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"There's something in your soul, that won't be denied. It's the faith to dream that keeps the dream alive" -- "Where the Dream Takes You" - Mya
In recognition that they are not one and the same, this page is dedicated to both the character Daniel Jackson, and to Michael Shanks - the actor who made Daniel one of the most real and lovable characters on television:
The Character:
"I hope you never lose your sense of wonder; you get your fill to eat, but always keep that hunger" -- "I Hope You Dance" - Lee Ann Womack
Daniel has often been called the heart and soul of SG-1. He is their Jiminy Cricket - the moral voice that demands to be heard, even when his team-mates would rather not listen. But what is it about this sweet-natured orphan that has captured the hearts of so many of the Stargate viewing audience?? Is it his brilliant mind, his strength of spirit, his selfless compassion or his child-like innocence and sense of wonder? Maybe it's his passionate drive, his integrity, his self-effacing modesty, his vulnerability, or the pure joy he finds in learning and discovery. For me it's a combination of all of the above, but it's also more than that. The guy is human: he may possess all the wonderful traits I've mentioned, but he can also at times be manipulative, arrogant, stubborn, sulky, dangerously naive and, when overcome by his intense passion for discovery, as blinkered as a toddler in a toy store, showing little regard for safety. He's not perfect, and we love him for it. And while, over time, we've seen Daniel "grow up", and lose some of his innocence and naivete, he has always kept the courage, compassion and thirst for knowledge that make him such a beautiful character to me - or maybe it's the hat:-)
"And sometimes I despair the world will never see another man like him" -- "Superman's Song" - Crash Test Dummies
(Click here to read my affectionate song parody about Daniel)
(Click here to read my essay about Daniel and Sam Beckett from "Quantum Leap")
(Click here to download my Daniel Jackson music video)
The Actor:
"Oh Mickey, you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind" -- "Mickey" - Toni Basil (I'm sorry, I couldn't resist :-) )
Just who is Michael Shanks? Well his official biography gives the following information: the youngest of 2 brothers, he has blue eyes, was born in Vancouver on December 15, 1970, grew up in Kamloops, and studied drama at the University of British Columbia (after dropping out of a commerce degree a hair's breadth from finishing). On the other hand, his own description of himself is that he's 6 foot tall, "cheeky", and wears a leather jacket. However, I'd much prefer to talk about what I've dubbed TMTIMS. In case TMTIMS (or The Magic That Is Michael Shanks :-)) isn't immediately obvious to you, I'll spell it out. The guy has "eyes like the sea before a storm" (to quote William Goldman), the most angelic face I've seen on any man since Paul Gross, a body to die for, and a voice that I could happily fall asleep listening to, and wake up to again each morning. He is at once both utterly adorable and unbearably sexy but, above all else, he is also clearly a doting dad to his 5-year-old daughter, so what's not to love? :-) I am sure he has his faults, just like everybody else, but he is an amazing actor, looks cute in the white jammies, and, having recently met him at a con in Canberra, I can state that he is a pretty nice guy too - sweet, intelligent, funny, down-to-earth, and sort of shy. Here's an official pic of us courtesy of the lovely Peter Fallon (I'm the one on the left:-))
Sadly, however, we didn't seen a lot of Michael during season 6 of Stargate, as he made the very tough decision, at the end of season 5, to leave the show:-(
"This is all I want to say, I guess I miss you, beautiful, these 3 words have said it all" -- "I Miss You" - Darren Hayes
Michael and TPTB (that's "The Powers That Be" - to the uninitiated:-)) had been unable to come to an agreement about the direction in which the show was heading, and Daniel's decreasing relevance to that direction, resulting in Michael deciding to leave the show. For a whole lot of reasons - fan response being one of them - this dispute has now been resolved, and Michael has agreed to return to his role as Daniel Jackson in the recently announced season 7 and so everyone is doing the happy dance:-) On the one hand I respected his decision to leave, because, having been in a similar situation myself, I could relate to the frustration he must have felt being in a job (which is all acting is, folks) where he felt he was not appreciated by TPTB and that he was capable of more than they were allowing him to do. In my mind, season 6 (what I saw of it, anyways - for some reason I just wasn't all that motivated to watch it:-)) was poorer for his and his character's absence, but at the same time I admit I felt uncomfortable about expecting him to come back to a work environment like that just because it was going to make me happier. If it was what was best for him, personally and professionally, I much preferred to see him spread his wings in other roles in which he could learn and grow. So, although this has meant I wasn't as vocal as some in expressing my desire to have Daniel return to the show, I was, nevertheless, no less overjoyed at the news of Michael's decision to return. So, Michael (in the slim chance you're reading this), I want to say that I have missed both you and Daniel, and I thank you so much for agreeing to come back to Stargate. I also want to thank you for fighting for the original Stargate spirit, and for bringing Daniel to life so beautifully over the past 7 years. In a lesser actor's hands Daniel would not have possessed the complexity and humanity of the character we've come to know and love, and I am thoroughly enjoying once again watching your portrayal of this brilliant character on my TV screen each week.
"Hello my friend, we meet again. It's been a while, where should we begin? Feels like forever" -- "My Sacrifice" - Creed
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