The original Starbuck, Dirk Benedict, talks to Dreamwatch about his controversial 2004 Battlestar Galactica article and his feelings toward the show today. Words: David Bassom

Once upon a time, in a land far away from Hollywood, one of modern TV’s most popular actors settled down in front of his computer in Montana to write an article for the July 2004 issue of Dreamwatch. The article was entitled Starbuck: Lost in Castration and offered Dirk Benedict’s personal views on Universal Studios’ decision to ‘reimagine’ Battlestar Galactica, the series that first shot him to stardom. Intelligent, funny and deliberately provocative, the piece immediately came under more fire than Benedict had ever faced as either the original Starbuck or as Templeton ‘Faceman’ Peck in The A-Team.

Two years on from the feature’s publication, Benedict’s comments remain a source of serious controversy in the Battlestar Galactica universe. So when Dreamwatch catches up with him in the Big Sky Country of Montana, the conversation begins with a question on how Benedict feels about the response to his infamous article.

The topic immediately elicits a wry chuckle from Benedict. “Well, I think a lot of people have ‘reimagined’ my article,” he says. “I’ve seen a lot of comments about it saying things like, ‘Dirk Benedict is a bitter, old, washed-up actor who’s hiding in the mountains, angry he’s not a part of the new show’; or ‘Dirk Benedict obviously hates women, he’s a misogynist.’ That pretty much covers the range of people’s responses to it. I haven’t heard one astute comment on the piece itself. And I find that astounding… and sad.

“When you read my piece, it should be very clear that what it’s really about is the politics of the TV business; the culture of the 1970s versus the culture of today; and, most importantly, the war against masculinity. It’s about how the television industry and the world have changed since the 1970s. It’s more a political commentary than anything else. So people who read the piece should debate these issues, rather than just call me names. “I never say whether the new show’s good, bad or indifferent; I just say it’s different,” he states firmly. “I have no quarrels with the new show from a production standpoint. But I do have an opinion on why it was ‘reimagined.’”

Battle Scarred

Benedict happily acknowledges that Lost in Castration makes it clear he would have preferred Starbuck to have remained a male character. He also confirms that he was disappointed he didn’t get to reprise the role of a 50-year-old Starbuck in producer Tom DeSanto and director Bryan Singer’s planned 2001 continuation of the original Battlestar Galactica. But, that said, he also states that his piece was never meant to be an attack on the new show or its cast and crew, especially new Starbuck Katee Sackhoff.

“People seemed to have missed the fact that the article was written before the show began to run as a series,” he points out. “I had yet to actually view the show, so my commentary was based on a reading of the pilot [mini-series] script – which would make it impossible for me to comment on the quality of the show; performances, and production values. What really fascinated me was how predictable the ways in which it was reimagined were, not least of which was the castration of that loveable scoundrel Starbuck.

“I don’t have any axe to grind about the existence of the new Battlestar Galactica,” he insists. “I don’t bear a grudge against anyone. I have never trashed the show. And, unlike Richard [Hatch, Apollo in the original] I never fought to stop it getting remade.

“I never imagined – or should I say reimagined? – the piece would hurt Katee’s feelings. When I met her [for the 2003 Sci Fi Channel Battlestar Galactica: The Lowdown], I thought she was very cute and charming. My article had nothing to do with her. I hoped she’d laugh about it. I had far worse things written about me when I did the original show!

“I did think the people at the network might be upset,” he admits. “‘Who is this idiot actor claiming we don’t care about content or art, just marketing?’ But I didn’t think the people on the show would be upset. They’re on a hit show, for crying out loud. Why should they care?”

In the wake of the controversy created by his article, the current million-dollar question concerns whether Benedict will ever appear in the new Battlestar Galactica. It’s a topic Benedict readily takes up.

“After all of this, if they offered me a good part on the new show and the money was right, would I do it? Sure,” he reveals. “I’m an actor after all, so of course I would. I would walk on to the set and they could say, ‘Here’s the asshole himself!’ And I would say, ‘Yup, here I am’, and then give them a copy of my article.

“But I don’t think they’re going to ask me,” continues Benedict, who previously turned down a blink-and-you’ve-missed-it cameo role in the 2003 mini-series as the doomed Armistice Station Officer. “I’m not sure I could afford to be on the new show now anyway. I have so many bets with people who think I will do it, it would cost me a fortune in lost bets to say ‘yes’!”

Regardless of whether he ever ends up aboard the new Battlestar Galactica, Benedict – contrary to some recent suggestions – hardly seems like a “washed-up actor.” In-between pursuing the most important role of his life as a single parent to his two sons, the busy Montana native recently starred in the German film Goldene Zeiten (“It’s the best movie I’ve ever been a part of”) and stars opposite Stephen Baldwin in the US Sci Fi Channel movie EarthStorm (“That was a nice part and Sci Fi paid me the right money.”) He has also shot an A-Team reunion documentary for the UK’s Channel 4 and was offered a guest role in the hit British show Hustle, but had to decline due to scheduling conflicts (his role was ultimately played by Richard Chamberlain).

“It’s true I’ve neglected my career in the past few years, but the most important thing is that I did the best I could for my children,” he says. “They’re nearly all grown-up now though, so perhaps I will spend more time acting. I’m not concerned about the size of roles – just the quality.

“But I’m certainly not desperate for work,” Benedict adds with a bemused chuckle. “If I was really concerned about just getting a job, would I have written that piece?”

This article originally appeared in Dreamwatch Issue 142.