Christina Schild GALACTICA.TV interview |
Written by Marcel Damen | |
Monday, 16 November 2009 | |
Some time ago Marcel Damen caught up with Christina Schild, better known to the Battlestar Galactica 2003 fans as the Fleet News Service reporter Playa Palacios. She talks about how she got in the business, her theatre work and her role on the Battlestar Galactica series. During the interview we also talk about her collaboration with her colleagues James Callis, Mary McDonnell and Edward James Olmos. First of all I'd like to thank you for taking the time to do the interview. Absolutely. I'm happy to. You were born in Vienna, Austria. Can tell us what brought you to America and later to Canada? Actually my parents were living in Canada at the time, but they're both from Vienna so they would go back for months at a time and live there. So I just happened to be born there. You did not actually live there? No, but they did a really great thing since they matured us in German. We'd go for months at a time and I would go to public school there. So I got a real taste of Vienna, Austria, the culture and the language for months at a time, but I was really raised here. But you were raised in two languages? You speak German? Yes, at home we spoke German and in the world I spoke English. (both laughing)
![]() actress Christina Schild
Where did you have your professional training as an actor? I went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. They have two schools and I went to the one in New York City, which focuses more on theatre. That was a really great training ground. They sort of introduced you to a variety of techniques and skills that you could sort of pick and choose what suited you. I found that was really great. Any special person you can pinpoint as your mentor? I don't know. It's interesting. Acting teachers I find really fascinating. I find that you sort of meet someone at the right time of your development, you learn from them what you need to learn at that moment and then you move on, go to the next person and move to the next level. There's been a lot of really great influences for me. Most actors can pinpoint a moment in life which made them say they want to do this for the rest of their lives. What was this for you? I know that this is true and I don't really have one. It kind of funny: we joke in my family that when my mother was pregnant with me, she was in Vienna and went to a lot of opera, theater, and symphonies. Perhaps through osmosis this all has sort of influenced me. I remember the moment when I was 8 or 9 when I first went to my mom and said: "This is what I want to do." and she said: "Okay. Let's take some lessons and see how you like it." I loved it, so the rest is history. So did you do any school plays in which you thought: "Oh wow. This is great!", standing in front of an audience and things like that? I was actually in a -- I guess you could call it a singing group, but we performed excepts from musicals: Cats, Annie and stuff like that and we toured around. I remember that was really great -- loved that. On IMDb I saw your first part on television was in an episode of 21 Jump Street. Is this correct? Yes it is! How did you get the part? I auditioned. I remember auditioning very distinctly. I was very nervous, but I got the part.
![]() actress Christina Schild
Did you also get to work with Johnny Depp on that? I did not. That's too bad. I know! But I did get to work with Holly Robinson (who played Judy Hoffs). I had a scene with her and a couple of other people. I remember I made a real point of learning my line really, really well, so I wouldn't mess it up and I didn't, I'm happy to say. I saw there was a pretty big jump between 21 Jump Street and your other television work, since there's like 20 years in between. What happened? Life! (both laughing) I went to acting school for a few years, I travelled through South east Asia, I lived in Toronto for a while, London, England for a while. Then I came back here and went into theatre -- focused on theatre more before I got back into television. I also used to travel in Southeast Asia. Where did you go? Oh. Me and my sister flew into Bangkok and went through Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and then went to India. The usual route. I loved it. I had a great time. How long did you go? I was gone for about a year. Okay cool. I also travelled for about a year, but I did a lot more countries. (both laughing) Did you? We ended up going over to Europe as well. We went through Vienna and went up to London. All of that in one big sweep. Was it also a good experience for you, which helped you find yourself and something you will remember the rest of your life? I think so, absolutely. I think traveling, meeting people and being exposed to different cultures and different ways of life is very valuable. I loved it.
![]() Christina Schild as Playa Palacios on Battlestar Galactica 2003
Did you ever watch the original Battlestar Galactica series? No, not really. I remember seeing it on, but I didn't really watch. Although I did work with Richard Hatch a couple of times. That was really great. He's a really lovely guy. What did you work with him on? Oh, on Battlestar. There were scenes that he was involved in. I thought you meant before Battlestar Galactica. Oh, no. How were you approached for Battlestar Galactica? Did you read for Playa Palacios straight away or did you also read for other parts? I hadn't read for anything else. That was the first part that I read for. It was actually kind of interesting, because I have a friend, Michelle, who is a make-up artist -- who actually did Mary McDonnell's make-up for the pilot. So when they shot that here, we all went to dinner and I met Mary, who is fantastic. So when they started shooting the series, I knew Mary, and she and a bunch of friends came and saw a play that I was doing at the time. So when Playa came up in the script, Mary thought I might be right for it and suggested that I should be seen -- which was really amazing and a wonderful surprise. So I got to go and read for it and other people read for it too and I got the part.
![]() Christina Schild as Playa Palacios on Battlestar Galactica 2003
Did you ever expect to get the part? You know, no, I didn't. I hoped and prayed, but you just never know. I went in and my reading went well. No major catastrophes, which is all you can hope for. You just never know. You never know what they're looking for. You can't predict it. On the first couple of episodes you're credited as Playa Kohn. Any idea where the name change came from? I have no idea. And they did that with Sekou [Hamilton] as well. He had a different name also, in the first few episodes (Sekou Hamilton was called Eick in several episodes). I don't know why the reporters names got chanced. Playa Palacios is a veteran columnist with the Picon Star Tribune prior to the Cylon Attack on the Twelve Colonies. She's now a co-host of the new wireless current affairs program, "The Colonial Gang". Did the writers gave you any more backstory or have you made up any backstory yourself about your character you can share with us? I wasn't given anymore backstory than that. I didn't really make up any other backstory. I didn't feel it was necessary. Palacios is quite taken by Baltar and follows him inside the men's room to get her "exclusive". Is she that kind of reporter? Anything to get the story? (laughing) Well, I'd like to think not.
![]() ![]() Christina Schild as Playa Palacios on Battlestar Galactica 2003
So it was a lucky accident then? It was. I mean, Playa would have argued that she was in the right place at the right time -- doing her job. No, I think that... (pondering) No, I leave it at that! (both laughing) How was it to work with James Callis in particular? Oh, it was so much fun to work with him. I remember walking back into the bathroom stall -- when he goes in and I follow him in -- I remember we had to try and keep ourselves from giggling, because we were squished into that bathroom stall. Waiting for the director to yell cut. We had a really fun time.Any other anecdotes of working with him? No. No anecdotes really. He was always a very funny guy and really great to work with -- always very supportive and helpful. I had a great time with him. On "The Colonial Gang", Playa is something of a firm supporter of Laura Roslin, standing in the face of colleague James McManus. Was it fun to play out those scenes with actor David Kaye? It was a lot of fun to play out those scenes with him. Particularly because he had these huge monologues -- all that text with those names and he's such a vociferous kind of character. It was really fun to watch him because every time we did a take all the words came out kind of differently. So that was really exciting -- we kept on our toes -- and to debate him.
![]() Christina Schild as Playa Palacios and David Kaye as James McManus
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