hen award-winning New Zealand actor and director Lani John Tupu auditioned for a new series called Space Chase, he didn't know too much about science fiction. But he knew he wanted to play a part in the show's brave new world. By the time the series' name changed to Farscape, Tupu found himself playing two—the four-armed, perpetually harassed Pilot and the flamboyant antihero Capt. Bialar Crais.
A veteran of 40 stage productions and movies with television roles ranging from a New Zealand doctor to a Portuguese count, Tupu confesses himself easily bored by repetitive roles. But after four seasons of Farscape, he was still eager to explore new acting frontiers in the show's Uncharted Territories—and as saddened as the fans by its cancellation. After all, it's not often an actor gets the chance to participate in the birth of a vision and outfox the laws of physics (by being two people at once) all in a day's work.
How did you get involved with Farscape?
Tupu: A funny thing happened on the way to an audition. I was given the opportunity to test for a character called D'Argo. At that stage, Farscape was called Space Chase.
I was testing for Space Chase in the role of D'Argo, and I would pass Anthony Simcoe in the corridor. There was a period of over two and a half months of solid testing. I had never met Anthony before, but I knew he had worked on a wonderful show called The Castle back in Australia, and I thought he was a fantastic actor. So when the decision came down that I had missed out on D'Argo, it wasn't a really great Friday. However, the office came back and asked me whether I would test for this role of Capt. Crais.
I had no idea who he was at the time, but just to do anything on the show would be fantastic. I said, yes, I would certainly like to test for Capt. Crais. Then they gave me "the bible" to read, which is a kind of industry bible about all the characters in the show. Then I found out who Capt. Crais was, and I thought, wow, this could be really, really fun and interesting. That's how Capt. Crais happened.
How about Pilot?
Tupu: They probably looked at me and thought, he's crazy enough to do two roles. The characters are at different ends of the spectrum in terms of their emotions and responses.
They asked me to go and test. So I went and tested. At that stage the brief was to play Pilot like a flustered accountant. Well, I thought, I've come across many flustered accountants in my time. So I played it from that perspective.
Which reminds me about something when I was testing for D'Argo. When I was testing for D'Argo, I knew I would be wearing a mask if I got the role. So I played it with that in mind, which means, in reality, slowing his movements down, making a much more definite turning of the head, because I was taking into account in the screen test the fact that I probably might be wearing a mask.
When I first worked on Pilot, I was aware he had four arms, because I had seen this wonderful puppet in one of the soundstages. [Executive producer David] Kemper and Ken Long showed me Pilot, and it was really thrilling. So, when I'm working on Pilot, I'm also aware that he's multi-tasking. When I'm in the studio, physically, that's exactly what I do. I go through the motions and responses of imagining that I actually have two extra arms. So that's how I work with Pilot.
You didn't have to play Pilot and Crais simultaneously on the set, did you?
Tupu: No. Originally, I had two days working on the set, voicing Pilot for the other actors. What happened was—logistically and with regards to schedule—they couldn't physically have me on one soundstage, voicing Pilot's lines, when I was needed on another set as Crais.
So they made a decision, a really practical decision. A continuity person reads all of Pilot's lines when they're shooting any episode that Pilot's in. About a month and a half later, after it's cut and put together, I go into the studio and work on Pilot.
When I still had Crais, I would walk into the studio with Crais and Pilot. I would do Pilot first, because Pilot's in a higher register, and at that stage—towards the end of season one and two and three—I was yelling a lot. Screaming. So I knew if I worked on Crais first, then I would drop Pilot's register down by about one or two notes, and that would blow it completely.
You mentioned that Farscape was five years in preproduction. Why did it take so long to bring the show to the air?
Tupu: Rockne O'Bannon said that the production had been in preproduction for five years, and he and Brian Henson from the Creature Shop (from London, I believe) had looked at the plans for the puppets. I think they had prototype drawings and models, and it took that long to work it all out. And that's just the puppets.
Then they had to figure out if they wanted to have this kind of look and concept it's probably going to cost this much. What do we need to do—and how much do we need to bring it on board—in order to fully realize the project? Because Rockne had stated in the casting session that they wanted to make it completely different, a really new show, a cutting-edge show, that hadn't been seen anywhere before. It took that amount of time.
How weird was it to come onto the set and hear the lines you spoke as Crais coming back at you when you're doing Pilot?
Tupu: Yes, well, it is really, really strange. It's schizophrenic, and I still, to this day, don't really know how I do it. And I kind of like it that way, in a way. I don't like analyzing it too much. All I know is that both characters come from different emotional centers, and they both have their own agendas, and I work from that perspective.
Was Farscape your first exposure to science-fiction TV, or would you count Flipper in this category?
Tupu: I shot Flipper on the Gold Coast, and I had the wonderful experience of working with a young actress who at that stage was just Jessica Alba. My character was a Portuguese count. I worked with a Latino actor from Los Angeles, Armando Valdez. We were supposed to be brothers in that particular episode.
It was just amazing when Dark Angel came on board, and I saw this face I recognized. Oh, my God, that's Jessica Alba. Look where she is now. That's fantastic.
Flipper was a family-oriented show, so you play your characters accordingly. When I looked at the genre Farscape was sitting in, I had to go back and have a look at the sci-fi shows that I had seen and been brought up on as a child: Lost in Space, Doctor Who. They were the only shows I was familiar with.
I happened to have read a couple of books, Stranger in a Strange Land and Dune, and I thought, the thing that is captivating about this particular genre (which is unique with respect to any other genre in the world, I've discovered) is that it's about imagination. If you take the shackles off your imagination, you can go anywhere with science fiction. It's not earthbound. There are no conventions—other than the ones you want to break—and that's why it's so exciting.
Do you feel your interpretations of Crais and Pilot influenced the way the writers see them?
Tupu: I think there's a wonderful osmotic relationship whereby the actor reads the script and, in consultation with the director, will work on the scene, then it will go for a take, and [they] put it down on film. When it's cut together and finished, I think what happens is that the writers look at it with fresh eyes, then take on board what the actor or actress is doing with the role. Then I think the process is: "Well, if they're taking it that far, let's see if we can push it even further."
Then you get the script for the next episode, and you go: "Whoa, OK, well, let's try this on board." I think that's what happens. The writers probably saw what I was bringing on board and developed it even more.
What have you liked best about the way the characters of Crais and Pilot developed over the course of the show?
Tupu: I love the development of Pilot, and I love the development of Crais. But I think that Crais bowing out the way that he did at the end of the third season—I personally feel that the character hasn't finished yet, that he hasn't quite resolved certain things that he's looking for, and therefore, for me, there is no closure.
Well, this is science fiction, and in the last episode broadcast in August 2001, John Crichton [series lead Ben Browder] was put in a situation where he could alter the patterns of history.
Tupu: Ah, yes, well, what I'm discovering about sci-fi, again, is the whole thing about imagination. Nothing can be taken for granted.
For Pilot, I love the fact that the more you discover about Pilot's background, rather than being a functionary, rather than being just a navigator, again, it's much more interesting for the audience. You really do see a much more fleshed-out character.
Which do you prefer to play, the good guys or the bad guys?
Tupu: I prefer to play the bad guys, but I look at it from a role-to-role point of view, because there are some characters I don't think I would want to play. I'm not [into] the horror genre. I run away from it. There are other genres I would really like to be working on.
I grew up watching films like Phantom of the Opera when I was about five. The memory stayed with me forever, though it's not a genre I really like.
But I find what I call "goody two-shoes characters" are too stitched-up sometimes. I would rather play a character that is motivating the action, rather than one who is on the receiving end of the action. For that reason, for me, I think the bad characters are the ones that I like working with.
If I am given a goody two-shoes role I will certainly make sure I find the flaws in it to make it more interesting for the audience. Otherwise, it will be a one-dimensional character.
What would be your ideal role?
Tupu: Gosh, it would be a handful of roles, actually. I saw a wonderful film on the plane flying over called The Importance of Being Earnest, and it occurred to me that I would love to play either of the two roles, Algernon or Jack. The actors looked like they had a ball.
In terms of dramatic roles, well, I've yet to do Othello. I think, as an actor, there are certain roles in your lifetime which are like the Olympic Games or climbing the Himalayan mountains. One of them, for me, is Othello. I would, actually, like to play Iago first, before I play Othello. Iago is the one who drives the whole play.
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