Robert Carlyle cast in Stargate Universe news

Film actor Robert Carlyle will star as Dr. David Rush in the next Stargate television series, MGM and the SCI FI Channel announced today.

Stargate Universe is currently in pre-production, created by Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis producers Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper. The show begins filming in February and will premiere with a 2-hour event next summer.

A 20-year veteran of film and television, the 47-year-old actor hails from Glasgow, Scotland. He studied acting at the Glasgow Arts Centre and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and co-founded the Rain Dog theatre company in 1991, according to the Internet Movie Database. He is married with three children.

"We are very excited about having an actor of this caliber, around which we can build a strong, character-based series," Wright and Cooper told Entertainment Weekly. "Robert Carlyle will engage a broad audience and we hope to deliver a show that demonstrates to new viewers that the loyalty of longtime fans of the Stargate franchise has been well-deserved."

"We see SGU as an innovative step forward and an opportunity to expand the franchise."

"We couldn't be more excited to set Robert Carlyle for Stargate Universe," SCI FI Executive VP Mark Stern said. "He brings a depth, intelligence, and complexity to his roles, which will fit perfectly with the fresh, new reinvention of this franchise."

Among Carlyle's most notable films are "Trainspotting," "The Full Monty," "Eragon," and the horror flick "28 Weeks Later." He played Adolf Hitler in the TV biopic "Hitler: The Rise of Evil," and appeared in the Bond film "The World Is Not Enough." Most recently, he starred as Carl Benton opposite Kiefer Sutherland in the TV movie 24: Redemption.

Carlyle has been rumored to be in the running to take over the role of Doctor Who when fellow Scottish actor David Tennant departs that show next year.

Stargate Universe is set on board the Destiny, a ship created by the Ancients millions of years ago which is following a pre-programmed course from one galaxy to the next.

While the studio is touting Carlyle as the "leading role" in the new series, the show's producers tell GateWorld that Universe will be a true ensemble show. It's not entirely clear just what role Dr. David Rush will play on board the Destiny. The character did not appear in the original casting calls, which led us to believe that the team that finds itself stranded on the Ancient ship would be led by military Colonel Everett Young.

Rush is not a replacement for Young, however, and may not even be the mission commander. More recent casting documents include an audition scene between the two men (which may or may not actually appear on screen), in which the two argue about who should be in command.

Based on new story details provided in today's press release, that's because the team has found itself on board the Destiny by accident:

Everett Young is described in casting documents as the temporary commander of a secret off world base. It's purely speculation at this point, but Rush may have found a way to reach the Destiny (using the Stargate's ninth chevron, as previously revealed), only to be forced through the gate prematurely when the base comes under attack, with a group he never intended to take: Young and a team of young soldiers and civilians, refugees from the compromised base.

Additional casting is currently underway and we expect to hear more news in the coming days and weeks, as the series prepares to begin principal photography on February 4. At least six major roles have yet to be cast, including Colonel Young, Captain Tamara Jon, Chloe Carpenter, Eli Hitchcock, Lt. Jared Nash, and Ron "Psycho" Stasiak.

Learn more about the new series in GateWorld's exclusive Stargate Universe Launch Center!

New York, NY - December 15, 2008 - Award-winning Scottish actor Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting, The Full Monty) has been cast in the leading role of Dr. David Rush on SCI FI'’s highly anticipated new original series, Stargate Universe, the latest adventure in the Stargate franchise produced by MGM television. Production will begin in Vancouver in February ’09 with an eye toward a summer 2009 premiere. Additional casting is currently underway.

"We couldn't be more excited to set Robert Carlyle for Stargate Universe. He brings a depth, intelligence, and complexity to his roles, which will fit perfectly with the fresh, new reinvention of this franchise," “said Mark Stern, Executive Vice President, Original Programming for SCI FI & Co-Head Original Content, Universal Cable Productions.

Edgier and younger in tone than the two previous series, SGU follows a band of soldiers, scientists and civilians, who must fend for themselves as they are forced through a Stargate when their hidden base comes under attack. The desperate survivors emerge aboard an ancient ship missing in the far reaches of space. As they fight to survive, Dr. Rush (Carlyle) works to unlock the mysteries of the ship and return the group home, but evidence of his ulterior motives soon arises.

Brad Wright and Robert Cooper, co-creators of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis and who both currently serve as executive producers on Atlantis, will serve as executive producers and writers on the new series.

Carlyle is best recognized for his roles as Francis Begbie in Danny Boyle’s hit independent film Trainspotting and the stripper Gaz in The Full Monty, which earned him both a BAFTA and SAG Award for his outstanding performance. His career began in the UK where he gained attention in the British television series Cracker featuring Robbie Coltrane. He has starred in such films including 28 Weeks Later, The World Is Not Enough, Angela’'s Ashes and The Beach, where he re-teamed with Boyle. His television credits include the Emmy-winning miniseries Hitler: The Rise of Evil, and Human Trafficking, which garnered him an Emmyâ Award nomination. He recently starred in 24: Redemption opposite Keifer Sutherland.

Stargate Universe will debut as a two-hour movie event on SCI FI and will be distributed by MGM Worldwide Television Distribution.

About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

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SCI FI Channel is a television network where "what if" is what's on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com ) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 93 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.