"I do find the straight face thing a bit of a challenge at times. It is incredibly hard to stay serious. It's the total opposite of how I am and working with people like Shanks [affectionate term for actor Michael Shanks], Amanda [Tapping] and Richard Dean Anderson makes it very difficult for me. Amanda is a stand-up comedienne in another life and Richard... well, he just takes delight in cracking me up."
"Dom is a very funny man, but put him and Richard Dean Anderson together and I didn't stand a chance. If you look real closely at the Urgo episode, you'll see I'm not in it very much and that's because there are no takes where I'm not laughing."
"I'm a city boy, born and raised in LA where the only 'wildlife' was in bars. When I came up to Vancouver it was like venturing into the wilderness - all those woods and trees and stuff. So one time I was out playing golf [a sad obsession the man has] and everyone kept saying things like, "'Did you see that? Did you catch that bear over there? Be careful now, they can be dangerous.' A little while later, we were filming up in the woods about the City and whilst we were preparing for a shot, everyone kept looking to the side and acting really nervous. I'd just cottoned on to this and asked what was going on when Shanks yells out - "Bear!" and I turned to see one of the crew dressed in a bear suit emerging from the undergrowth. Man, I was out of there, running screaming into the distance... There was no macho-type Teal'c to be seen in that clearing."
"You know, people are always asking me why Teal'c is so reticent, why he never seems to say much or venture his opinions when it's obvious to him that the humans are making a huge mistake. My take is that Teal'c feels that to learn something you have to experience it. His superior intelligence and experience tell him that it's appropriate to keep quite and let events unfold as they will in order to teach the humans valuable lessons. Obviously, he will do anything to prevent them getting hurt or killed but like a good parent, he sometimes just lets them get on with it. Plus, that O'Neill is way too irreverent for his own good."
"When Teal'c first encounters what will become the SG-1 team he senses in them a kindred spirit and instantly sees ways in which they can help him rescue his people from Apophis. Three years down the line, with all that they have gone through together, I'd like to see him comfortable with himself and his emotions on Earth, his chosen planet and with his chosen companions. Of course I'd also like to have a chick on every planet like Daniel Jackson."
"When we went into Season Three, Amanda and I thought this would be the time when Teal'c and Carter really bonded and had an opportunity to show the ties that bound them as friends as well as comrades in arms. That hasn't happened yet. We hardly ever interact together. In fact, whenever they put us in a 'two shot' we joke, 'Here comes one of those bonding moments'. We're pushing for our friendship to be developed more in the new season. We'll have to wait and see what Season Four brings."
"I see the character as a noble, heroic, honourable sort of man. Who wouldn't want to be typecast in that role? I also think that whatever roles I'm meant to have in the future will come my way no matter what. There is a wonderful film called The Hurricane, starring Denzel Washington, and I would have loved to have played that part."
"I don't like them, there is no way I want to have to put up with their moods and their 'motivations' and their general attitude. Take me for example. I'm habitually late. I get to places at the last possible minute. I don't know how the guys on SG-1 put up with me. Then there's the whole preparation thing. Shanks and Amanda have a great theatrical background so they tend to break down the whole script and approach the thing like utmost professionals. I usually go to Shanks and ask, 'Should I read the script? How much do I say and how much am I in it?' It's not that I'm lazy or anything like that, it's more that as Teal'c so much of my expression is based on surprise, so I like to actually be surprised when we shoot."
"I love all sorts of music... blues, jazz, soul. The CD is a compilation of many of my favourite styles."
"Every season I go back after hiatus and plead Teal'c's case for hair but every year I get rejected. Now the original reason for being bald was that Teal'c was higher up the ladder in the Jaffa hierarchy and shaved his head as a mark of strength and power. Now that he is becoming more comfortable with the humans, I think it's time he let his hair down."
"Hey, Teal'c's an independent spirit with a great sense of humour and not many opportunities for levity. The least they could do is let him have blond hair and a beard."