Interview: Ben Browder

How did you first get into acting?

Thank goodness you didn’t ask “why” I got into acting as that

would have made me reexamine the motivations of a very

young and impetuous man. I had been doing school plays

and the odd local TV commercial for most of my life, but acting was always subordinate to academics, athletics and a healthy social life… I got into acting as a career by deciding one day rather late into my college years that it seemed like an interesting way to earn my crust (paycheck). I broached the subject with my college professors who immediately handed me a copy of a book entitled something like “Why you should never go into acting and what to do if you can’t help yourself”. I read and reread that book which gave some sound advice on how and where to find work… then I formulated a kind of broad plan which involved getting and taking any audition for a gig which would pay me to perform. So straight out of school I found myself singing and dancing as an exceptionally low paid apprentice position in a summer stock theatre. As professional positions go, my first gig was firmly at the bottom of the acting food chain.

How did you get your role on Farscape?

The same way an actor gets almost every job, I auditioned with a lot of other guys. I was very lucky that Rockne O’Bannon and David Kemper culled me from the crowd. It was their passion that I was the right guy for the role that steered my casting through the process of studio and network approval.

   When you first got your role on Farscape, did you have any

  worries about working on a Sci-Fi show?

  No. I love science fiction and was totally stoked to be working

  with the Henson company.

  For some the episodes you had to wear heavy makeup, what

  was this like for you?

  Wearing prosthetic make-up is a physical burden… over time I

  imagine it is psychologically a burden as well. It is strange to

  discover just how differently people respond to you when you

  appear much older or look like a Neanderthal. In the short term

  however, the make-up was wonderfully freeing for me as a

  performer.

  You have written two episodes of Farscape, what made you

  want to do this and did you enjoy it?

  Well… it seemed like a good idea at the time. I certainly enjoyed

  it, but getting up a 3 AM when you think you have the fix for Act 2

scene 3 is a little tiring when you are supposed to be on set at 6:30 AM. And spending the week off for Christmas working on Act 4 does not always sit well with the family. But to see an idea and a string of your words become a reality is an awesome and scary experience.

Do you miss working on the show?

Absolutely.

There are some Farscape webisodes planned, do you know anything about them or when they are planned to shoot/be released?

As far as I know, economics are the hold-up. When the Webisodes can be made in such a way as to be an appropriate follow-on from the series, they will be made,

but to do it right requires more money than is currently being

made available… at least that’s my understanding.