This interview appeared on Cult Times #69 along with another article which took a look at the episode in which we delve into the house of Samantha Carter.

Tom McBeath had been working for six years as a computer programmer for a major Canadian Airline when he decided to try his hand at acting. "I found an amatuer theatre group that had a lot of attractive women in it, so I joined," he laughs. "I enjoyed it so much I stayed on. So I may have gone into acting for all the wrong reasons, but stuck with it for the right ones." A veteran stage, film and TV actor, McBeath is best known to Stargate SG-1 fans as Colonel Harry Maybourne. In shades of Grey, Maybourne returns to offer Colonel Jack O'Neill an offer he cannot refuse.

Did you do any research prior to playing Maybourne?
To be honest, no, but that's not to say that I don't research things I don't know about. However, I think I have a healthy enough distrust of TV and film not to grab the bull by the horns and run with something that might end up getting me in trouble. Sooner or later I'd run up against a director who would tell me, "Sorry, but I'd like you to do it my way". When it comes to Maybourne, I try to think about what makes him tick. He's a tight little knot who sees his work in a very narrow way. His attitude is "Lets Just get the job done, no matter how many people die". Those Aspects of the Character are more important to me than the Military ones.

What do you remember most about working on your first Stargate Episode?
I actually remember the second one better, simply because they asked me to come back. We ended up not shooting a scene for this episode because it was too long. I was disappointed because it was one Amanda Tapping and me. Basically, it was hinted at in the story that Maybourne had a little soft spot for her but at the same time had to treat her like everyone else. When I watched that episode I saw where that scene would have gone and, believe me, it would've been a nice little moment for the Audience.

What's it like working with the show's cast?
They really are a fabulous bunch. They welcome you as part of the family. I know that sounds so cliched, but they really do. I work quite a bit with Richard (Dean Anderson, who plays Colonel Jack O'Neill), which is a plaesure. He's a very clever man who totally enjoys what he's doing. I think we're equally matched as actors in front of the camera and the one-on-ones between our two Characters always seem to turn out great on film. There's a kind of force that just works between O'Neill and Maybourne, you know?

Out of all the Stargate episodes you've appeared in, do you have a favourite?
I really enjoyed Chain Reaction. There was a wonderful scene at the very end where Maybourne is in Jamaica and he's on the pay phone talking to O'Neill back at the base. We filmed this on Location in a place called English Bay, which is part of Vancouver that has palm trees and is very Jamaica-Like. There was a steel drum band playing in the background and one of the extras they had hired walked past me as I 'finished' my call and hung up the phone. All of a sudden, I grabbed her and we started dancing. Everyone was laughing and hey decided to keep it in. That was a lot of fun

Steven Eramo of Cult Times

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