a couple of girls DIE on me! (LAUGHTER) Which is..not..that great. But uh, ANYWAY so yeah, that’s that. But if I can think of a ‘knock knock’ joke, throughout this talk, I will definitely do one. Uuuh…

Q2: AAAH, in the INITIAL, Season 1, your relationship with Amanda’s daughter…did you find that challenging? Or…

Robin: My relationship? *stares, Bill Clinton impression* I did not. Have….*stabbing finger emphatically* (LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE). *still in character* What I did was wrong, but I did not…have…

Q2: Did you find that a challenge? That…there was a divide between you? One ran one way, the other ran the other? There was no…communal…

Robin: It was very challenging because she’s not an attractive girl *smiling* (laughter). Um, no I think..I think it was interesting because the two characters were very, very different. Particularly, in Season 1, um you know, I think we’ve talked about it. You know, Will has come a long way. Um, I was saying earlier, you know there are certain episodes in Season 1 where Amanda’s like “BOOM! Blumblumblum!” and Ashley’s like, “BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM!” and Will’s like this, *cowers covering head* “AAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargggGGHHHHHHHH!!!” (LAUGHTER). Um, so that’s kinda gone away a little bit, um, it’s the natural progression of the character. He’s the guy who’s, who’s sort of resigning himself to the fact that he’s gonna be living in this dangerous place, and that he’s life is gonna be, you know, at stake. Risked every week. And he’s just sort of, numb to it now! But, in Season 1 he certainly wasn’t, and I think…YEAH…sort of…Ashley and Will were very mismatched! In that first season, because…she was obviously, you know, more cavalier and…I don’t..I don’t think Ashley would go for Will, particularly in Season 1. She’d be like*impression* “God this guys..is….what a LOSER! Get away from me loser…you…you’re crying! STOP CRYING!” (LAUGHTER) “You’re EMBARRASSING!”. So, yeah…

YES! *waits*…WAY UP THE BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!

Q3: Hi I’m here! Hi I’m Suzie…um..is there any…

Robin: Hi Suzie. (chuckles)

Q3: At the end of Season 2, um, you had a REALLY nice scene….dancing! (LAUGHTER)

Robin: Dancing…dancing…DANCING! UUUUUUUUGH…THE BOLLYWOOD SCENE, that’s what you’re talking about! Um. Don’t remember it! (LAUGHTER) Have noo..noooooo recollection.

I..the only thing I really remember from that is this, it’s disappointing, but, I’ll do it for ya anyway! *Prepares himself. Double hand clicks up, double hand clicks down*(LOUD CHEERS AND WHISTLES AND APPLAUSE). Yeah you know, that was one of those things where…I honestly thought it was a practical joke! I did, I said to Damian, you know, “I know that I’ve gone into your computer many times, and, you know, uploaded the most…disgusting pornography (laughter), or you know, upgraded your Facebook status to say, you know ‘Damian Kindler is getting his nipples pierced’ (laughter). I know that I’ve done that many times, but, this is going a little far! You’ve written an entire script as a JOKE! (laughter). Uuuh, shouldn’t you be writing ACTUAL EPISODES for the show? Like, shouldn’t that be the important thing…”. And uuh, both Martin and Damian told me that “uuh, no actually, that’s actually a real episode. We are actually going to be shooting that!” IN TWO WEEKS!!! (laughter) Um, so I remember, the girl who came to …teach me to dance, um…lovely girl, um, very well versed in dance…particularly in Bollywood dance! She said uuh, “Okay you know what? I’m gonna…I’m gonna just, you know, just so I can gauge your level of…rhythm. (laughter) No no no, I’m…I’ll play some music, and just sort of…dance a little bit for me! Just so I can see, you know..like…how much work you need to do! (laughter)”. So, as if that’s not humiliating enough! So at first, like…I start doing this…*bends elbows and starts bopping and swinging slightly*(LAUGHTER)And she literally did this, she turned off the music, *STARES….buries face in palm*, *under breath* “OH my God…” (LAUGHTER). “When are you shooting this?!”, “uuuh two weeks…”, “TWO WEEKS!! Alright…aaah okay…”. Yeah, it was a very nerve-wracking thing, uuh, I said, just before I tell you…Uh. At one point, um, Martin Wood stood up on a chair, and he was like *demonstrates holding up phone* “HEEY! I JUST WANNA…” On the set, the day we were shooting, “I JUST WANNA SAY, UMM, YOU KNOW ON MY IPHONE HERE, IT SAYS IT’S FORTY DEGREES IN MUMBAI. And it’s…FORTY-TWO DEGREES IN VANCOUVER!! So…GREAT, you know, SO WE HAVE THE INDIAN WEATHER!”. And me, I’m like, literally sweating, like, really patching out, and I haven’t even done the dance yet. Um…and aah. You know, ALL DAY, people were like, you know crew guys, all sorts, *strained deep voice, nudging and smirking* “Heey, can’t wait to see you dance!” (LAUGHTER)”My wife…and, my brother came in to see this!” (LAUGHTER)” I told them you were gonna dance, you know and, they just need a good laugh! (LAUGHTER)”. And I go, you know, we were setting up the shot, and you know, we’re in the Mumbai set… in our parking lot. And aah,…I could see on the landing, like, people from ACCOUNTING (LAUGHTER), the caterers haven’t left! I was like, “You know, what…what is this? This is NUTS! It’s not some SPECTACLE, where everyone’s like, let’s laugh at ROBIN!” (laughter). Uuuuuh…actually, who am I kidding, like, that’s the whole show…(LAUGHTER). So um, we started…we started going into the dance, and it..it sounds like baloney. It sounds like, something that just came from anybody…I SWEAR TO GOD, this is exactly what happened. We start doing the dance, and I don’t know if it was the HEAT, or if it was…ABJECT FEAR on my part, but I honestly…don’t remember doing ANY of it. (laughter). I remember…it was like, I swear I went into some kind of hypnosis. Aaand, Martin Wood goes…, “Okay everyone! We’re done with the dance!!”, and it was almost like the hypnotist was like, was… SNAPPED me out of it. I was like, “What? We’re done with the dance?…wha…When are we doing it?!” (laughter), and he was like, “We’ve just been doing it for the last four hours!…Are you okay?”, he said, “SOMEONE GET HIM SOME GATORADE! (laughter)”. But yeah, it was a pretty…it was a pretty cool thing to do. And again, one of the great things about ‘Sanctuary’, is that…they DO that kinda stuff. I mean, who would have THOUGHT, that you could watch …an episode…of scifi, a scifi show, and have a Bollywood number! (laughter). You know..umm, you know, with episodes coming up this season, where you go, ‘Is this..?! Like…what SHOW is this?!?!” And, I think that’s one of the GREAT things about ‘Sanctuary’, is that: It’s NOT a show that’s gonna spoonfeed you, It’s NOT a show that’s gonna be like, “Hey…hey c’mon, let’s watch…let’s just watch a little episode of television! It’s okay, you don’t have to THINK”. You kinda actually HAVE to think with ‘Sanctuary’, and you have to kinda keep up, and I THINK that, certainly for ME as an actor, that’s one of the things that really draws me to the show and makes me excited about it. And I think, from an AUDIENCE standpoint, that’s really cool too, is like…you’re gonna be like, ‘Wait a second..what..wha..where are we?! What are we doing?!” Umm, and that, that…I credit, you know, Damian Kindler, and…and the writing team for REALLY coming up with those innovative stories. EVEN if it means, *British accent* I have to be…publicly embarrassed! (LAUGHTER) I think that’s where the root of the ideas come from. They…they sit in the writing room, they’re like, *scheming voice* “How can we make Robin look like a COMPLETE idiot this week?(laughter)” and then they come up with the story…so…Anyway, that’s…that’s uuh, it was a pretty fun! It was pretty fun…

Q4: Hi Robin

Robin: HI!

Q4: I was just wondering, from…Seasons 1, 2 and 3, in each of those, which has been your most favourite episode?

Robin: From each…each SEASON? My favourite episode?

I think uuum, ‘Requiem’, in Season 1. Umm, and I wanna…GOD I wanna say it was episode SIX, of the first season. Um, so…it, it was, I mean I always knew that ‘Sanctuary’ was something special, aaand it was a show that…uh, was trying to do something different. But…but really, ‘Requiem’ was, was the point where I was like “Okay, no…on second thoughts, it’s something really COOL” . It was, we…you know we, Amanda and I …it was REALLY amazing to just be able to, to work with Amanda in… in that sort of intensity. And also we…we shoot things out of sequence, as you may or may not know. I don’t know if…if… but like, you know. Let’s say there’s a, like, a scene that takes place…there’s two scenes in a movie that take place in an auditorium like this, one at the beginning, one at the end. Well, on a day of shooting, we would just shoot BOTH of those scenes the same day, rather than coming back to it, right? Sooo, a lot of times you have to really kind of, as an actor, know where you are, know where you are in the story, because…you know, you jump AROUND a lot. But in..in an episode like ‘Requiem’, because it was…a BOTTLE show that we say…isn’t…a bottle is we don’t leave, like, ALL of the scenes in one…bottle (LAUGHTER) That’s why we call it a bottle show,..(chuckles) It doesn’t happen…like…in a BOTTLE (laughter) we’re not DRUNK…well…sometimes (laughter) well…But no, it takes place in one…in one LOCATION. So, BECAUSE of that, we were able to shoot the ENTIRE thing in sequence. Which is very cool…it’s,…it’s very much like it’s a PLAY. So YEAH, I mean…it wasn’t…it was a difficult episode to shoot, I mean we were soaking WET all the time. You know, I think you saw a little flash of me wearing that…RIDICULOUS…aah…jumpsuit, as opposed to dry clothes…like Freddy Mercury. (laughter) It’s not really a look I’m going for. Um…so yeah, I think from Season 1 that was aah….In Season TWO, I think just..there were several that I really, really like. If I HAD to pick one, I would say…’Pavor Nocturnus’. Aaah, really kind of a DAUNTING episode for me to shoot, because I was PLAYING Will…this is the apocalyptic future…one. Umm, I was playing Will, but…a Will that was UNRECOGNISABLE to the one that we…we know. So it was like playing a different character, but I was playing the SAME character. So it was really, kind of different. Uuh, AGAIN LOVED the stuff, sort of, with me and Amanda one-on-one. Uh it was a …you know THAT’S a very weird episode too, because you know, NORMALLY we have…we’re joking around all the time, you know, people are taking their PANTS off (chuckles), and people are playing JOKES on each other…and you know, Martin Wood is throwing tennis balls, and it’s usually a very jokey-laughey set. But in an episode like THAT, that’s so heavy and serious uhh… that kinda goes out, ‘cause you…I mean I was REALLY kind of struggling to STAY in that character, to keep that intensity, and so was…Amanda. I mean she had, that was a very, very TAXING episode…for her to shoot! Uh…and there’s definitely a different MOOD on that episode. I noticed that some of the crew people were like, *strained whinge*“I don’t LIKE this episode (laughter)! No-one’s…like, LAUGHING or GIGGLING, I don’t LIKE this. It’s not like…it’s not like an episode of ‘Sanctuary’!”. Umm, but it was a, it was a very COOL episode…uuh, I think AGAIN, you know…some of the PRACTICAL sets on the show. You know we talk about the VISUAL effects on Sanctuary, and rightfully so they’re AMAZING, BUT..but…the PRACTICAL SETS. You know, the Bollywood episode, that was just… built in our parking lot. Uuuh, and…and in PAVOR, you know that was just built in a WAREHOUSE. It was all…you know, all that apocalyptic stuff, and how they really, like, DESTROYED Magnus’ office, destroyed the Sanctuary. Uhh, really amazing stuff. So I would say, Pavor is…Season 2 my favourite! And SEASON THREE MY FAVOURITE, I…I CAN’T TELL YOU ‘CAUSE YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET (LAUGHTER and awwwwww!). You haven’t seen it yet, but I’m telling you! We did an episode THIS YEAR…the BIGGEST, MOST EXPENSIVE, biggest in SCOPE, biggest STORY, most…UNBELIEVBLE pieces of MACHINERY onset, that you’ve ever seen! It’s episode 17 this year…it’s called ‘Normandy’ (chuckles and oooh!). Which uuh, which uuh…ish very exshiting! (LAUGHTER)Yeah…that’s, that’s definitely my favourite one. And you know, the thing about…and that’s the thing about ‘Sanctuary’ too, you can just be like “OH MY GOD my LIPGLOSS! (LAUGHTER)” Um…yeah you definitely look at…and just be like “Wow, I just can’t believe, how cool …what a cool job. Yeah, those are my three favourite I think…

Anybody else…? Oh sorry…YOU’RE in control of this, I’m not controlling this…I’m…

Q5: Over time, or actually from the very BEGINNING, you’ve had a bit of a penchant to…um…lose your pants (LAUGHTER).

Robin: I don’t know, I don’t know if LOSE is…

Q5: You tend to DROP it!

Robin: YEAH…um…If I’d worn my tear-away jeans today *mimics ripping them off* (LAUGHTER) PRRRT! You know…that’s a good question! I was…I was talking about this yesterday in Sydney. Uh, I DON’T know where that stunt came from, I don’t know the root of that! Ummm, I do know this..sort of…if I take it back…there was ONE point where, early in Season 1, we were doing…interviews, you know, for ….aand Martin Wood was sitting there, and…you know I love Marty, but he can kinda go on a little bit. Sometimes, at you know, like Comic Con, you’re just like “Martin! WHAT are you TALKING about?! You’re like…ranting…you’re like my MUM! (laughter) You’re ranting on like a story, and then a branch, and then another story, and we’re beginning to forget where we even STARTED!” (laughter) so I think…I think Martin was just doing that, and was doing his little interview and…I was sitting there watching him, and …I dunno! I had this…perverse desire to just see if…he was sitting right here doing the interview, right, *sits in chair, arms folded and demonstrates* He was speaking this way, and I kinda walked up and I was just like *turns around, bends over and mimes pulling down pants next to Martin’s face*(LAUGHTER) I dunno! I was just like, had to, had to see…I just had a desire to put my bare ass… next to his face because I wanted to see…if anyone could tell the difference! (LAUGHTER) So then AH…you know, it just became, just became a THING, it waqs, it was …you know…I…I dunno, I’ve embarrassed myself, you know…and I’ve embarrassed my PEERS, and uuh, the SHOW, certainly I’ve embarrassed. But the people I feel REALLY bad for …are my POOR Mother and Father (LAUGHTER). Because you know, they actually…, that THING that I just described? THEY PUT THAT ON TELEVISION. (laughter) They ACTUALLY put that on TELEVISION..they, you know they…you know, pixeled out my…my naked parts (laughter). But they PUT it on TELEVISION, and my PARENTS saw it, and PHONED me! (LAUGHTER)”WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!” (LAUGHTER) “Could you wait until we’re DEAD” (LAUGHTER). Um, yeah…I dunno where it’s come from, but…you know what? This is what I think. If you’re good at something, just stick to it. (LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)

Where are you? There you are!

Q6: Um…I wanna…

Robin: *British voice* Hello darling, how are you?! How’s it going? A’right? *suave* I’m trying to ignore ye…(one of the organisers leans on one the wall cubes, it falls out of the wall and onto the floor, LAUGHTER) … wow, you touched it. They look like TEETH actually…*reaches out to touch one* anyway uh… Anybody who works here, I didn’t mean to touch those, and I will not touch anymore!(laughter)How many times have I said THAT in my life? (LAUGHTER, steward says something) yeah, I told you, I TOLD I WORK HERE YOU DIDN’T I?! This is what it’s gonna be…

Go ahead!

Q6: I remember you talking about the entire experience…filming in Tokyo! And um…going to a, to a convention there…and can you tell us about it?

Robin: Tokyo was AMAZING! Amazing, and one of the crazy things about shooting in Tokyo is that…we work on this show where we…go to Mumbai, or we go to…you know, ALL over the world, or we go to, you know, Hindu Kush, we go…around the world, but we never leave our STUDIO. Um, and we had this opportunity to go and do some PRESS for Syfy Asia, and uh, Marty Wood got the brilliant idea of, “Well, we can’t… we’re not going to Tokyo without SHOOTING something!” So uuh, you know, in the… you know n the seventy-two hours we were actually IN Tokyo, we managed to do a whole bunch of press, AND shoot a scene! And um, the funny thing about THAT, is that people actually go “WOW man, the CGI is getting REALLY GOOD!” (laughter)”They look like they actually went to TOKYO!! (LAUGHTER)” Um, but we were actually there…But, it was AMAZING to be over there in…in Tokyo. It feels like, it’s just like coming here. It…it’s crazy for us, because we WORK in…this little, you know, abandoned BIKE factory in, in Vancouver, aaand we do the show! And we all kinda think it’s cool! But you know, you don’t really KNOW if anybody else is watching it, or…you’re just, I don’t know! We just kinda work in this bubble! And we’re working on the show. And to be able to travel, to such…to such far-away places, like Tokyo, or like this…how do we pronounce it? Melbun…Melbun?! (LAUGHTER) *tries Aussie impersonation* I like Melbun…Melbun, Australia, I like it…*fails* I’m working on it, sorry guys I’m working on it! (LAUGHTER) AAAAH I’ve only been here a couple of days, let me work it out! UMMM, it’s amazing to…to talk an interact with people, and see…that, you know, people are actually watching the show, and like it. Um, we did get some SERIOUS notice in Tokyo though, and…as you may KNOW the, the Japanese culture is one of…uuh…privacy, they’re very polite, they’re very…sort of, non-invasive. They’re very, VERY …gentle people, the Japanese! And um, you know we…we did some crazy things like…you know. The four of us went to do some interviews in the Syfy…Syfy office in Tokyo, and um…they took…they took Amanda away *ironic grin* (LAUGHTER, someone says something) NO, they took Amanda…I mean, Amanda, AMANDA is…the star, right? So you know, everything Amanda does, she…she just does it for the longest. So, they take Amanda away to do some interviews. And, literally, Marty, Damian and I….we call Damian ‘Aussie’ by the way, ‘cause he’s Australian…just to avoid any…any confusion. Um, and I’m sorry, I know, he’s an embarrassment to your nation (LAUGHTER). Um …alright, okay (someone in the audience asks something :”….did he do?”) Um…I just heard you say, you think he’s an idiot!! (LAUGHTER) Um, ANYWAY. So….So AMANDA’S off doing interviews, okay? Martin and I are literally sitting in this APARTMENT, Damian and I are literally sitting in this room, like this *sits on chair, legs sprawled open, hanging head over the back, clearly bored as heck* (laughter) TINY little room with a couch, and…and some art right? So FINALLY after forty-five minutes, I’m like “GOD…I am BORED, I’m gonna do like, something CRAZY here, what do we do?”, and then Martin goes: *whispers* “….Let’s change all the furniture around!” (LAUGHTER) And so we…*mimics panicked rushing around* ”No..NONONO..nono take the couch, COME ON, and this art over HERE and.., take this ART from over HERE, and take this art from here, and take that one THERE…” (LAUGHTER) The SECOND we put in the last of the artwork, one of…one of the um, the Syfy executives walked into the room like *opens door* “Hey guys! We’re gonna…! *STARES IN SHOCK* (LAUGHTER)…*long silence*…we’re ready.” (LAUGHTER) And it just worked out that people thought we were insane (laughter)

But ANYWAY…this is…uuuuuh….this is a HUGE display of my childishness. You know…we, we were standing in an elevator going up, you know, one of those HUGE buildings they have in Tokyo. Me, Martin, Amanda and Damian, and like about….ten Japanese people. It was just…a CRAMMED elevator, and it’s …SILENT right (expectant laughter). And all the Japanese people are standing like this *stands with arms and feet very close together, still, staring straight ahead*. And we’re goin’ up, goin’ up…and it’s silent…silent…and literally I just go like this, I go, *covers mouth: PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFRRRRRRRT* (LAUGHTER). Damian turns around is just like *demonstrates* “YOU DID NOT JUST DO THAT!! (LAUGHTER) YOU DID NOT JUST DO THAAAAAAAT! *flailing hands*” (LAUGHTER). Great, GREAT times…but yeah it was a lot of fun! (chuckles in audience)

Anyway…who’s next?

Q7: Um, G’day! I’m Lucas…umm…*Robin’s grinning cheekily*

Robin: *PFRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT* (LAUGHTER) you know what, we can send a MAN to the MOON (laughter). But, making a noise with your ass will never NOT be funny! (LAUGHTER) Okay sorry! I WARNED you DIDN’T I?! I warned you I’d…okay…

Q7: Um, working in a predominantly, um, green-screen environment, you work with practically…nothing, but…green. I suppose, I mean you have your imagination. Could you talk about the challenges…you faced, and how, um, what you’ve done to overcome those challenges.

Robin: NO Lucas, I can’t! (LAUGHTER) *chuckling* Um, no I can’t do that Lucas…and uh. SHAME ON YOU FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION! (laughter) Just…um, I’m challenged somehow as an actor! (laughter) No, you know…it’s interesting. You know, every actor…*sighs* in the last…fifteen or so years, has worked with some…sort of green-screen. Um, but usually it’s just like, you know, ”HEY THIS IS A MONSTER LOOK OVER HERE!” (chuckles)”SOMEBODY SWING THE TENNIS BALL ON THIS THING”, so usually that’s just the gist of it. So when I first…started doing Sanctuary, it was a LITTLE BIT of a learning curve! Because, you know we’re working…with such a…CRAZY amount of green screen! And uh, you know, there’d be…there’d be scenes where I’m running away from…some kind of abnormal, you know, and I’d be like, “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH *flailing*”, and Martin would be like, “Okay cut! You see this line…you see this line over here Robin?! *bends over and points out* That’s a WALL!” (LAUGHTER) “Unless…unless Will can WALK on AIR…you’ve just…ruined everything for that take”(laughter). Bu uh, now …now that we’re more used to it, and particularly being IN the Sanctuary, we really KNOW the dimensions of those rooms, we know what the library looks like…you know, that kind of stuff. It’s a LOT easier! And…you know, AMANDA uses this analogy, which I will steal, and use as my own (laughter): It’s kinda like doing…THEATRE. It’s kinda doing minimalist theatre. ‘Cause you know, you’re there, and you’re really relying on the actors. And that’s a lot of fun too, ‘cause we DO have some…AMAZING actors on the show. Not me, but…some…(laughter) some amazing actors. So that’s…that’s really cool, and ALSO, it ALLOWS you to do …to do so many cool things. I mean, we…WITHOUT green screen technology, we really, LITERALLY couldn’t do the show. ‘Cause you know like I say, we’ve gone to all these places, we have these cool monsters. So any, any sort of…difficulty in imagining…that stuff, or…working with it, is FAR…you know it’s FAR better to have that, to be able do these things. Um, ONE THING that does happen to me frequently, is that…you know, you’d be like…”Okay, so. The monster’s coming after you, uh, this is the vista, you’re looking at a disc…and there’s like, this big creature…you know there’s a ….the spider monster’s coming after you, you know, and you’ll be running, and it’s kind of this HEIGHT. So as an ACTOR, what you have to do is go, “Okay. Giant spider….it’s running this way, so I have to look over here, okay imagining the spider …what that looks like. Okay cool yeah!”. So we shoot the scene, “CUT! Great okay…”. And then you WATCH the finished product, after Anthem, our visual effects company, very cool…you’re like, “WOW! That’s uh…that’s WAY cooler than what I imagined!” (laughter) My imagination sucks! ‘Cause…you know, If I was in charge of Anthem, I would have actually done something much different. So…but it’s actually…it’s VERY cool. Um, a lot of times, there are difficulties…for the TECHNICAL people as well, because, the LIGHTING is difficult, because you know…you kind of, you don’t wanna get GREEN reflections off things, and off the actor’s faces. Sometimes some actors…come to set, ALREADY green uuhm (laughter), yeah, we won’t mention those people. Me. Uh, but you know…psychologically it’s difficult as well, but I think…certainly, you know, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. So…not like…not, not CONS *waves arms over audience* (laughter)…so…

Q8: Um Robin, I just want to know, were you into…I mean obviously, Sanctuary takes a lot of your time, currently…

Robin: HHYEAH. (laughter)

Q8: Were you into, scifi before you got this role, and…and um, what other scifi shows, besides Sanctuary, would you enjoy watching…or DO you enjoy watching?

Robin: UM…you know, it’s…it’s a CLICHÈ answer, but I think if I had to…find ONE film, that really got me into the film and television business, at all, it would have been Star Wars. I mean, I’m a HUGE Star Wars fane, aah, the (applause) …the ORIGINAL. I know they made…ah, weren’t there like, three OTHER pieces of crap that they made? (laughter) We don’t really need to talk about that, but, so yeah. Certainly, you know, I definitely LOVE that genre. Um, it’s NICE to be working in the genre, because…there are SO many different things you can do, and…and you know, obviously. Obviously EVERYHING, that we do are metaphor sort of things, but certainly in …in the scifi genre, you can go that much FURTHER with things. Um, I think there’s some pretty cool shows on television, you know, I really recently got into ‘Being Human’, aaaaah what a GREAT show (applause). Um, but yeah I mean, it’s really kinda nice to work…to work in the genre, doing things that we do. It’s pretty cool. (audience member: Do you watch ‘Firefly’?) I DO watch ‘Firefly’, you know, and that was one of those sad things about television, aaaah, you know. Sometimes things get cancelled and you go, “God, why did that get cancelled?!” Um, I certainly HOPE that that doesn’t happen to US (laughter).

Q9: Keep in mind before, before you answer the question. (Robin: UH OH, here we go! laughter) No remember on the…eco-downloading, which of course…we…we HAVEN’T (laughter) um, there are in Season three…um so… keep that in mind. But, IF…based on previous episodes, it seems…that the writers would like you to be an abnormal.

Robin: Or maybe they just go, “this guy is so abnormal, we can’t help it!” (LAUGHTER)

Q9: Yeah, the question is…do you think that..they ARE, or are they just playing around with you. And, if you were to settle with one abnormal power, what do you think would be the most fun power to play with?

Robin: Um, interesting question. I think, you know, the thing about Will, is that, and it’s a JOY to play, is that I think..I mean he DOES have special skills. And yes, you’re right, he is NOT an abnormal. Um, I will go so far as to say he’s normal (laughter). But,…that might be a stretch, but he’s not abnormal! (chuckles). But the COOL thing about that, is that…you know, *tedious voice* “NOOOOOOOOOO I don’t get to turn into a werewolf, Ryan’s real proud of that, loves to turn into a werewolf”(laughter) “great for you…” you know, the guy’s a CANINE and he loves it, I don’t know!…But um, the cool thing about playing Will, is that I get to be the…the, particularly in the..in the FIRST season, the first few episodes even, is the EYES and EARS of the audience, sort of stepping into this world and experiencing it. And I think that’s a very cool trade-off, to sort of, not have…not have an abnormal POWER. Um, *chuckling* yeah I got this question one year at Comic Con, you know, if Will could have an abnormal power, what would it be? And I made the major mistake of saying, “You know, I’d like to turn, I’d like people to …you know, to be able to turn myself invisible!” And Martin was sitting next to me and goes, “You know Robin, we could make you invisible REEEEEALLY easily!” (LAUGHTER)” Just keep up that crap you’re doing in front of the camera…(LAUGHTER)…you’ll be invisible in NO time!” (laughter) Um…but yeah, it’d be kinda COOL to be invisible, or to be able to make yourself invisible..um….I’M NOT GONNA BE GOING INTO THE LADIES’ CHANGING ROOMS OR ANYTHING (LAUGHTER)…MUCH…(laughter) but yeah, that would be …that would be kinda cool! (Muttering quietly, hard to hear)

Q10: Hi. Um…I have a question to ask about, um, working with Jonathon Young, and …have you got any good stories on set?

Robin: *SIGHS* you know Jonathon….he’s just the CONSUMMATE actor, you know. He’s a guy who comes in,…we have a great time with him. The thing about Sanctuary too, that’s really fantastic, is ..You know, when you start off on a show, there’s a core group of people that you, you know, really get along with, have a great time, and LOVE working together. Like…WE ALL DO. And, as the show PROGRESSES, more actors come into the fold, and ..and…as soon as the GET there, you can’t really remember what it was like WITHOUT them. And, that was…that’s certainly true for Jonathon Young, um ..Ian Tracey, you know, all these actors who have come on the show, who are just sort of…you know, NOW are part of the family! And…and we get ALONG with, we joke around, um…And Jonathon is certainly one of those guys, who’s REALLY taken …the ROLE he’s doing. And done something VERY very cool with it. I mean, he’s …he has that GREAT stuff with Heyerdahl, and stuff in scenes with Druitt, um…but HE’S just a…solidly CONSUMMATE professional, ALWAYS in a good mood, and always CHALLENGING. The thing about…the thing about a great actor is, they’ll…they’ll come in, you know AMANDA’S like this too…you know very GENEROUS, you know, NEVER wanting to steal a scene, but always wanting to kind of challenge you, to make sure you’re LISTENING, and taking the scene in a different direction. And…and, Jonathon’s just certainly come in and done that, and has REALLY stolen the hearts of a lot of the fans, which is REALLY, really lovely. ‘Cause he’s this, you know, this CHARACTER who’s…KINDA DESPICABLE (laughter) you know I, Will doesn’t like him…Tesla, at all! You know, he’s really, he’s REALLY stolen the hearts of the fans, and uh…we LOVE him. You know, I THINK…has he ever come out to one of these things? I think it would be GREAT (murmers of agreement in audience) he should come out! You know, …I’m gonna have a convention in my living room! (cheers and applause. “YEAH! We’re all coming!”)

Hi! THERE YOU GO!

Q11: Hello, my question is about the …I forgot the name of the episode. It’s the one where…you get stuck down…the helicopter? All hanging by the wires?

Robin: YEAH, Next Tuesday! (Q11: right..!) Yeah just before you…you say…you DO know that the original title of… that episode was…you know what I’m talking about right? (chuckles) Next Tuesday…’see you next Tuesday’, you know the…(OOOOOOOOOOOH right!) WHAT?! ‘We’ll see you next Tuesday” What are you talking about?! I dunno..! (laughter) What…yeah…sorry go ahead…see I’ve done it again! Like…okay we’re sinking lower and lower here, it’s terrible…sorry …

Q11: That’s alright…I wanted to know about that, but also, the difference between that and the episode where you’re…stuck in the submarine with Amanda, between THAT episode, and the differences?

Robin: YEAH. I mean *sigh* that AGAIN, was another one of those GREAT two-handers, um, again…it was a difficult episode to shoot, because it was …we were LITERALLY in water…the entire…for, for SEVEN DAYS. Fifteen hours a day, uuh, in wetsuits, floating around in the water…but ummmm, ANOTHER great episode, to sort of, play out. And I, I THINK …I really like the RELATIONSHIP between the two characters in that episode! It’s kinda like this odd, sort of, JEALOUSY, sort of..brother-sister kind of things, we’re it’s like “AW COME ON, you’re gonna…you’re going to see her!” and, you kinda really get the crux of the relationship between Will and Magnus in that episode. Because, they CAN’T really lie to each other, you know, they’re…they’re two characters that really RELY on each other for survival. Umm, they kinda really see THROUGH each other. And it’s BECAUSE of that RELIANCE on each other, that they really see through each other! And I thought that was a really COOL thing in the writing where, we sort of had that play-off back and forth. ANOTHER really cool thing that…that happened, uuh, another EXAMPLE of sort of, the tight-knit group that we have on ‘Sanctuary’, is, …You know, a lot of…a lot of directors, would have just been like, you know…Sitting back *sits on chair and rests feet on table*, on the nice dry land, you know, going *mimics holding cup of coffee* “OKAY GUYS…NOW I WANT YOU TO TRY IT ONCE MORE”, you know, sitting here nice and dry, sipping…sipping a coffee…cappuccino, “Yeah NO, NO! GET FARTHER DOWN INTO THE WATER (laughter)…somebody get some…get some WEIGHTS to put around his ankles! *sips*(LAUGHTER)…no, no GET DOWN, ROBIN…in the water…NO. KEEP HIM DOWN UNTIL HE TURNS BLUE!…keep him down until he turns blue! (LAUGHTER)…WE REALLY WANT TO GET THAT REALITY” But um, the thing about Martin is that, HE was…in a wetsuit, in that water, just as long as the…as the actors were! And, you know, that…that really goes to show, what kind of a group we have, you know. Um, and a lot of the CREW guys, I mean, AGAIN…a show that’s really pushing the technology…we had, underwater CAMERAS, I mean we had, literally, guys…They did this really cool thing where, there was a microphone in…underneath the water, and…I didn’t think you could actually HEAR under the the water. I mean, you’re in the water…I dunno, I’m not…technological! But it’s WATER right? I don’t know if you can hear, but you literally hear CRYSTAL CLEAR down there…the direction. So, they would have these camera guys…you know with air tanks, and wetsuits, and all…the WHOLE gear, and obviously a waterproof camera. …

YEAH Robin a waterproof camera, they’re not STUPID they know it’s waterproof! *flips back to argue with himself throughout the sequence, flailing his arms indignantly*

*High pitched* Well YEAH I’m just trying to…I’m just SAYING (laughter) . What’s the matter, why are you going all grumpy?

I’m not going GRUMPY. You didn’t have to SAY…you know, it’s waterproof…they KNOW that! (laughter and applause) *stands staring* Why do you embarrass me in public like this?! (laughter)

You’re not very nice, I’m just trying to tell a story…can I continue?

YEEEEES of COURSE you can continue! I just…you know. *silence* Would you like ME to continue?! ‘Cause you’re sulking…

I’M NOT SULKING! I just…(LAUGHTER)

Do you wanna…? You’re sure..?

Yes…go ahead…!(LAUGHTER)

NO..no..just…just do it, will you please?!

Um. *stands awkwardly facing audience*(LAUGHTER) *chuckles* you’re all like, “OH MY GOD…THIS GUY’S CRAZY, HE’S TALKING TO HIMSELF!” Um…but um, underwater…but ALSO, just talking about camera stuff, just pushing the envelope…like…technologically. Um, we had an episode shot this year, in Season 3, where we….I just have to think about it…um, where we…it was ENTIRELY from Will’s perspective. And they put this camera on a…it was almost like a BIKE helmet, and with the camera sticking out like this *demonstrates*. And I LITERALLY shot the entire show…just…sort of…you know, the camera was on my BODY. So, you know, in…in MANY ways, we’re trying to break the boundaries of technology.

Now *chuckling* now everyone’s trying to be…everyone’s like…*whispers* “Just get him OUTTA here!” (laughter). “Don’t ask ANY more questions, just make him LEAVE!” (laughter) But…who’s next?

WAY UP THE BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!

Q12: Yep, right up the back! Um, in Sanctuary, there are a lot of characters, or historical figures like…Nikola Tesla, John Druitt, or Dr. Watson. Are there any characters…that YOU would like to brought into the show?

Robin: *gazing intently* Yes.

Q12: Oh…GREAT! *laughs* (LAUGHTER)

Robin: *Elvis impression* I, uh…would like to see a bit of…uh…Elvis Presley! (LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE AND CHEERS) thanks…I love you, I love you…(LAUGHTER)

YEAH maybe Elvis should show! I mean we did have a …we did have a THING where, you know ah…I think it already happened this year? Or was it last year? (murmers) I don’t know…it’s all together in my mind…OBVIOUSLY …I’m TALKING to myself (laughter). UH…she kind of has this thing with Elvis…THAT WOULD BE KINDA COOL…to see Elvis. Um, you know, um…I dunno, I dunno what ERA we would take. Um…I kinda, …I would kinda like to see him, if Elvis was gonna come on the show, I kind of wanna see him in that …Aloha, Hawaii them you know. He can wear mine! I actually have one of those! (laughter)

(Audience member talking to him) Yeah…YEAH…*starts singing deep Elvis voice* I’m bluuuuuuuuuuuuue….without you…(laughter). You know it’s funny, when I get tired on set, which is normally…I always say, like, I’m getting ‘Elvis’ syndrome, ‘cause like, my voice…my LIPS get tired…and I…I can’t TALK anymore, so it’s like, *deep lazy voice* “WELL…I justwannatellyouthat…I think we’re…I can’t pronunciateit..” (chuckles). Yeah, I’m digressing, I’m sorry. Who’s next? What’s going on? Who wants to know anything else?

YES!

Q13: If you had to write a dating ad for yourself, what would you write? (LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)

Robin: If I had to WHA..A WHA A WHA?!?

If I’m gonna what? I’m sorry…repeat the question…

Q13: If you were gonna write a dating ad for yourself, what would you write?

Robin: *STARES* (laughter)

*Sobbing anxiously* Psychiatrist…*trembling* works in mental…ASYLUM. NEEDS…human…COMPANIONSHIP…..*shaking and sobbing* PLEASE (laughter). PLEASE…please don’t ask me about my job (laughter). *crumbles to knees sobbing* JUST HOLD MEEEEEEEEEEEE…..(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE).

*silence*

*SOBS* I’m so ALOOOOOONE! (LAUGHTER)

That’s what I would write…*mumbling*

Ahhh, what else…what else, anyone?

Q14: Uuuh HI. Um…

Robin: *British accent* Helloo! (laughter)Hello darling, you alright? (LAUGHTER) DON’T TOUCH THOSE TEETH THINGS. (laughter) I touched them, and I got in trouble, don’t touch them!

Q14: *chuckling* Yeah you mentioned the amount of jokes being played on set, and stuff like that, and I was wondering which was the best one that you played on someone, and which was the best that someone played on YOU?

Robin: UMMMM. I…I think, I like telling about Holden MacPhillips, do you know the story? (mixed replies). It’s a looong story, but I’ll try to make it really quick. But um, basically:

I created this character named Holden MacPhillips. He’s…he’s this OLD man, he’s a realtor in Hollywood, but he’s also a film producer. And uuuuh, I …I made him a fake email address, and…for YEARS…like this is going back to the end…maybe the MIDDLE of Season 1, I was emailing Martin Wood…these weird things like: “Hello!..” and I always spelled his name wrong, “Mr. Woods! *muffled dorky voice* Dear Mr. Woods!”, you know, “I’m a filmmaker, out her at sunny Hollywood, California, and I have some VERY exciting projects that I would like to team up with you!” Uhh, and i would email these ideas, ideas like, you know, uuh, a SEQUEL to Rocky, where Rocky’s BRAIN…is..is taken out of his body and put into a FIGHTING ROBOT (LAUGHTER), set in some..some planet in the future, and I called it ‘Gingko Balboa” (LAUGHTER). I kept emailing these things, and Martin would be like, “oh my God, check out these emails, this guys is crazy *laughing*”, and as the emails kept going on, he STOPPED talking about it. (laughter) “Hey Martin! Have you got any emails from Hold…”, “No.” (LAUGHTER). So then one day I called up a florist (expectant laughter), I said to the florist, I said, “You know, I want you…I want you to put together an arrangement of flowers. But I want you to do it as though….a CRAZY person, has put together (laughter) an arrangement of flowers. I want it to be like, CLASHING and UGLY, and just like, the most DISGUSTING arrangement of flowers. I want you to do that!” And the woman goes, *stares hard* “WHY?!?!” (LAUGHTER). “Trust me, trust me! I just need it.” So, I sent these flowers to Martin FROM Holden MacPhillips (LAUGHTER), and uuh, you know, Martin’s sitting in his office, and aah, the door’s here right *shows*. He’s sitting at his desk, like this. Right, *sits in profile to audience, hunched over desk*. Damian comes in and goes “OH MY GOD *laughing* oh my God, you gotta go look at the flowers dude, you gotta go look at the flowers!” So, Martin’s sitting at his desk, but I CAN’T SEE HIM, I can’t see him ‘cause there’s this HUUUUUUUGE bouquet of flowers right in front of him (LAUGHTER). All I can see is his BACK sticking out like this *demonstrates*. And they’re like, PINK, and like plastic…GREEN ones, and it’s disgusting, right! So I like, I pretend to like, ask him a question, so I walk in, I’m like, “Hey Martin! PFFFFFFFTAHAA *doubles over* (LAUGHTER)”. Damian’s like, ‘No, no we’ve gotta see him” So, Damian walks into the office, he’s like *nonchalant*,

‘HEY! Martin, howsitgoin…?”,

Martin’s like this *hunched over work*, “Fine” (LAUGHTER).

“Like uuh, SO what’d you think…of the last draft of uuh, the script…”,

Martin: “Yeah it was good”, “Anything that needs to be done with it…?”,

“NO..no it’s, it’s fine”,

“Okay, cool man….uh…say…who are these, uh, who are these flowers from?”,

*Head buried* “Uh…uh they’re from no-one” (LAUGHTER).

So THEN, we’re about to go to Comic Con, right, and CAROLE our publicist, she didn’t know…she didn’t know anything about this. So she comes down to me and says, “You know what? I’m really worried about Martin!”, “Why?”, like, “Well, *sigh* you know, we’re doing the uuh, the hotel arrangements for Comic Con, and he wants to check in under an ALIAS!” (LAUGHTER, CHEERS AND CLAPS). I’m like “What?!”, “Yeah, he wants to check in under ‘Martin Carruthers’!” (LAUGHTER). And I was like, “you know what, he’s fearing for his LIFE”, ‘cause I’d also sent him an email saying, you know “I’m gonna be at…”, from Holden, “AAhm, Mister Martin Woods, I’m going to be at, aah, at Comic Con, I happen to be staying at the same hotel you’re staying at! (LAUGHTER) You know, maybe we could get together and discuss some of these projects!” (LAUGHTER) So, I like, NOW I panicked. I’m like “Oh my God, he’s actually FEARING for his life. So I go into Damian’s office, and I go, “You know what?! We gotta…we got to aah …I’ve gotta tell him! I can’t keep doing this to him, I can’t…he’s losing SLEEP! (laughter), and he’s WORRIED, and…this has, this has gone BEYOND a joke”, and Damian looks at me, and goes, *choked with laughter*“I know. It’s brilliant” (LAUGHTER).”There’s no way, NO WAY, we’re going to pull the rip cord on this, NOT YET”

We get to the…*sighs* we get to the hotel at Comic Con right, Marty…Marty’s in the lobby, literally going like this, *stand arms folded, twitched, staring nervously around and over his shoulder* (LAUGHTER). You know, like he’s looking out for some frail old man from Hollywood. We got to the counter, like:

“Checking in?”,

“Yes! Yes, um…Damian Kindler”,

“Okay..there’s your room key”, “Okay thank you!”,

“Checking in?”,

“YEP…aah, Amanda Tapping”,

“Okay thank you, there’s your room key”

“Checking in?”,

“Yep Robin Dunne!”,

“Your room key!”,

“Checking in?”,

“Uh yeah…uhm *coughs, leans over and undertones*…Martin Carruthers” (LAUGHTER).

SO, FINALLY. I’m like, actually feeling really, really bad. So, ‘When are we gonna let him…when are we gonna let him know what’s happening?”, Damian’s like, “We’re gonna do it RIGHT after the panel at Comic Con”. So we do the panel at Comic Con, we walk out, we’re in the Green Room, and I get..uuh…I think it was Carole, she..she, I heard her go to Martin and say, “Uuuh, Martin, listen um. Holden MacPhillips is outside” (LAUGHTER AND CHEERS), “DON’T WORRY, he’s not, he doesn’t look dangerous. But, he’s out there, he’s NOT going away, why don’t you just go talk to him? And just, like, and just be nice to him. I’m SURE if you just say hello to him, he’ll go away”. So Martin…Martin literally turns, he turns WHITE like this thing right*places hand on white bench* (LAUGHTER). And i go, “Marty, what’s wrong?”, he’s like “Yeah, HOLDEN MACPHILLIPS…stopped by”, and he’s like, “Yeah…I’ve got to go and talk to Holden MacPhillips!”. So, I run out, and I beat him, I beat him outside to the front of it. And I’m…I’m, I’ve got a video camera, somebody had the TERRIBLE idea of giving me a video camera (LAUGHTER). For the BTS, most of it was just like, *dorky voice*“LOOK, MY FEET, I’M WALKING!” (LAUGHTER). *Dorky voice* “I’M TAKING A PEE LOOK! I took lots of vitamins and now my pee is REALLY YELLOW!” (LAUGHTER). I mean, I didn’t do that, but I do some funny things (LAUGHTER). So, I’m standing, Martin comes around the corner, and I’m standing there, right? And Martin’s still like, white like a sheet, and he looks at me, and he sees ME there, you know, with the camera. And everybody starts laughing…and I…except for me, I felt so bad, I was like:

“*grovelling* MARTIN I’M SORRY! (LAUGHTER), I’M SORRY I DIDN’T MEAN IT (LAUGHTER)”,

and Martin’s just kinda standing there, he’s like, shocked! He’s like,

“*STARES*…………..*mumbles* Holden..MacPhillips…is YOU?”,

“*grovelling* I’M SORRY!! IT’S JUST A JOKE, IT GOT OUT OF CONTROL, I’M SORRY…I’M TERRIBLY SORRY, I KNOW YOU HAVEN’T SLEPT”

He goes, “*STARES*…..*breathes* WOW…(LAUGHTER)you know…you know, you’ve been writing me emails for, like…three YEARS! (LAUGHTER)”.

So, “YEAH I know”,

He’s like, “YOU’RE A SERIAL KILLER…I DUNNO!” (LAUGHTER). I mean…IT’S BRILLIANT don’t get me wrong! But you’re …CRAZY!…You need a HOBBY!” (LAUGHTER). So yeah…I’m yet to be trumped. But you see the PROBLEM is when you get to do a show, where everybody plays practical jokes on everyone else. EVERYBODY gets super, like, suspicious, and you know. No…I mean, because of ME, nobody leaves computer unlocked! (LAUGHTER) It’s not happening, you know! Everybody’s like, you know, Martin’ll be like, you know, installed in his chair, and he’ll be like, “Okay, for this scene, I think…WOAH…where’s my phone?! Where’s…(LAUGHTER). I don’t care WHAT we’re doing, I don’t care if we’re doing the most brilliant scene in the world, you are NOT getting my phone!” One day, I’m like…my like, computer broke, you know, the boy who cried ‘Wolf’ right? I’m like,” I don’t have a computer today *SIGH*, can someone…lend me theirs?”, and they’re like “SORRY PAL! Guess who’s not getting any emails today!” (LAUGHTER). So…

God you guys are gonna be like…I will NEVER shut up (laughter). “Who gave this guy a microphone?” *dorky voice*, “THIS IS FUN! I CAN…MY VOICE IS REALLY LOUD! (chuckles)”. Who’s got a question?

Moderator: This is the last question.

(AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!)

Q15: Hey Robin, how you goin’?
Robin: *fails Aussie accent* How you goin’ mate, you alright? (laughter)

Q15: HA…HA…HA funny, what are you…?

Robin: No no, I’m just trying! Trying to learn…is that okay?(YEEEEAH!) When I…when I try to talk in an Australian accent I just start talking *impression* like Russell Crowe (laughter): “ You alright? Yeah…yeah just going down to Dundee…” (LAUGHTER and claps) *continues impression under his breath*….

Yeah, go ahead. I’m going well thank you! HOW ARE YOU GOING? (chuckles) Are you GOING? I’m gonna GO after I finish this panel…(LAUGHTER) to the autograph line!

Sorry, go ahead.

Q15: Um, we were just watching the first episode of ‘Sanctuary’, and …just up here today…

Robin: The very first? From the first Season?!

Q15: YEAH!

Robin: Back when I was young and innocent! (LAUGHTER)

Q15: You still ARE young and innocent (LAUGHTER AND AWWWWWW)

Robin: *stares* *dorky voice* THANKS EVERYONE! THAT’S GREAT! (LAUGHTER) That’s really nice…!

Q15: So, I just wondered…that Will, the Will that we …that was written in the first episode was before you got pummelled along. I just noticed, I guess, that over the three years of the character’s evolution, ummm, there’s quite a difference, in the first episode…you know, he was not the kind of character that would walk into a scene, and he knows exactly what’s going on…

Robin: Just enough to know that he’s a beautiful man, thank you. (laughter)

Q15: Um, I just wanted to ask you, you sound like you seem to know a lot of the episodes by their titles, which a lot of the actors who come to these cons do NOT know, and you sound like you watched the episodes. And I was wanting to find out your method as an actor, and how you evolved his ongoing character, and…do you go back and WATCH the…your parts, and EVOLVE the character. And how much word do you have with the writers, on where you think Will as the person, and the plot, should very much run. As for Will’s character, do you have…a method?

Robin: NO…No there’s no method! (laughter) There’s no method…no method whatsoever!

Um, yeah. The thing about…the evolution of the character I think, is very organic, I mean I think..it…it’s a character who has got…BELIEVES in this type of world, you know, was convinced that it was out there. But when it was FORCED upon him…*awkward pause* Not in that way!! (LAUGHTER), dirty mind….umm…when it …when it was REVEALED to him, by Magnus that, this thing that you believe in, it actually exists, and why don’t you come and live in this world, and actually help me DEAL with this. Uh, it was very DAUNTING for him, so I think the evolution of the character being kind of, nervous about it, to continue on, and get to the sort of, more cavalier…I wouldn’t say, completely cavalier, you know, as we know him now in Season 3. But certainly he is…MORE so..than when we…first saw him. Um, but you know…*sighs* YES there are times when I’ll…you know…I’ll add a line or sort of…do something, but REALLY, the …the credit to the character and the story, are REALLY…goes to Damian Kindler and the writing team. You know what they do, and how they do it, you know how they…crafted this character. And ALL their characters, I mean, we have such AMAZING…CHARACTERS on the show…um…characters obviously taken out of history, and turned on their ear, and I think THAT’S the real feel of the show! SO…YES…it’s pretty much done up in the…in the writer’s room, which I like to call ‘The Lab’, you know it kind of…sort of…trickles down to us…NOT ‘trickles down’ in that way! (LAUGHTER) But um, but it is kind of nice to know, being so…we’re all kind of really close, because we’re all friends, you know…You DO find aspects of your own character are worked INTO the character you’re playing. You know, I’ll find, you know, that I’ll be out…with Damian one night, and it’s sort of, *slow and deep* “Hey Damian, how’s it goooin’?” (laughter), “Would ya like anutha DRINK? I think I’D like wun!” You know, it’s just terrible…that was Jack Nicholson by the way! (LAUGHTER) It’s really awful when you do an impression and you have to explain afterwards, I shouldn’t HAVE to do that! But you know, I’ll sort of do something, and then a couple of episodes later you’ll see it sort of…you know… WILL AS JACK NICHOLSON “MAGNUSS…please down’t give me a hard time here, I’m working with a SASQUATTCH!” (LAUGHTER). Yeah, so that IS kind of cool…to see…the evolution of the character comes through with sort of the, ‘cause…all our relationships, PERSONAL relationships, are strengthened. NOT personal relationships in that way…(LAUGHTER) *chuckling*Yeah…but REALLY it’s all really crafted upstairs.*Hillbilly accent* “Aye just…aye just reed the wurds that they write daown!” (LAUGHTER, CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

Moderator: We want to ask if you agree to wear one of these wonderful personalised teeshirts, which will be auctioned off for the Starlight Foundation…

Robin: *deep voice* YES (applause) (as moderator approaches with teeshirt) *British accent* Hello darling, how are you? I like having this microphone (laughter) You know why? Power. (LAUGHTER) *normal voice* OH MY GOD I’m gonna buy a megaphone! I want to… carry it around *mimics*”HI! HOW MUCH IS THIS NEWSPAPER?!” (LAUGHTER) Um, I should never be allowed to have one of those, maybe you should take it *shoves toward moderator*…take it…(laughter) She took all my POWER!

Moderator: You’re going to have to take your shirt off

(WHISTLES, CHEERS AND LAUGHTER)

Robin: I mean can I…go all the way? (LAUGHTER AND CHEERS)

(Robin takes off his teeshirt amidst a barrage of cheers and laughter, pretends to be embarrassed. Once off, begins to undo the fly of his jeans, exposing his underwear. People are laughing hysterically!)

Robin: I wasn’t going to wear underwear today! (LAUGHTER) BECAUSE IT’S SUNDAY! (laughter) *mumbles*…look!..*chuckles* I’m kidding! You’ll be like…Oh my God…it doesn’t STOP with Robin Dunne! (laughter)

Moderator: What we’re going to do, is we’re going to get you to draw on it, write something…

Robin: WELL, I think maybe…maybe the thing to do , might be to have..someone come from the audience to come and write something! (LAUGHTER) Uuuuuuuuuuh…UUUUUUUUH.

(The first girl comes down and writes the word ‘Sanctuary’ across Robins chest)

Hey cool, it kinda looks like the ‘Sanctuary’ logo!

(The second girl approaches and writes ‘I <3 U’ on Robin’s right shoulder)

OKAY. WHO WANTS TO MAKE THIS INAPPROPRIATE?!?!

(Yells of ME! From the back. A Kiwi girl runs down and kneels in front of Robin. When she comes away, his teeshirt reads “GOT YOUR SANCTUARY RIGHT HERE vvvv”. Uproar of hysterical laughter and cheers!)

Robin: I warned you that I was going to be inappropriate…BUT YOU GUYS..!!!! (LAUGHTER)

(Suddenly everyone hears a familiar yell from the back of the room: “I WANNA DRAW ON IT!!” After a moment, everyone breaks into cheers of laughter and clapping as Amanda Tapping comes running down the stairs, giggling madly and rubbing her hands together. She approaches Robin with her arms thrown wide open, and an evil grin on her face, and gives him a massively warm cuddle. Robin has a look of doomed shock on his face, he knows what he’s in for!)

Robin: *heartbroken voice* I DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE HERE! (LAUGHTER)

(Everyone is cheering and laughing, as Amanda crouches down, and when she backs away, there is an extra “KEEP GOING vvv” on the front of his teeshirt. People are giggling and laughing madly as Amanda moves behind Robin with a massively cheeky grin on her face, smoothing his shoulders sweepingly and rubbing his muscles. Robin’s knees crumble and he shivers, as everyone breaks with laughter. There is much cheeky banter going on between them, and then Amanda begins writing on his back. When she finishes, there are shouts of TURN AROUND!! and his back reads: “AND THIS IS MY BUM vvv. Squeals of laughter echo through the theatre and the grin on Amanda’s face is splittingly HUGE. There are shouts of PULL YOUR PANTS DOWN etc, Robin is standing there with a look of amused weariness on his face, as he endures the mockery brought on by Amanda, who is laughing and giggling manically in the background)

Carissa: We’re starting the bidding at 370, for those who’d like to make a contribution, going once at 370!

(Amanda is making comments in the background , Robin is responding. Shouts of ‘WHAT DID YOU DRAW’, “WHAT DOES IT, SAY WE CAN’T READ IT” and “CAN YOU COME UP SO WE CAN SEE IT?”)

Amanda: *demurely* I just drew a heart! (LAUGHTER)

(Robin runs up the right hand aisle, and walks across the middle of the theatre so we can have a good look at his teeshirt)

Robin: MODELLING ITH FUN! (LAUGHTER)

(He makes his way to the left aisle staircase and stand so people can see the shirt)

I’m too sexy for this shirt! (LAUGHTER)

(The whole auditorium is riddled by hysterical laughter, giggles and thrown out comments. The moderators are grinning hugely down the front, and Amanda is alternately laughing her face off, and giggling with a splitting grin)

Carissa: So going once at 370!…380!…400! 400 going once…..400 dollars going twice…

(420!)

OOH 420! (claps and OOOOOOHs from around the theatre)

(450!)

450! (OOOOOOOOOOOOH!) You could claim your …name Robin Dunne! (LAUGHTER) (call from audience, LAUGHTER)

Robin: For the sake of everyone I work with…DON’T (LAUGHTER)

Carissa: So it’s 450…going once…

Amanda: He’s a little shifty…so it’s nice and *contours his shape* (LAUGHTER)

(460!)

460…SEE? *grinning* (LAUGHTER)

Carissa: 460 going once…

Robin: I’ve never known what it felt like to be a piece of MEAT! (LAUGHTER)

(500!)

Carissa: 500 DOLLARS! (applause and cheers) So 500 dollars going once, 500 dollars going twice…

Sold to the….(drowned out with cheers and applause!)

Carissa: Now the winner can take your shirt off…(LAUGHTER, CALLS AND CHEERS)

(Robin goes to the winner, a lady in the very front row. She is shy, and as he stands there waiting with his arms straight out to the sides, she wraps her arms around his middle in a big hug. Eventually she pulls his shirt off, and he runs back to his clothing hugging his naked torso in a big show of awkward embarrassment. THE LAUGHTER IS HYSTERICAL)

Robin: WOW LIKE….(laughter)…Um…I’ll never forget Melbourne! (LAUGHTER)

(Audience member) So are you coming back?

Robin: I’m not leaving!! (LAUGHTER)

Carissa: Ladies and Gentlemen, can you please put your hands together for the amazing…(IS DROWNED OUT WITH CHEERS AND APPLAUSE. Robin dons his clothing, and runs up the stairs high-fiving the audience, while Amanda remains behind, still laughing, applauding and grinning like crazy)

Robin: Goodnight everyone! Thank you so much! (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

Amanda: Oh my God you guys are really FUN!! (LAUGHTER) Who’s up next?!?! *sits in seat* (shouts from audience) I’M SO EXCITED! *bouncing and clapping* (LAUGHTER)

(Amanda’s intro video begins – transcription coming in next report )

I sincerely hope you all enjoyed the stint as much as we did! Stand by for Amanda’s fabulous hour. Thank you for stopping by WormholeRiders News Agency and reading.

Please feel free to contribute to the discussion below, or visit me on Twitter by clicking the button down there, or my avatar at right!

CHEERIO!

JandyraCJM