Celebrity Byte

Tricia on the set of Battlestar Galactica with fellow cast member, James Callis.

Were there similarities between working on Command & Conquer 3 and your work on Battlestar Galactica?

The game was very similar to Battlestar because it was live-action sequences mixed in with the game. For the actors, it was very similar to working in TV or film. We had great sets built and great costumes and we were really just filming. I didn't have too much green screen stuff except for in the monitors that I was referring to during dialogue. Really, the only difference was that it was a little bit faster-paced. I did two days of filming and we covered a lot of dialogue. Also, in TV and film you never look directly at the camera. With the game, the camera is the player, so you had to look straight down the barrel into the lens a lot of the time unless you were talking to another actor. That took a little bit of getting used to the first morning. But once you get over that it was very similar to working in TV or film.

What made you take the plunge into interactive entertainment?

Knowing about the story and history of Command & Conquer, and the success of the games. Working with EA was a big draw. I think gaming, even though I've never been involved in it in the past and I've never been a big gamer myself, I see it as a growing and advancing industry that's getting bigger and bigger. I felt it was something I should open myself up to. And really I was just fascinated by the story itself, the Tiberium universe, and the two sides, the Brotherhood of Nod and the GDI. I thought this character was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She's following her beliefs and doing her job, but starting to question her leader.

Did you approach this video game character differently than you'd approach a TV or film character?

I didn't really, because I was just trying to find the truth in the character and whatever role I'm playing I try to identify with that character. Knowing that it was a game didn't change that. It was live action and you're on screen and you want to bring a truth to that character that the player is seeing. Live-action sequences are the narrative of the game. They're what's advancing the game and explaining the story to the players.

Even though I've never been involved in [gaming] in the past and I've never been a big gamer myself, I see it as a growing and advancing industry. I felt it was something I should open myself up to.

Tricia Helfer in a scene from Command & Conquer 3.

What's it like to see yourself in a video game?

It's really fun. I'm not skilled enough to get past the level, so I had to look at all of the scenes that I'm in the old-fashioned way. I'm looking forward to learning how to play it better. I'm so technologically challenged, I think it will take some time for me to get there but I'm trying.

What are your thoughts about the new opportunities video games open up to Hollywood talent?

It's another avenue. Games are going to get more popular. I've gone to a couple of conventions because of Battlestar and they are more gaming conventions because there's such a huge audience out there. It really reaches a broad scope. You can't just classify gamers into one category because a lot of people enjoy different types of games. Command & Conquer is a strategy game and there are a lot of different avenues to explore within gaming. I think it's really interesting for Hollywood and I think a lot of actors will find this an interesting avenue to explore.