An interview with Sarah Rush

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By Michael A. Faries

Sarah Rush graced our screen in 1978 as Flight Corporal Rigel on television's Battlestar Galactica. We caught up with Sarah in June 2001 to reflect upon the show and current events in her life.

First and foremost, how have you been?

Sarah Rush.

Really, really well!!!!! You know, life is such an amazing journey. As anyone, I have had my tough times, but I find that I am so grateful now for the small joys in life, as well as the great things. I seem to be getting really fun roles now, and I feel more free in my work as an actor. When I was a very young actor, I was so hard on myself. I would watch myself on television, and think, "Oh, no, I don't look very pretty, or yikes, I didn't like that moment, or ... "

Now, I am much more supportive of myself!!!!!! Maybe it comes with age, but I don't want to beat myself up anymore. I just want to celebrate when I have a show on TV or a commercial running!!!! It's just great to be working at a job that I love.

Any recent happenings in your life you'd like to share?

Recent happenings in my life: I was married almost two years ago to a wonderful man, Fred Bova. He's such a good guy, and I'm so thankful for him. Friends had tried to get us together for two years, and I finally relinquished and agreed to meet him. We were engaged two months later!!! He was a professional quitar player for years, playing with folks like Michael Bolton, Larry Norman, and Randy Stonehill, and now he is a technician at Saban.

As far as work goes, I'll be in two upcoming movies. One is called Max Feeble's Big Move for Disney, and the other is Fangs (It's about bats and is fun!!!!) for Porchlight Entertainment.

We're really glad to see you're active with your acting career.

Let's take our readers back in time briefly: I actually remember watching you on CBS in the Philip DeGuere TV production of Dr. Strange with Peter Hooten in the mid-1970s. When did the "acting bug" bite you? When inspired you to act professionally?

When did the acting bug hit me?? I have wanted to be an actress all my life. Even as a child doing school plays, I found it was a way to express myself. I'm not a show-off kind of person. Actually, when I was doing a lot of television and people were asking me for my autograph and making a fuss over me, I felt really uncomfortable. I have just always loved to act, to get lost in a role, and to channel all of the emotion that I experience in my life. I love the moment to moment of acting, the intimacy of working with other actors, and the challenge of finding the life of another person in a character.

Most of our readers are familiar with you for your role on television's Battlestar Galactica as Flight Corporal Rigel. Your very memorable line, "Launch when ready," sent Colonial Viper pilots turbo'ing down the Galactica's launch tubes. (We should note that you had more lines in the episodes, "Saga of a Star World" (pilot) and "Gun on Ice Planet Zero" parts I and II.)

Please do share with us how you were "brought aboard the Galactica." What do you remember about the audition/hiring process, showing up to work, getting your scripted lines, the costume process, the hairstyle changes, etc.

How did I get the role of Flight Corporal Rigel? When I think about the audition, I have to laugh! I was a contract player at Universal, and I think that certainly helped me to get the role. However, I remember walking in to a huge office in the Black Tower at Universal, and along with Glen Larson, there were about seven other people. It was pretty amazing to see all these folks in one room, looking at me! Anyway, I had one line, something like "100 microns and closing, 99 microns and closing. . . Red alert!" I said these lines into my fist, as if it were a microphone. I have always been very serious about acting, and so I took it very seriously.

When I finished, I looked up at everyone, and after a moment of total silence, we all started laughing!!!!! Glen Larson was so kind to me, and I am so grateful that he gave me the job. I wish I had done more episodes, but I was doing a lot of episodic television at the time, and it seemed that I was busy. I loved putting on my space outfit!!!!!!

I designed the hair style with the braids, which I thought was perfect for the role, but I understand that someone, and I truly don't know who, didn't like it. At one point, the hairdresser took out my braids on the set, and we started filming the scene even before I had combed my hair!

Any recollections about the change from director Richard Colla to Alan J. Levi on the first episode? Did it impact your work on the set? Did you see/feel the pressures of the show going overbudget/overtime?

I do remember. I felt so bad for Richard, and I had no idea why he left the show, but of course, I was concerned for him. I know that he has been very successful, and I am glad of that. I admit that I loved Alan Levi!! I did an episode of The Oregon Trail with him as well, and he is such a lovely man. I haven't seen him in many years, but I was so fond of him. I think I was aware of the pressures of the show, as it seemed like such a huge undertaking. The production values were HUGE, and with so many talented people involved, I'm sure that the pressure was intense. I, of course, was just having a blast being a part of it, and was not privy to the demands made on the producers. I'm sure it was very difficult.

I'd like to name various actors and get your heartfelt thoughts and memories about them:

Lorne Greene - What a lovely man. He was such a gentleman, and so kind. I remember going to a Christmas party at his home and feeling so welcomed. He was such a real and authentic person, and I never remember any Star status behavior. I was so sad when he passed away, because he was such a quality man.

Terry Carter - Talk about a quality man!!! Terry is such a wonderful man, just beautiful. I enjoyed so much having lunch with Terry and his wife at the last Battlestar Galactica reunion. He was so lovely to me when I was on the show, always so interested in how my life was going. I loved talking about acting with him.

David Greenan - David is the BEST!!!! I'm so glad we became friends, and I loved seeing him when I lived in New York. We studied with the same acting teacher, Uta Hagen at HB Studios, and David had a play reading group that I was involved with. I miss David, and so hope that all is well in this life.

Maren Jensen - Maren is so beautiful!!!! I don't know where she is now, but I hope that she is happy and well. I always felt like such a moose compared to her, but she couldn't have been sweeter. Aren't her eyes just beautiful!!!!

Richard Hatch - Well, I can't say enough about Richard!!!! We all had enormous crushes on him, and he is such a beautiful person. It amazes me to this day how wonderful he was to me, as I was just a 22 year old nobody!!!!! I also loved talking to Richard about acting, and I have always admired his commitment and passion. I confess that Richard gave the best neck massages on the face of the earth!!!!!

Dirk Benedict - Dirk is great!! I loved talking to him about health and fitness. He was so knowledgeable about healthy eating, and such a fun guy. It was wonderful to see him at the last reunion as well.

Herb Jefferson, Jr. - What a kick he is!!!!! I loved Herb, as he was so much fun. He really is a great guy. We shared the same acting teacher here in L.A. What a wonderful actor he is.

Laurette Spang and Anne Lockhart - I love these gals. When I see them at reunions, I regret that I don't get together with them more often. They both have precious families, and they are so wonderful. I remember working with Laurette, and she is so beautiful and kind.

David Matthau - I adored David, and have unfortunately lost contact with him. I know that he is a sportscaster somewhere. He is married to a really brilliant woman, and I know that they have at least one child. David was under contract with me at Universal, and he is the greatest guy!! (Note: David is the son of the late Walter Matthau, and played a fellow Galactica bridge crew member..)

Were there any notable pranks which occured on the set? Any funny moments which come to mind with the Galactica crew?

For me, Battlestar Galactica was such a great experience. The cast was so marvelous to me, and as I've said, I was just a 22 year old nobody!!! The quality of the people involved was amazing, and I really appreciate the encouragement I received as an actor from everyone. It was such a ball putting on my space suit, and hanging around the set was absolutely fabulous. It was an amazing set!!!!!!!!! I think we all knew that the project was special, and it was so much fun to be a part of it.

So many times you hear of series casts who are perhaps aloof and don't become "family" with each other, but the cast of Battlestar Galactica was very close.

I heard the cast threw a birthday party for you...

I loved having lunch with the actors, and it's true that they did celebrate my 22nd birthday!!!!!! Can you imagine that!!!!! We all went to a restaurant at the Universal City Wok, and what a thrilling way to celebrate a birthday. It was a lunch, and we were all in our costumes!!!!!! My memories of the show are so terrific, and I am so grateful to have been a very small part of it.

Maybe a "small part", but fans have certainly remembered you fondly. A while back, you discovered that you had a fan club online at SarahRush.com. What was your initial reaction?

You can't imagine how shocked I was to have learned that there is a fan club in my honor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it!!!!! I am so grateful to Paul and Mike and the others who have been involved. I feel that it is an encouragement for me to just keep plugging away. Many of the members are science fiction fans, and some of them are also Christians. At the risk of stereotyping, I think science fiction fans are really extraordinary people. I think it involves a special creativity and intelligence to grasp the complexities of the infinity of Space, and I have found that these folks are also really nice people. Because I am also a Christian, it really touches me that their are some people in the club who appreciate that about me.

I have been so overwhelmed by the support of the club. I still can't get over it, and it is really special to check in and read messages from people. I feel like it's a friend club, not a fan club, and I really appreciate the encouragement and support it has provided.

Do you attend any conventions?

I have just learned about one convention in Atlanta, and it would be great fun to attend. I'm not sure that I can, but perhaps!!!!!

As you know, Richard Hatch put together a professional, promotional trailer reel, titled Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming to sell a new Battlestar Galactica series. Have you seen Richard's trailer yet?

I haven't seen it yet. I am so amazed by Richard's tenacity and passion for Battlestar Galactica, and I truly hope that he will be able to be involved in the new series. He is such a wonderful actor, so committed and talented, and he's just a doll. I know that he is really beloved by lots of people.

Any possibilities that you would like to return to Battlestar Galactica (by co-Executive Producers Tom DeSanto and Bryan Singer) if asked?

Would I like to be a part of the new series?? You bet I would. It would be such a miracle and honor, and I would love to. I have grown more and more to appreciate of my Battlestar Galactica experience, and it would be so wonderful to reprise Rigel.

One of the best compliments I received was from a fellow who had become a member of the club. He said that he remembered an episode I was in from his childhood days, and he remembered me very specifically, including my lines. He wanted to watch it again to see if he remembered it correctly, and he had. He said that he had remembered me because I had been truthful and honest and brought real humanity to the moment in the scene.

I was so touched by that, because even though Battlestar Galactica's time frame is set in extraordinary circumstances with amazing technological effects, people are human and real and experience true feelings. That's actually one of the reasons I would love to do a science fiction show again, to bring that humanity in the midst of the vastness of Space.

Thanks, Sarah!

The author would like to thank Joseph Ambrosio for helping to make this interview possible. For additional fan sites devoted to Sarah, please visit SarahRush.com (be sure to sign the Guest Book in support of Sarah's return to Battlestar Galactica!) and Yahoo! Clubs: Sarah Rush