SFX #9

Bruce Boxleitner Takes His Battle to the Fans REBEL WITH A CAUSE by Joe Nazzaro
SFX Magazine February 1996 Issue #9

For Babylon 5's second commanding officer, and normal star, this is going to be an important year -in terms of shaping his character, reshaping the ever-changing Babylon 5 universe... and, of course, persuading as many people as possible to watch the show, as he explains to Joe Nazzaro...

The '95-'96 season is a crucial period for both Bruce Boxleitner and his Babylon alter-ego, Captain John Sheridan, a time for both men to stop reacting, and start taking an active role in the proceedings. For Boxleitner, this means he's fast becoming the series unofficial PR agent, and trying to convert potential new fans to the B5 cause.

"It's really becoming my mission," the actor laughs. "We're in our third season, yet I still find people saying, 'What is that, Star Trek', and they're thinking of DS9. I've nothing against Trek, but this show has its own identity, and as well as it's doing, it could do ten times better. It's my duty as front man to get it out there."

More specifically, Boxleitner is anxious to spread the word on Babylon 5's third, and coolest, year. As we speak, the actor is in the middle of shooting the season's thirteenth episode, and his enthusiasm for the series is catching.

"Obviously, the pace has somewhat quickened," he grins. "The rebellion is in full swing now, and I'm leading the charge there. Sheridan's life has always been dedicated to Earth Force, and suddenly all of that is now in question. It puts him in quite a dilemma, as it does the rest of the Earth Force members on the station - suddenly we're faced with something none of us ever anticipated."

Series creator J. Michael Straczynski has said he's fond of dropping his characters down the occasional well - putting them in incredibly difficult situations - and that seemed to happen to Sheridan quite a lot last season.

"Sheridan has been staying away from the edge of the well lately!" laughs Boxleitner. "Though just recently he's become a little more daring again, mainly because certain constraints have been taken off him. Once the rebellion gets going, it's full-tilt boogie here. We don't have to answer to anybody now, which puts a lot of responsibility on him."

So how much can you tell us about the way the rebellion is going to pan out? Not that much, I take it?

"All I can say is that Sheridan is able to hit the ground running - he's got his group of conspirators and rebels together, so now he's able to take the fight to the enemy, instead of just reacting to them."

One of the highlights of Babylon 5's third season promises to be the teamup between Sheridan and his predecessor, Jeffrey Sinclair, played by Michael O'Hare.

"I'm really looking forward to Sinclair and Sheridan in the two-part episode," says Boxleitner eagerly, shrugging off suggestions that he might not enjoy the comparison much. "Actually, I was talking to Joe about it last night, and I think if this had come up sooner, I might have felt a little apprehension. But as Joe said last night, I've actually done more time on B5 now than Michael has, so I think we're on very even ground."

"After all, I didn't replace the character of Sinclair, I just came on board as an addition, and he was still there in the background. But, really, I'm more fascinated with where it's going to go, and how he's going to weave in and out of the arc.."

We'll get back to up-and-coming events in a moment, but first let's hear some of the highlights from Boxleitner's first season of B5.

" 'In the Shadow of Z'Ha'Dum' is my favourite episode," he says without hesitation. "I love the whole speech about Winston Churchill and the Enigma code machine, and sacrificing one for the greater good of all. That was a magnificent episode, and it gave me the chance to be a little Captain Bligh-ish there. And, of course, I got to bend the rules a little with Morden."

"I thought 'Comes the Inquisitor' was a terrific episode too. The storyline gave you a glimpse into the future for Delenn and Sheridan, with both of us beginning to take on the mantle of much larger roles. There were all sorts of indications at the end there, with the test for Delenn and Sheridan, and the obvious bond that was growing between them. Basically, I like the episodes that foreshadow things to come - the one with Turhan Bey ('The Coming of Shadows') was another. Whether I'm in them or not, those tend to be the ones where I think the work is exceptional."

We get to talking about how Sheridan's character has changed since the early shows... "To tell you the truth, I feel much better this season, because I think I've found the man that I want, and I think Joe has too. It was rough at the beginning, particularly having to deal with something like the loss of Sheridan's wife so soon in my run, when I didn't feel I was really in his shoes yet."

In the early days, Sheridan, all natty uniform and polished shoes, sometimes seemed a little bit too well-polished to be true, but with events moving at such a pace- both on board the station and in the Babylon 5 universe - these days, you have to wonder how long that can last. So, will the good captain be able to maintain his neatly blow-dried demeanour for much longer?

"I was never really my choice to have him like that," the actor insists. "More the choice I was handed. Let's just say there's going to be a very big change after this season in the area you're talking about..."

"I think it's been set up that Sheridan is very natty in a military sense, but the rebellion is going to change all that. Being very clean cut and efficient looking was part of the Earth Force look, and we're not in Earth Force anymore. The trouble is, by the end of season three everything's going to be fixed in people's minds, but then we're going to turn it all around again for seasons four and five. Believe me, we all want to go Mad Max sometimes, but not yet!"

Now that Kosh has finally revealed himself, the new hot topic among BS fans is, 'What's the deal with Sheridan and Delenn, and is there going to be a pay-off to this relationship at some point?'" Well, is there?

"There was a big reaction to all that on Prodigy (A US on-line information service - Ed.) last night, actually," Boxleitner smiles, "with at least 25 questions about Sheridan and Delenn! To answer the question, yes, there is going to be a pay-off. There is a definite reason why it's taking its time, however -why it's smouldering away in the background - and part of it is because we're doing other things. These are busy people..."

"Actually, we've just been shooting a scene today that was very significant for the two of us. I know roughly what the end result of our relationship is going to be, so, yes, it will happen - you'll just have to be patient. It may seem that it's taking forever coming, but we've got two seasons to go yet!"

Before we wind up here, what does Boxleitner want to see as far as his character is concerned? It's a question he takes time answering...

"Without giving too much away, the spiritual side of Sheridan is something that I really want to see changed. His role is going to become much more important in this galaxy, other than just as the captain of Babylon 5. Certainly, I want to see more of a relationship with Delenn - and not just boy/girl flirtation, because I think these are much brighter, deeper people than that - and that's what Mira and I have been trying to work on. Delenn is a powerful woman, and Sheridan should get some of his power from her."

"You see, with Sheridan, the battlefield commander is there; he knows what to do in a war situation, because he has a tactical mind. It's the other side we have to deal with. This war isn't going to last forever, and afterwards we're going to have to create a new community of races in the universe. Sheridan is going to be at the forefront of that, and to enable him to handle that, I want to see the spiritual side of him fleshed out as much as we possibly can..."