Vala Mal Doran
Encyclopedia
Vala Mal Doran is a fictional character
in the American military science fiction
television series Stargate SG-1
, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by former Farscape
actress Claudia Black
, Vala was created by Damian Kindler
and Robert C. Cooper
as a guest character for the season 8
episode "Prometheus Unbound" (2004). Because of the on-screen chemistry between Black's Vala and Michael Shanks
' character Daniel Jackson, and the character's popularity with the producers and the audience, Claudia Black became a recurring guest star in season 9
(2005–2006) and joined the main cast in season 10
(2006–2007).
"Prometheus Unbound" introduces Vala as a sexy and mischievous human with a Goa'uld
background from an unnamed planet. In season 9, Vala and Daniel set off the arc of the show's new villain race, the Ori
. After giving birth to the Ori's new leader in season 10, Vala joins the SG-1
team to stop the enemy. Claudia Black resumed her role in the 2008 direct-to-DVD film Stargate: The Ark of Truth
, which finishes the Ori arc. Black also appeared as Vala and her Goa'uld alter ego Qetesh in the 2008 film Stargate: Continuum
. She was, however, not supposed to be returning for the announced third Stargate SG-1 direct-to-DVD film that was scheduled to be filmed in spring 2009, but abandoned since then. For her portrayal of Vala, Claudia Black was nominated for a 2006 Saturn Award
in the category "Best Supporting Actress on Television
", and won a Constellation Award in the category "Best Female Performance in a 2006 Science Fiction Television" in 2007.
who had left her and her mother to pursue his scams. As mentioned in "Avalon
", Vala also had a stepmother named Adria, whom she held in little regard. Vala became an involuntary host to a Goa'uld
named Qetesh in her adult life, but the Tok'ra
were able to remove the symbiote. At the time of Vala's first encounter with SG-1 team member Daniel Jackson in the season 8 episode "Prometheus Unbound", she has become a thief and a con artist. She attempts to steal the Earth ship Prometheus for her own purposes, but when Daniel evades her sexual advances and thwarts her plans, she escapes.
In the season 9 opener "Avalon
", Vala seeks out Daniel at Stargate Command. Needing his linguistic skills, she uses a Kor mak bracelet to bind them together for a treasure hunt on Earth. The discovery of an Ancient communication device transports Vala's and Daniel's minds to a village in a distant galaxy where the local villagers kill Vala in a trial by fire
, but a Prior, a servant of a race named the Ori
, resurrects her. After Vala's and Daniel's safe return to Earth, the removed bracelets cause temporary after-effects that prolong Vala's stay at Stargate Command. In an attempt to stop the Ori from invading the galaxy in "Beachhead", Vala goes missing and appears to have died. Vala re-appears in the late season 9 episode "Crusade" and informs SG-1 via the communication device that she is in the Ori galaxy. The Ori have impregnated her against her will many months before, and Vala saw herself forced to marry a local villager named Tomin to make the pregnancy plausible. When Vala tells SG-1 about the Ori army approaching, the communication link is severed. Vala is last seen onboard one of the invading Ori battlecruisers in the closing scene of the season 9 finale "Camelot" when she senses going into labor.
Season 10 opens with Vala giving birth to a female. The Ori call the rapidly growing child Orici, but Vala gives her the name Adria after her stepmother. Attempts to turn the child away from the Ori remain unsuccessful. Having escaped the Ori, Vala is allowed sanctuary at Stargate Command and joins SG-1 on several missions, during one of which she comes face-to-face with her fully-grown daughter. Vala's provisionary acceptance on Earth is only lifted in the eighth episode of the season, "Memento Mori", in which she is made a full member of SG-1. Vala meets Tomin again in "Line in the Sand" and tells him the true story behind the Ancients and Ori. A final showdown in the series between Vala and Adria occurs in "Dominion", which leaves Vala with the loss of her daughter. In "Unending
", the last episode of the series, SG-1 gets stuck in a time dilation field aboard the Earth ship Odyssey, and a romance between Vala and Daniel finally comes to fruition. Before the time dilation field is reversed after fifty years, erasing all linked memories in the process, Daniel and Vala express their feelings for each other. The Ori story concludes with Adria's disempowerment and Vala's and Tomin's amicable separation in the 2008 direct-to-DVD film Stargate: The Ark of Truth
. Vala and her alter ego, Qetesh, appear in the alternate-timeline film Stargate: Continuum
.
subtitled Vala as a "thief, arms dealer, mercenary" who, when given an inch, will "take a mile, and whatever else she can get her hands on." SFX described Vala as a "mischievous minx", whereas The San Diego Union-Tribune
interpreted Vala as "ethically challenged". Steven Eramo of Starburst
gave Vala the attributes "sexy, smart and always resourceful". Claudia Black characterized early Vala as "sassy", "intelligent", "manipulative", and "mercurial", but found it "very hard to tell what the real core of Vala is." Black later described Vala as "a new, weird element", "irritating", "very vibrant", "sort of the hair-pulling variety", "really infuriating" and "[hopefully] funny". With Vala being a departure from Black's former Farscape role as Aeryn Sun, Black regarded Vala as a comedic and energetic character with streaks of irreverence and naughtiness who "says everything that everyone else is thinking, but doesn't dare say", although both characters share "being damaged goods [in the beginning] and on a path to becoming a better person". Robert C. Cooper thought of Vala as "a bit of a wild card" and "a very sexy character, who isn't afraid to take whatever she wants in any given situation." Cooper and Black believed the character had a moral compass to her actions.
(Daniel Jackson) linked their characters' early relationship to a Spencer Tracy
/Katharine Hepburn
dynamic of "not so much of tension, but rather constant antagonism". Despite the concern in early season 9 that their relationship would stagnate and dumb down their characters, Shanks felt Vala brought out a side of Daniel that he had not had the chance to play before, and Black advocated the slow revelation of Vala's layers of denial. The writers continued to develop the friendship between Vala and Daniel throughout season 10, aiming not to lose their sexual chemistry. Michael Shanks stated that by "Memento Mori", "Daniel legitimately cares about Vala and has seen some sort of redemption in her and wants that process to continue." From Black's point of view, Daniel offers "an interesting window" into "Vala's external façade to be playful with people". He helps Vala grow as a person and forces her to "develop coping mechanisms that allow her to be more adult and learn that it's OK to be honest and talk how you feel." Asked about a possible romance between Vala and Daniel before the filming of the series finale, Black predicted that a consummation of the relationship would end badly in terms of both story and on-screen chemistry. When producer Robert C. Cooper
presented his preliminary script for the series finale, "Unending
", both Black and Shanks protested his intended story of having Vala and Daniel sleep together without a confrontation. Shanks felt that "[t]here's always been this underlining, keeping [Vala] at arms length because of the fear of getting too close." After Cooper rewrote the scene to increase Vala's vulnerability to Daniel, and have Daniel truthfully explain his feelings of a relationship, the actors decided to play the confrontation scene as genuinely as possible, with both characters being neither completely in-character nor totally out-of-character.
Describing Vala's attitude towards bonding with other characters as "in a strange way quite level-headed" and "quite honest", Black interpreted Vala's behavior as a reaction to growing attached to people where the relationships never seem to work out. Cooper explained that by Vala's contacting of Stargate Command about the imminent threat at the end of season 9, she "has reached a point of honesty with [the SG-1] characters and possibly herself on a level that she's never had before." From the beginning of season 10, Claudia Black and Amanda Tapping requested a similarly positive camaraderie between their characters as male characters have. Tapping noted Carter's respect for Vala despite them being at opposite ends in their actions; Tapping also thought Carter finds Vala amusing rather than annoying. A scene in "Morpheus" that was intended to establish this relationship was cut for time, and until the late season 10 episode "Family Ties" would accommodate this with a shopping scene, the actresses acknowledged their connection through looks and subtle nuances. By joining SG-1, Vala also shared a spot with stoic warrior Teal'c
as the only alien members of the team, and actor Christopher Judge (Teal'c) explained that his character's amusement with Vala contributed to Teal'c's loosening up. The relationship between Vala and SG-1 team leader Colonel Cameron Mitchell (played by Ben Browder
) was rarely emphasized in the series since Black and Browder were well known for formerly starring as star-crossed lovers in the cult sci-fi series Farscape
.
According to Black, Vala's motivation to hide her miraculous pregnancy by marrying the local villager Tomin (played by Tim Guinee
) in late season 9 stems from "genuinely car[ing] for the man. She does something wrong, but she must in order to survive." Against the audience's expectation, Vala and Tomin are shown as a seemingly functioning normal couple, and Vala makes several efforts to save him despite his deep indoctrination. Throughout season 10, Vala has to come to terms with her maternal feelings for Adria (as adult played by Morena Baccarin
), well knowing from the beginning that Adria embodies a destructive entity that must be fought. Black believed Vala had to "try her best to connect with her daughter in the hope of finding ways to humanize her", despite her own lack of maturity. When Vala meets her father Jacek (Fred Willard
) in "Family Ties", Vala shows "a slightly more dramatic and vulnerable side" that was new to the audience.
wrote "Prometheus Unbound" as a second-unit
bottle episode
for the middle of Stargate SG-1's season 8 in 2004. The main cast's availability was limited, as Richard Dean Anderson
had a reduced season schedule, and Amanda Tapping
and Christopher Judge
filmed "Gemini" in parallel to "Prometheus Unbound". Kindler therefore centered the episode on Michael Shanks
' character Daniel Jackson and created Vala, a human character from an unnamed planet, as Daniel's one-episode adversary. Not fully content with Kindler's conservative approach, producer Robert C. Cooper
amplified the character's cheeky and sexy personality in his own passes of the script. Although Cooper tried to respect Stargate SG-1's reputation as a sex-free family show, he was aware that the character's sexiness might cause a strong audience reaction.
Robert. C. Cooper suggested Australian actress Claudia Black
for the role of Vala and contacted her agent two days before the filming of "Prometheus Unbound" began. The Stargate producers had approached Black several times before, but she had always been busy with other projects. At "Prometheus Unbound"'s casting stage, the actress had just finished dialogue looping
sessions for Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars
in Australia. She thought the script of "Prometheus Unbound" was funny and self-contained enough for creative experiments, so she accepted the role and called the episode's director, Andy Mikita
, in advance. He suggested an Out of Sight
-kind chemistry for Vala and Daniel, and encouraged the actress to push the character as far as possible. On set, Claudia Black and Michael Shanks decided to make one of their first scenes, a fight sequence, as funny and non-machismo
as possible to mirror Daniel's non-military background. In the meantime, Black tried to transform her day-long jetlag
and lack of sleep into humour. When the producers saw the on-screen chemistry between Black and Shanks, they decided to make the character a bigger part of the show.
and Beau Bridges
joined the main cast as Lieutenant-Colonel Cameron Mitchell
and Major General Hank Landry, respectively. At the same time, the producers re-introduced Vala in a six-episode story arc to cover for the maternity leave of SG-1 regular Amanda Tapping (Lieutenant-Colonel Samantha Carter
). The producer intended to use Vala's unpredictability and wildcard status to break the bigger story arc and to acquaint the audience with the new characters. Claudia Black wished to broaden her horizon in comedic acting and agreed to the recurring role, but declined the producers' offer of a permanent role for personal reasons.
Because Ben Browder and Claudia Black were well known for formerly starring as star-crossed lovers in the cult sci-fi series Farscape
, the Stargate producers refrained from emphasizing the pairing of Mitchell and Vala beyond in-jokes. The producers instead opted to further the comedic chemistry between Claudia Black and Michael Shanks, who linked their characters' early relationship to a Spencer Tracy
/Katharine Hepburn
dynamic of "not so much of tension, but rather constant antagonism". Mirroring Vala's sexiness in season 8, "The Powers That Be" writer Martin Gero
chose Qetesh, the Egyptian Goddess of Love and Beauty, as a fitting former Goa'uld
identity for Vala. Nevertheless, Black and the producers refrained from portraying the character as too sexually manipulative. A scene from "The Ties That Bind", which was later cut for time, originally made clear that Wallace Shawn
's character greatly exaggerated the sexual relationship between him and Vala. Claudia Black was brought back into the show for the last two episodes of season 9, at which time the actress was seven months pregnant. Producer Robert C. Cooper
, who wrote and directed "Crusade", used the circumstances to set the stage for Adria, Vala's future daughter and the show's new villain in season 10.
Claudia Black joined the cast full time in season 10. Had Stargate SG-1 not been picked up for a new season, the producers would have considered the character for a spin-off series. To justify the character in a regular capacity, the producers toned her down and tried to find a suitable balance of sexual tension, fun and friendship. Claudia Black was convinced that Vala's actual stay with Stargate Command was justified despite the character's personality. Vala's renegade qualification to infiltrate the Ori served as a useful complement to the military-oriented SG teams, and Vala had already proven a degree of allegiance through her actions in "Beachhead", holding off an immediate invasion of the enemy. The writers tested this loyalty through confrontation in the story, and writer Damian Kindler
later compared Vala's character growth in season 10 to smuggler Lando Calrissian
from Star Wars
, a "former swindler who's gone legit". Careful to never have Vala become too earnest, Kindler never saw Vala "as the type of character who should be on the show for five, six, seven years. But definitely the sort of character who could come in for a couple seasons, spice things up and then move on and come back and forth." Evolving the relationship between Vala and the other SG-1 members, the producers also grew comfortable with pairing Browder's and Black's characters more often, and even teased (and misled) viewers about them "end[ing] up in a motel room bed together" in the episode "Memento Mori", involving underwear, "handcuffs as well as creamy Twinkie
s". A scene in the milestone episode "200
" also parodied the show's connection to Farscape. In hindsight, Claudia Black would see season 10 as a personal challenge as her baby deprived her of sleep during the filming period. Her relocation to Vancouver
and sickness in the family put her on a self-confessed personal and professional low. She nevertheless tried to stay true to her character "and not go for the cheap laugh".
After a miscarriage scare during the filming of the first direct-to-DVD SG-1 film, Stargate: The Ark of Truth
, Claudia Black's work on the film Stargate: Continuum
was limited on strict doctor's orders. Although Black considered Continuum "not a Vala-centric piece" as she only "makes a brief appearance", Stargate producer Joseph Mallozzi
thought "she's got some great, juicy scenes". Claudia Black mentioned an interest in portraying her character in the future, but Mallozzi rated the chances of her appearing in the planned Stargate Universe
spin-off series as "not so good". Producer Brad Wright
announced that Vala would not be returning for the announced third Stargate SG-1 direct-to-DVD film that is scheduled to be filmed in spring 2009. Claudia Black is the only SG-1 main cast member besides Corin Nemec
(playing Jonas Quinn
between SG-1's season 5 and 7) and Ben Browder
(playing Cameron Mitchell
from season 9 onward) who never appeared in Stargate Atlantis
, although Vala is mentioned by Rodney McKay
(played by David Hewlett
) in the Atlantis season 5 episode "Identity".
costume, not dissimilar to her first appearance as a Peacekeeper in Farscape
. For her entrance in season 9's "Avalon
", however, the costume designers intended her to wear a dress that the producers later deemed too revealing. Leaving the dress for Vala's appearance as Qetesh in "The Powers That Be", Vala's outfit for "Avalon" was switched to a black fetish leather gear which a costume designer described as "a dominatrix outfit". Black admitted the wildness of her "Avalon" wardrobe was not for her liking. But since it mirrored the attention-seeking
personality of the character, and because the character does not spend much time in the same outfit anyway, the actress did not mind wearing it.
Vala started wearing the normal SG team uniform in "Origin", the third episode of season 9. Claudia Black was later included in the design process and was given full control over her wardrobe for scenes that required civilian clothes. As such, Black chose Vala's underwear for the seduction scene in "The Ties That Bind" and her shopping tour outfit in "Family Ties". The latter episode also showed Vala with seven distinctly different hairstyles and outfits in total. Fearing the lack of seriousness, the producers opposed the make-up department's decision of having Vala wear curlers, but the scene could not be reshot. Similarly, a scene showing Vala unpacking her hair dryer and curling iron during an offworld mission in "The Quest" was deemed too silly and was trimmed to the basics; it would have been cut if the footage had allowed it. Due to Black's pregnancy during the filming of the films, the costume department needed to hide Black's bump with appropriate dressing.
called executive producer Robert C. Cooper
during the first lunch break and told him to "hire this gal", and Cooper thought Vala/Black "was absolutely wonderful. The character really worked out." Writer Damian Kindler
"really loved" what Black brought to the show, believing that "her character, when used properly, is just absolutely wonderful grist for the mill on SG-1." Stargate writer Martin Gero
called Vala "so much fun to write, almost too fun. You do kind of get carried away." Michael Shanks
repeatedly stated in interviews that Claudia Black revitalized his interest in acting.
While TV Guide
called Vala a "saucy [and] bodacious babe who immediately clicked with viewers", GateWorld's Darren Sumner and TheScifiWorld's Gilles Nuytens commented on her "warm reception [...] by fans" and her being "an instant hit with fans of the show". 71 percent of over 8000 GateWorld readers rated Claudia Black's portrayal of Vala in season 9 as "perfect". In a later GateWorld poll among over 12000 participants, 51 percent answered that Claudia Black's joining the main cast was "about time!", while 22 percent were concerned or had no opinion. The actress was not as confident about the character's reception, and Robert C. Cooper advertised Vala's last season 9 appearance as the return of "a much loved and much hated character." Vala Mal Doran ranked second (25%) out of five behind SG-1's Cameron Mitchell
(27%) in the viewer-voted 2006 Spacey Awards
for "Favourite New TV Character", and was voted third (22%) out of five places in the 2007 Spacey Awards
for "Favourite Character You Love to Hate" (26% Battlestar Galactica
's Gaius Baltar
, 28% Smallville
's Lex Luthor
). Per popular demand, Diamond Select Toys included Vala in their third series of Stargate action figures.
The Sun Herald thought of the character as "a thoroughly charming intergalactic thief famed for using her allure to get what she wants", and Matt Roush of TV Guide
called Claudia Black "great fun to watch in [seasons 8 and 9]". TV Zone
's Stephen Graves believed that Browder and Black's first post-Farscape
encounter in Stargate SG-1's "Avalon
" was "somewhat underplayed – but Black makes up for this with her sparky, snarky characterization of Vala." He welcomed the producers' decision to not cast a carbon copy of Samantha Carter
, and thought that Claudia Black's Vala in her six-episode arc remained "the best thing in the series". By season 10's "Memento Mori", TV Zone's Anthony Brown felt that "Ben Browder and Claudia Black have [...] reached a point where they can play out an amusing take on Misery
without you feeling that [their Farscape characters] have somehow starbursted onto SG-1's Earth". Maureen Ryan of The Chicago Tribune
called Browder's and Black's interaction in season 10 "great fun; the rapport they developed on the stellar Farscape was still much in evidence, even though they played radically different characters on SG-1."
Maureen Ryan described the chemistry between Black and Michael Shanks as "sparky" and "one of the most diverting parts of the latter seasons of the show". According to Ultimate DVD, the scenes between Vala and Daniel as the object of her affection resulted in "some of the freshest and funniest scenes in the show for some time". In reviewing "Unending
", Anthony Brown called Vala "a character who's always had a little too much of comic relief [getting] torn apart by the nice guy of the team." SyFy Portal
attributed Stargate SG-1 not going stale after ten years to Black, as she "quite literally steals the show from the existing cast of heroes". For her portrayal of Vala, Claudia Black was nominated for a Saturn Award
in the category "Best Supporting Actress on Television
" in 2006, and won a Constellation Award in the category "Best Female Performance in a 2006 Science Fiction Television" for the episode "Memento Mori" in 2007.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the American military science fiction
Military science fiction
Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction in which the principal characters are members of a military service and an armed conflict is taking place, normally in space, or on a planet other than Earth...
television series Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by former Farscape
Farscape
Farscape is an Australian-American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced originally for the Nine Network. The series was conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by Jim Henson Productions and Hallmark Entertainment...
actress Claudia Black
Claudia Black
Claudia Lee Black is an Australian actress and voice actor, known for her portrayals of Aeryn Sun in the science fiction television series Farscape, Vala Mal Doran in the science fiction series Stargate SG-1, Chloe Frazer in the Uncharted series, the witch Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins and...
, Vala was created by Damian Kindler
Damian Kindler
Damian Kindler is an Australian-born Canadian writer and producer. He emigrated to Toronto, Canada, when he was young. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia. He lives with his wife and his two children Hannah and Phoebe Kindler.He is most noted for his contributions to the Stargate...
and Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper is a Canadian writer and producer best known for his work in the Stargate franchise. He was formerly an executive producer of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis until both series conclusion and currently holds the same title on the third Stargate series Stargate Universe...
as a guest character for the season 8
Stargate SG-1 (season 8)
Season eight of Stargate SG-1, an American-Canadian military science fiction television series, began airing on July 9, 2004 on the Sci Fi channel. The eighth season concluded on February 22, 2005, after 20 episodes on British Sky One, which overtook the Sci Fi Channel in mid-season...
episode "Prometheus Unbound" (2004). Because of the on-screen chemistry between Black's Vala and Michael Shanks
Michael Shanks
Michael Garrett Shanks is a Canadian actor who achieved fame for his role as Dr. Daniel Jackson in the long-running Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
' character Daniel Jackson, and the character's popularity with the producers and the audience, Claudia Black became a recurring guest star in season 9
Stargate SG-1 (season 9)
Season nine of Stargate SG-1, an American-Canadian television series, began airing on July 15, 2005 on SCI FI. The ninth season concluded on March 10, 2006, after 20 episodes on the same channel. The series was originally developed by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, and Brad Wright, Robert C....
(2005–2006) and joined the main cast in season 10
Stargate SG-1 (season 10)
Season ten of Stargate SG-1, an American-Canadian television series, began airing on July 14, 2006 on Sci Fi Channel . The final season of the series concluded after 20 episodes on March 13, 2007 on British Sky One, which overtook the Sci-Fi Channel in mid-season. The series was developed by Brad...
(2006–2007).
"Prometheus Unbound" introduces Vala as a sexy and mischievous human with a Goa'uld
Goa'uld
The Goa'uld are a fictional symbiotic race of ancient astronauts from the American-Canadian military science fiction television franchise Stargate. The Goa'uld are parasites from the planet P3X-888, integrated within a host, most of the time human. The resulting creatures are a powerful race bent...
background from an unnamed planet. In season 9, Vala and Daniel set off the arc of the show's new villain race, the Ori
Ori (Stargate)
The Ori are fictional characters in the science fiction television series, Stargate SG-1. They are a group of "ascended" beings who use their advanced technology and knowledge of the universe to attempt to trick non-ascended humans into worshipping them as gods.They first appeared in the ninth...
. After giving birth to the Ori's new leader in season 10, Vala joins the SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
team to stop the enemy. Claudia Black resumed her role in the 2008 direct-to-DVD film Stargate: The Ark of Truth
Stargate: The Ark of Truth
Stargate: The Ark of Truth is a 2008 Canadian-American military science fiction film written and directed by Robert C. Cooper. The film is the conclusion of Stargate SG-1 Ori arc, and picks up after the SG-1 series finale, but takes place before the fourth season of Stargate Atlantis. The Ark of...
, which finishes the Ori arc. Black also appeared as Vala and her Goa'uld alter ego Qetesh in the 2008 film Stargate: Continuum
Stargate: Continuum
Stargate: Continuum is a Canadian-American military science fiction film released through MGM Home Entertainment , written by Brad Wright and directed by Martin Wood. The film is a time-travel adventure and is the second sequel to Stargate SG-1, after Stargate: The Ark of Truth...
. She was, however, not supposed to be returning for the announced third Stargate SG-1 direct-to-DVD film that was scheduled to be filmed in spring 2009, but abandoned since then. For her portrayal of Vala, Claudia Black was nominated for a 2006 Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
in the category "Best Supporting Actress on Television
Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television
The following are a list of Saturn Award nominees & winners for Best Supporting Actress on Television:*1999: Justina Vail - Seven Days**Charisma Carpenter - Angel**Virginia Hey - Farscape**Heather Matarazzo - Now and Again...
", and won a Constellation Award in the category "Best Female Performance in a 2006 Science Fiction Television" in 2007.
Character arc
Information about Vala's past is revealed over the course of several episodes of seasons 8 through 10 of Stargate SG-1. "Family Ties" gives insight into Vala's background with her father Jacek, a con artistConfidence trick
A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. A confidence artist is an individual working alone or in concert with others who exploits characteristics of the human psyche such as dishonesty and honesty, vanity, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility,...
who had left her and her mother to pursue his scams. As mentioned in "Avalon
Avalon (Stargate SG-1)
"Avalon" are the Season 9 premiere episodes of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.They marked the beginning of a "new" Stargate SG-1 that continued after the total closure and possible ending of the previous season. Despite seeing the departure of Richard Dean Anderson's Jack...
", Vala also had a stepmother named Adria, whom she held in little regard. Vala became an involuntary host to a Goa'uld
Goa'uld
The Goa'uld are a fictional symbiotic race of ancient astronauts from the American-Canadian military science fiction television franchise Stargate. The Goa'uld are parasites from the planet P3X-888, integrated within a host, most of the time human. The resulting creatures are a powerful race bent...
named Qetesh in her adult life, but the Tok'ra
Tok'ra
The Tok'ra are a fictional alien race on the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. They first appear in the season 2 episode . In the show, the Tok'ra are biologically the same species as the Goa'uld who inhabit human hosts in a symbiotic relationship, and are opposed to the evil System...
were able to remove the symbiote. At the time of Vala's first encounter with SG-1 team member Daniel Jackson in the season 8 episode "Prometheus Unbound", she has become a thief and a con artist. She attempts to steal the Earth ship Prometheus for her own purposes, but when Daniel evades her sexual advances and thwarts her plans, she escapes.
In the season 9 opener "Avalon
Avalon (Stargate SG-1)
"Avalon" are the Season 9 premiere episodes of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.They marked the beginning of a "new" Stargate SG-1 that continued after the total closure and possible ending of the previous season. Despite seeing the departure of Richard Dean Anderson's Jack...
", Vala seeks out Daniel at Stargate Command. Needing his linguistic skills, she uses a Kor mak bracelet to bind them together for a treasure hunt on Earth. The discovery of an Ancient communication device transports Vala's and Daniel's minds to a village in a distant galaxy where the local villagers kill Vala in a trial by fire
Trial by ordeal
Trial by ordeal is a judicial practice by which the guilt or innocence of the accused is determined by subjecting them to an unpleasant, usually dangerous experience...
, but a Prior, a servant of a race named the Ori
Ori (Stargate)
The Ori are fictional characters in the science fiction television series, Stargate SG-1. They are a group of "ascended" beings who use their advanced technology and knowledge of the universe to attempt to trick non-ascended humans into worshipping them as gods.They first appeared in the ninth...
, resurrects her. After Vala's and Daniel's safe return to Earth, the removed bracelets cause temporary after-effects that prolong Vala's stay at Stargate Command. In an attempt to stop the Ori from invading the galaxy in "Beachhead", Vala goes missing and appears to have died. Vala re-appears in the late season 9 episode "Crusade" and informs SG-1 via the communication device that she is in the Ori galaxy. The Ori have impregnated her against her will many months before, and Vala saw herself forced to marry a local villager named Tomin to make the pregnancy plausible. When Vala tells SG-1 about the Ori army approaching, the communication link is severed. Vala is last seen onboard one of the invading Ori battlecruisers in the closing scene of the season 9 finale "Camelot" when she senses going into labor.
Season 10 opens with Vala giving birth to a female. The Ori call the rapidly growing child Orici, but Vala gives her the name Adria after her stepmother. Attempts to turn the child away from the Ori remain unsuccessful. Having escaped the Ori, Vala is allowed sanctuary at Stargate Command and joins SG-1 on several missions, during one of which she comes face-to-face with her fully-grown daughter. Vala's provisionary acceptance on Earth is only lifted in the eighth episode of the season, "Memento Mori", in which she is made a full member of SG-1. Vala meets Tomin again in "Line in the Sand" and tells him the true story behind the Ancients and Ori. A final showdown in the series between Vala and Adria occurs in "Dominion", which leaves Vala with the loss of her daughter. In "Unending
Unending
"Unending" is the season finale of the tenth season and series finale of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, and the show's two-hundred sixteenth episode overall. Written and directed by Robert C. Cooper, the episode originally premiered in the United Kingdom on Sky One on March...
", the last episode of the series, SG-1 gets stuck in a time dilation field aboard the Earth ship Odyssey, and a romance between Vala and Daniel finally comes to fruition. Before the time dilation field is reversed after fifty years, erasing all linked memories in the process, Daniel and Vala express their feelings for each other. The Ori story concludes with Adria's disempowerment and Vala's and Tomin's amicable separation in the 2008 direct-to-DVD film Stargate: The Ark of Truth
Stargate: The Ark of Truth
Stargate: The Ark of Truth is a 2008 Canadian-American military science fiction film written and directed by Robert C. Cooper. The film is the conclusion of Stargate SG-1 Ori arc, and picks up after the SG-1 series finale, but takes place before the fourth season of Stargate Atlantis. The Ark of...
. Vala and her alter ego, Qetesh, appear in the alternate-timeline film Stargate: Continuum
Stargate: Continuum
Stargate: Continuum is a Canadian-American military science fiction film released through MGM Home Entertainment , written by Brad Wright and directed by Martin Wood. The film is a time-travel adventure and is the second sequel to Stargate SG-1, after Stargate: The Ark of Truth...
.
Characterization
Official Stargate sources advertised Vala as a "scheming, unscrupulous, thieving con artist", "feisty" and "occasionally fickle", with a "mysterious agenda" and a seemingly "amorous interest in Dr. Daniel Jackson". Genre magazine TV ZoneTV Zone
TV Zone was a British magazine published every four weeks by Visual Imagination that covered cult television. Initially, it mostly covered science fiction, but branched out to cover other drama and comedy series.-History:...
subtitled Vala as a "thief, arms dealer, mercenary" who, when given an inch, will "take a mile, and whatever else she can get her hands on." SFX described Vala as a "mischievous minx", whereas The San Diego Union-Tribune
The San Diego Union-Tribune
-Predecessors:The predecessor newspapers of the Union-Tribune were:* San Diego Sun, founded 1861 and merged with the Evening Tribune in 1939.* San Diego Union, founded October 10, 1868.* Evening Tribune, founded December 2, 1895.-Ownership:...
interpreted Vala as "ethically challenged". Steven Eramo of Starburst
Starburst (magazine)
Starburst is a British science fiction online magazine published by Starburst Magazine Limited. The magazine is published every month on the 14th, with news and reviews being published daily.-History:...
gave Vala the attributes "sexy, smart and always resourceful". Claudia Black characterized early Vala as "sassy", "intelligent", "manipulative", and "mercurial", but found it "very hard to tell what the real core of Vala is." Black later described Vala as "a new, weird element", "irritating", "very vibrant", "sort of the hair-pulling variety", "really infuriating" and "[hopefully] funny". With Vala being a departure from Black's former Farscape role as Aeryn Sun, Black regarded Vala as a comedic and energetic character with streaks of irreverence and naughtiness who "says everything that everyone else is thinking, but doesn't dare say", although both characters share "being damaged goods [in the beginning] and on a path to becoming a better person". Robert C. Cooper thought of Vala as "a bit of a wild card" and "a very sexy character, who isn't afraid to take whatever she wants in any given situation." Cooper and Black believed the character had a moral compass to her actions.
Relationships
Claudia Black and Michael ShanksMichael Shanks
Michael Garrett Shanks is a Canadian actor who achieved fame for his role as Dr. Daniel Jackson in the long-running Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
(Daniel Jackson) linked their characters' early relationship to a Spencer Tracy
Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
/Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
dynamic of "not so much of tension, but rather constant antagonism". Despite the concern in early season 9 that their relationship would stagnate and dumb down their characters, Shanks felt Vala brought out a side of Daniel that he had not had the chance to play before, and Black advocated the slow revelation of Vala's layers of denial. The writers continued to develop the friendship between Vala and Daniel throughout season 10, aiming not to lose their sexual chemistry. Michael Shanks stated that by "Memento Mori", "Daniel legitimately cares about Vala and has seen some sort of redemption in her and wants that process to continue." From Black's point of view, Daniel offers "an interesting window" into "Vala's external façade to be playful with people". He helps Vala grow as a person and forces her to "develop coping mechanisms that allow her to be more adult and learn that it's OK to be honest and talk how you feel." Asked about a possible romance between Vala and Daniel before the filming of the series finale, Black predicted that a consummation of the relationship would end badly in terms of both story and on-screen chemistry. When producer Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper is a Canadian writer and producer best known for his work in the Stargate franchise. He was formerly an executive producer of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis until both series conclusion and currently holds the same title on the third Stargate series Stargate Universe...
presented his preliminary script for the series finale, "Unending
Unending
"Unending" is the season finale of the tenth season and series finale of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, and the show's two-hundred sixteenth episode overall. Written and directed by Robert C. Cooper, the episode originally premiered in the United Kingdom on Sky One on March...
", both Black and Shanks protested his intended story of having Vala and Daniel sleep together without a confrontation. Shanks felt that "[t]here's always been this underlining, keeping [Vala] at arms length because of the fear of getting too close." After Cooper rewrote the scene to increase Vala's vulnerability to Daniel, and have Daniel truthfully explain his feelings of a relationship, the actors decided to play the confrontation scene as genuinely as possible, with both characters being neither completely in-character nor totally out-of-character.
Describing Vala's attitude towards bonding with other characters as "in a strange way quite level-headed" and "quite honest", Black interpreted Vala's behavior as a reaction to growing attached to people where the relationships never seem to work out. Cooper explained that by Vala's contacting of Stargate Command about the imminent threat at the end of season 9, she "has reached a point of honesty with [the SG-1] characters and possibly herself on a level that she's never had before." From the beginning of season 10, Claudia Black and Amanda Tapping requested a similarly positive camaraderie between their characters as male characters have. Tapping noted Carter's respect for Vala despite them being at opposite ends in their actions; Tapping also thought Carter finds Vala amusing rather than annoying. A scene in "Morpheus" that was intended to establish this relationship was cut for time, and until the late season 10 episode "Family Ties" would accommodate this with a shopping scene, the actresses acknowledged their connection through looks and subtle nuances. By joining SG-1, Vala also shared a spot with stoic warrior Teal'c
Teal'c
Teal'c is a fictional character in the military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. Played by Christopher Judge, Teal'c is a Jaffa warrior from the planet Chulak. As a Jaffa, Teal'c is a genetically modified human with an abdominal pouch that serves as an incubator for a larval Goa'uld...
as the only alien members of the team, and actor Christopher Judge (Teal'c) explained that his character's amusement with Vala contributed to Teal'c's loosening up. The relationship between Vala and SG-1 team leader Colonel Cameron Mitchell (played by Ben Browder
Ben Browder
Robert Benedic "Ben" Browder is an American actor and writer, best known for his roles as John Crichton in Farscape and Cameron Mitchell in Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
) was rarely emphasized in the series since Black and Browder were well known for formerly starring as star-crossed lovers in the cult sci-fi series Farscape
Farscape
Farscape is an Australian-American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced originally for the Nine Network. The series was conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by Jim Henson Productions and Hallmark Entertainment...
.
According to Black, Vala's motivation to hide her miraculous pregnancy by marrying the local villager Tomin (played by Tim Guinee
Tim Guinee
Timothy S. "Tim" Guinee is an American stage, television, and feature film actor.-Life and career:Guinee, who has two brothers and two sisters, was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in Illinois and Texas....
) in late season 9 stems from "genuinely car[ing] for the man. She does something wrong, but she must in order to survive." Against the audience's expectation, Vala and Tomin are shown as a seemingly functioning normal couple, and Vala makes several efforts to save him despite his deep indoctrination. Throughout season 10, Vala has to come to terms with her maternal feelings for Adria (as adult played by Morena Baccarin
Morena Baccarin
Morena Baccarin is a Brazilian-born American actress most widely known for roles in several American science fiction television shows: as Inara Serra in the series Firefly; as Adria in the series Stargate SG-1; and as Anna in the 2009 version of the series V...
), well knowing from the beginning that Adria embodies a destructive entity that must be fought. Black believed Vala had to "try her best to connect with her daughter in the hope of finding ways to humanize her", despite her own lack of maturity. When Vala meets her father Jacek (Fred Willard
Fred Willard
Fred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
) in "Family Ties", Vala shows "a slightly more dramatic and vulnerable side" that was new to the audience.
Creation and casting
Stargate SG-1 supervising producer Damian KindlerDamian Kindler
Damian Kindler is an Australian-born Canadian writer and producer. He emigrated to Toronto, Canada, when he was young. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia. He lives with his wife and his two children Hannah and Phoebe Kindler.He is most noted for his contributions to the Stargate...
wrote "Prometheus Unbound" as a second-unit
Second unit
In film, the second unit is a team that shoots subsidiary footage for a motion picture. Its work is distinct from that of the first unit, which shoots all scenes involving principal actors...
bottle episode
Bottle episode
The term bottle episode is used in episodic television to refer to episodes which are produced using the least money, and restricted in their scope to use as few, or no, non-regular cast members, effects, and sets as possible...
for the middle of Stargate SG-1
Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson is an American television and film actor, producer and composer. He began his television career in 1976 as Dr. Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series General Hospital, then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the television series MacGyver...
had a reduced season schedule, and Amanda Tapping
Amanda Tapping
Amanda Tapping is an English-born Canadian actress, producer and director. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis...
and Christopher Judge
Christopher Judge
Douglas Christopher Judge is an American actor best known for playing Teal'c in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. He attended the University of Oregon on a football scholarship and was a Pacific Ten Conference player.-Early life:Christopher Judge was...
filmed "Gemini" in parallel to "Prometheus Unbound". Kindler therefore centered the episode on Michael Shanks
Michael Shanks
Michael Garrett Shanks is a Canadian actor who achieved fame for his role as Dr. Daniel Jackson in the long-running Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
' character Daniel Jackson and created Vala, a human character from an unnamed planet, as Daniel's one-episode adversary. Not fully content with Kindler's conservative approach, producer Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper is a Canadian writer and producer best known for his work in the Stargate franchise. He was formerly an executive producer of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis until both series conclusion and currently holds the same title on the third Stargate series Stargate Universe...
amplified the character's cheeky and sexy personality in his own passes of the script. Although Cooper tried to respect Stargate SG-1
Robert. C. Cooper suggested Australian actress Claudia Black
Claudia Black
Claudia Lee Black is an Australian actress and voice actor, known for her portrayals of Aeryn Sun in the science fiction television series Farscape, Vala Mal Doran in the science fiction series Stargate SG-1, Chloe Frazer in the Uncharted series, the witch Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins and...
for the role of Vala and contacted her agent two days before the filming of "Prometheus Unbound" began. The Stargate producers had approached Black several times before, but she had always been busy with other projects. At "Prometheus Unbound"'s casting stage, the actress had just finished dialogue looping
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
sessions for Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars
Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars
Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars is a television science fiction mini-series written by Rockne S. O'Bannon and David Kemper and directed by Brian Henson. Following the Farscape series' unexpected cancellation in September 2002, it aimed to wrap-up the season four cliffhanger and tie up some elements...
in Australia. She thought the script of "Prometheus Unbound" was funny and self-contained enough for creative experiments, so she accepted the role and called the episode's director, Andy Mikita
Andy Mikita
Andy Mikita is a Canadian television director and producer. He has worked in the TV and film industry for over 20 years. Mikita is best known for his work as a director and producer for Stargate SG-1, and its sister shows Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe.-Career:Andy Mikita began his...
, in advance. He suggested an Out of Sight
Out of Sight
Out of Sight is a 1998 American crime film. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was the first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and star George Clooney. The film was released on June 26, 1998. It was nominated for two...
-kind chemistry for Vala and Daniel, and encouraged the actress to push the character as far as possible. On set, Claudia Black and Michael Shanks decided to make one of their first scenes, a fight sequence, as funny and non-machismo
Machismo
Machismo, or machoism, is a word of Spanish and Portuguese origin that describes prominently exhibited or excessive masculinity. As an attitude, machismo ranges from a personal sense of virility to a more extreme male chauvinism...
as possible to mirror Daniel's non-military background. In the meantime, Black tried to transform her day-long jetlag
Jet lag
Jet lag, medically referred to as desynchronosis, is a physiological condition which results from alterations to the body's circadian rhythms; it is classified as one of the circadian rhythm sleep disorders...
and lack of sleep into humour. When the producers saw the on-screen chemistry between Black and Shanks, they decided to make the character a bigger part of the show.
Development
With actor Richard Dean Anderson's departure from the show in 2005, Stargate SG-1 saw cast changes at the beginning of season 9. Ben BrowderBen Browder
Robert Benedic "Ben" Browder is an American actor and writer, best known for his roles as John Crichton in Farscape and Cameron Mitchell in Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
and Beau Bridges
Beau Bridges
Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III is an American actor and director.- Early life :Bridges was born in Los Angeles, the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and his college sweetheart, Dorothy Bridges . He was nicknamed "Beau" by his mother and father after Ashley Wilkes's son in Gone with the Wind, the book...
joined the main cast as Lieutenant-Colonel Cameron Mitchell
Cameron Mitchell (Stargate)
Cameron "Cam" Mitchell is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
and Major General Hank Landry, respectively. At the same time, the producers re-introduced Vala in a six-episode story arc to cover for the maternity leave of SG-1 regular Amanda Tapping (Lieutenant-Colonel Samantha Carter
Samantha Carter
Samantha "Sam" Carter is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction Stargate franchise, appearing in television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe. SG-1 and Atlantis are both about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien...
). The producer intended to use Vala's unpredictability and wildcard status to break the bigger story arc and to acquaint the audience with the new characters. Claudia Black wished to broaden her horizon in comedic acting and agreed to the recurring role, but declined the producers' offer of a permanent role for personal reasons.
Because Ben Browder and Claudia Black were well known for formerly starring as star-crossed lovers in the cult sci-fi series Farscape
Farscape
Farscape is an Australian-American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced originally for the Nine Network. The series was conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by Jim Henson Productions and Hallmark Entertainment...
, the Stargate producers refrained from emphasizing the pairing of Mitchell and Vala beyond in-jokes. The producers instead opted to further the comedic chemistry between Claudia Black and Michael Shanks, who linked their characters' early relationship to a Spencer Tracy
Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
/Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
dynamic of "not so much of tension, but rather constant antagonism". Mirroring Vala's sexiness in season 8, "The Powers That Be" writer Martin Gero
Martin Gero
Martin Gero is a Canadian screenwriter and co-executive producer for Stargate Atlantis.Born in Switzerland, Gero spent much of his childhood in Ottawa, Ontario. He attended Canterbury High School for the Arts and Ryerson University in Toronto...
chose Qetesh, the Egyptian Goddess of Love and Beauty, as a fitting former Goa'uld
Goa'uld
The Goa'uld are a fictional symbiotic race of ancient astronauts from the American-Canadian military science fiction television franchise Stargate. The Goa'uld are parasites from the planet P3X-888, integrated within a host, most of the time human. The resulting creatures are a powerful race bent...
identity for Vala. Nevertheless, Black and the producers refrained from portraying the character as too sexually manipulative. A scene from "The Ties That Bind", which was later cut for time, originally made clear that Wallace Shawn
Wallace Shawn
Wallace Michael Shawn , sometimes credited as Wally Shawn, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, author, voice artist, and intellectual. His best-known film roles include Wally Shawn in My Dinner with Andre , Vizzini in The Princess Bride , and debate teacher Mr...
's character greatly exaggerated the sexual relationship between him and Vala. Claudia Black was brought back into the show for the last two episodes of season 9, at which time the actress was seven months pregnant. Producer Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper is a Canadian writer and producer best known for his work in the Stargate franchise. He was formerly an executive producer of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis until both series conclusion and currently holds the same title on the third Stargate series Stargate Universe...
, who wrote and directed "Crusade", used the circumstances to set the stage for Adria, Vala's future daughter and the show's new villain in season 10.
Claudia Black joined the cast full time in season 10. Had Stargate SG-1 not been picked up for a new season, the producers would have considered the character for a spin-off series. To justify the character in a regular capacity, the producers toned her down and tried to find a suitable balance of sexual tension, fun and friendship. Claudia Black was convinced that Vala's actual stay with Stargate Command was justified despite the character's personality. Vala's renegade qualification to infiltrate the Ori served as a useful complement to the military-oriented SG teams, and Vala had already proven a degree of allegiance through her actions in "Beachhead", holding off an immediate invasion of the enemy. The writers tested this loyalty through confrontation in the story, and writer Damian Kindler
Damian Kindler
Damian Kindler is an Australian-born Canadian writer and producer. He emigrated to Toronto, Canada, when he was young. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia. He lives with his wife and his two children Hannah and Phoebe Kindler.He is most noted for his contributions to the Stargate...
later compared Vala's character growth in season 10 to smuggler Lando Calrissian
Lando Calrissian
Lando Calrissian is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is portrayed by Billy Dee Williams in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
from Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, a "former swindler who's gone legit". Careful to never have Vala become too earnest, Kindler never saw Vala "as the type of character who should be on the show for five, six, seven years. But definitely the sort of character who could come in for a couple seasons, spice things up and then move on and come back and forth." Evolving the relationship between Vala and the other SG-1 members, the producers also grew comfortable with pairing Browder's and Black's characters more often, and even teased (and misled) viewers about them "end[ing] up in a motel room bed together" in the episode "Memento Mori", involving underwear, "handcuffs as well as creamy Twinkie
Twinkie
The Twinkie is an American snack cake made and distributed by Hostess Brands. They are marketed as a "Golden Sponge Cake with Creamy Filling".-History:...
s". A scene in the milestone episode "200
200 (Stargate SG-1)
"200" is the sixth episode of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1s tenth season, and the 200th episode of the series overall...
" also parodied the show's connection to Farscape. In hindsight, Claudia Black would see season 10 as a personal challenge as her baby deprived her of sleep during the filming period. Her relocation to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and sickness in the family put her on a self-confessed personal and professional low. She nevertheless tried to stay true to her character "and not go for the cheap laugh".
After a miscarriage scare during the filming of the first direct-to-DVD SG-1 film, Stargate: The Ark of Truth
Stargate: The Ark of Truth
Stargate: The Ark of Truth is a 2008 Canadian-American military science fiction film written and directed by Robert C. Cooper. The film is the conclusion of Stargate SG-1 Ori arc, and picks up after the SG-1 series finale, but takes place before the fourth season of Stargate Atlantis. The Ark of...
, Claudia Black's work on the film Stargate: Continuum
Stargate: Continuum
Stargate: Continuum is a Canadian-American military science fiction film released through MGM Home Entertainment , written by Brad Wright and directed by Martin Wood. The film is a time-travel adventure and is the second sequel to Stargate SG-1, after Stargate: The Ark of Truth...
was limited on strict doctor's orders. Although Black considered Continuum "not a Vala-centric piece" as she only "makes a brief appearance", Stargate producer Joseph Mallozzi
Joseph Mallozzi
Joseph Mallozzi is a Canadian writer and producer.He is most noted for his contributions to the Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, and Stargate Universe television series. He joined the Stargate production team at the start of Stargate SG-1s fourth season in 2000...
thought "she's got some great, juicy scenes". Claudia Black mentioned an interest in portraying her character in the future, but Mallozzi rated the chances of her appearing in the planned Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe is a Canadian-American military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the Ancient spaceship Destiny many billions of light years distant from the Milky Way...
spin-off series as "not so good". Producer Brad Wright
Brad Wright
Brad Wright is a Canadian television producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known as the creator or co-creator of the television series Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe...
announced that Vala would not be returning for the announced third Stargate SG-1 direct-to-DVD film that is scheduled to be filmed in spring 2009. Claudia Black is the only SG-1 main cast member besides Corin Nemec
Corin Nemec
Corin "Corky" Nemec is an American actor. Nemec is known for playing the title character on Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Jonas Quinn on Stargate SG-1, and Harold Lauder in the ABC miniseries The Stand.-Personal life:Nemec's mother was a graphic artist as well as a painter, writer and poet...
(playing Jonas Quinn
Jonas Quinn
Jonas Quinn is a fictional character in the Canadian-American television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
between SG-1
Ben Browder
Robert Benedic "Ben" Browder is an American actor and writer, best known for his roles as John Crichton in Farscape and Cameron Mitchell in Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
(playing Cameron Mitchell
Cameron Mitchell (Stargate)
Cameron "Cam" Mitchell is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
from season 9 onward) who never appeared in Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
, although Vala is mentioned by Rodney McKay
Rodney McKay
Doctor Meredith Rodney McKay, Ph.D, is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, two military science fiction television shows about a military team exploring two galaxies via a network of alien transportation devices...
(played by David Hewlett
David Hewlett
David Ian Hewlett is an English-born Canadian actor best known for his role as Dr. Meredith Rodney McKay on the science fiction television shows Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:...
) in the Atlantis season 5 episode "Identity".
Costumes and make-up
Claudia Black made her entrance in Stargate SG-1 in a full-body Kull WarriorKull Warrior
In the fictional universe of the science fiction TV show Stargate SG-1, the Kull Warriors are creatures created by the Goa'uld Anubis for use as his personal army.-Concept and production:...
costume, not dissimilar to her first appearance as a Peacekeeper in Farscape
Farscape
Farscape is an Australian-American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced originally for the Nine Network. The series was conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by Jim Henson Productions and Hallmark Entertainment...
. For her entrance in season 9's "Avalon
Avalon (Stargate SG-1)
"Avalon" are the Season 9 premiere episodes of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.They marked the beginning of a "new" Stargate SG-1 that continued after the total closure and possible ending of the previous season. Despite seeing the departure of Richard Dean Anderson's Jack...
", however, the costume designers intended her to wear a dress that the producers later deemed too revealing. Leaving the dress for Vala's appearance as Qetesh in "The Powers That Be", Vala's outfit for "Avalon" was switched to a black fetish leather gear which a costume designer described as "a dominatrix outfit". Black admitted the wildness of her "Avalon" wardrobe was not for her liking. But since it mirrored the attention-seeking
Attention seeking
Enjoying the attention of others is quite socially acceptable. In some instances, however, the need for attention can lead to difficulties. The term attention seeking is generally reserved for such situations where excessive and "inappropriate attention seeking" is seen.-Styles:The following...
personality of the character, and because the character does not spend much time in the same outfit anyway, the actress did not mind wearing it.
Vala started wearing the normal SG team uniform in "Origin", the third episode of season 9. Claudia Black was later included in the design process and was given full control over her wardrobe for scenes that required civilian clothes. As such, Black chose Vala's underwear for the seduction scene in "The Ties That Bind" and her shopping tour outfit in "Family Ties". The latter episode also showed Vala with seven distinctly different hairstyles and outfits in total. Fearing the lack of seriousness, the producers opposed the make-up department's decision of having Vala wear curlers, but the scene could not be reshot. Similarly, a scene showing Vala unpacking her hair dryer and curling iron during an offworld mission in "The Quest" was deemed too silly and was trimmed to the basics; it would have been cut if the footage had allowed it. Due to Black's pregnancy during the filming of the films, the costume department needed to hide Black's bump with appropriate dressing.
Reception
The character of Vala was immediately popular with the Stargate writers, producers and crew. During the filming of "Prometheus Unbound", people on set responded "very well" to the chemistry between Vala and Daniel. Director Andy MikitaAndy Mikita
Andy Mikita is a Canadian television director and producer. He has worked in the TV and film industry for over 20 years. Mikita is best known for his work as a director and producer for Stargate SG-1, and its sister shows Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe.-Career:Andy Mikita began his...
called executive producer Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper is a Canadian writer and producer best known for his work in the Stargate franchise. He was formerly an executive producer of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis until both series conclusion and currently holds the same title on the third Stargate series Stargate Universe...
during the first lunch break and told him to "hire this gal", and Cooper thought Vala/Black "was absolutely wonderful. The character really worked out." Writer Damian Kindler
Damian Kindler
Damian Kindler is an Australian-born Canadian writer and producer. He emigrated to Toronto, Canada, when he was young. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia. He lives with his wife and his two children Hannah and Phoebe Kindler.He is most noted for his contributions to the Stargate...
"really loved" what Black brought to the show, believing that "her character, when used properly, is just absolutely wonderful grist for the mill on SG-1." Stargate writer Martin Gero
Martin Gero
Martin Gero is a Canadian screenwriter and co-executive producer for Stargate Atlantis.Born in Switzerland, Gero spent much of his childhood in Ottawa, Ontario. He attended Canterbury High School for the Arts and Ryerson University in Toronto...
called Vala "so much fun to write, almost too fun. You do kind of get carried away." Michael Shanks
Michael Shanks
Michael Garrett Shanks is a Canadian actor who achieved fame for his role as Dr. Daniel Jackson in the long-running Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
repeatedly stated in interviews that Claudia Black revitalized his interest in acting.
While TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
called Vala a "saucy [and] bodacious babe who immediately clicked with viewers", GateWorld
Cameron Mitchell (Stargate)
Cameron "Cam" Mitchell is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
(27%) in the viewer-voted 2006 Spacey Awards
4th Spacey Awards
The 4th Spacey Awards were presented on May 27, 2006 by the Canadian television channel Space.-Viewers Choice Awards:*Favourite Movie**Winner: Serenity*Favourite TV Show**Winner: Battlestar Galactica*Favourite TV Ensemble Cast...
for "Favourite New TV Character", and was voted third (22%) out of five places in the 2007 Spacey Awards
5th Spacey Awards
The 5th Spacey Awards were presented on June 10, 2007 by the Canadian television channel Space.-Viewers Choice Awards:*Favourite Character You Love to Hate**Winner: Lex Luthor - Smallville*Favourite TV Character...
for "Favourite Character You Love to Hate" (26% Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
Gaius Baltar
Gaius Baltar is a fictional character in the TV series Battlestar Galactica played by James Callis, a reimagining of Count Baltar from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series...
, 28% Smallville
Smallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
). Per popular demand, Diamond Select Toys included Vala in their third series of Stargate action figures.
The Sun Herald thought of the character as "a thoroughly charming intergalactic thief famed for using her allure to get what she wants", and Matt Roush of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
called Claudia Black "great fun to watch in [seasons 8 and 9]". TV Zone
TV Zone
TV Zone was a British magazine published every four weeks by Visual Imagination that covered cult television. Initially, it mostly covered science fiction, but branched out to cover other drama and comedy series.-History:...
Farscape
Farscape is an Australian-American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced originally for the Nine Network. The series was conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by Jim Henson Productions and Hallmark Entertainment...
encounter in Stargate SG-1
Avalon (Stargate SG-1)
"Avalon" are the Season 9 premiere episodes of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.They marked the beginning of a "new" Stargate SG-1 that continued after the total closure and possible ending of the previous season. Despite seeing the departure of Richard Dean Anderson's Jack...
" was "somewhat underplayed – but Black makes up for this with her sparky, snarky characterization of Vala." He welcomed the producers' decision to not cast a carbon copy of Samantha Carter
Samantha Carter
Samantha "Sam" Carter is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction Stargate franchise, appearing in television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe. SG-1 and Atlantis are both about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien...
, and thought that Claudia Black's Vala in her six-episode arc remained "the best thing in the series". By season 10's "Memento Mori", TV Zone
Misery (film)
Misery is a 1990 American Psychological Horror Film based on Stephen King's 1987 novel of the same name. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film received critical acclaim for Kathy Bates' performance as the psychopathic Annie Wilkes...
without you feeling that [their Farscape characters] have somehow starbursted onto SG-1
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
called Browder's and Black's interaction in season 10 "great fun; the rapport they developed on the stellar Farscape was still much in evidence, even though they played radically different characters on SG-1."
Maureen Ryan described the chemistry between Black and Michael Shanks as "sparky" and "one of the most diverting parts of the latter seasons of the show". According to Ultimate DVD, the scenes between Vala and Daniel as the object of her affection resulted in "some of the freshest and funniest scenes in the show for some time". In reviewing "Unending
Unending
"Unending" is the season finale of the tenth season and series finale of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, and the show's two-hundred sixteenth episode overall. Written and directed by Robert C. Cooper, the episode originally premiered in the United Kingdom on Sky One on March...
", Anthony Brown called Vala "a character who's always had a little too much of comic relief [getting] torn apart by the nice guy of the team." SyFy Portal
Airlock Alpha
Airlock Alpha, formerly SyFy Portal, is an entertainment news website focusing on science-fiction, fantasy and comic book television series and films.-History:...
attributed Stargate SG-1 not going stale after ten years to Black, as she "quite literally steals the show from the existing cast of heroes". For her portrayal of Vala, Claudia Black was nominated for a Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
in the category "Best Supporting Actress on Television
Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television
The following are a list of Saturn Award nominees & winners for Best Supporting Actress on Television:*1999: Justina Vail - Seven Days**Charisma Carpenter - Angel**Virginia Hey - Farscape**Heather Matarazzo - Now and Again...
" in 2006, and won a Constellation Award in the category "Best Female Performance in a 2006 Science Fiction Television" for the episode "Memento Mori" in 2007.
External links
- Vala Mal Doran at Stargate wikia
- Vala Mal Doran at SyfySyfySyfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...