Kurt Russell chose not to return as Colonel Jack O’Neill on “Stargate SG-1,” Richard Dean Anderson stepped in to put his own stamp on the dimension-hopping military man. It worked out pretty well, mind you, as Anderson was a mainstay through all 10 seasons of “Stargate SG-1,” with his character becoming a huge fan-favorite. That said, the “MacGyver” star was initially hesitant to play Jack, as he felt that he wouldn’t be a good fit for the role — after all, replacing a legendary actor like Russell was no easy task. However, one line of dialogue was all it took for Anderson to realize that the show aligned with his sensibilities, thus convincing him to hop through the Stargate.
The pilot episode of “Stargate SG-1” sees Jack return to Abydos, where he and his team join forces with Teal’c (Christopher Judge) to rescue some prisoners who are about to be executed by red-eyed, serpent-like soldiers. It’s an intense scene with lots of action and drama, but one moment of subtle humor was enough to convince Anderson to be part of the series. As co-creator Brad Wright told Syfy Wire in 2018:
“I wrote a line in the pilot that he pointed to as what he saw as the character. When he says to Teal’c at the end ‘Come on’ because Teal’c helps free them. Teal’c says, ‘I have nowhere to go,’ and O’Neill says, ‘For this, you can stay at my place!’ Which was exactly the sweet spot for Richard Dean Anderson. Yes, he’s doing an action scene. Yes, it’s dramatic and fun, but there’s still humor in there, and that’s why we got along so well for so many years.”
Anderson had other conditions that had to be met before he agreed to replace Russell in the “Stargate” universe. However, it seems that the series having lighthearted moments was a strong selling point — both on-screen and behind the scenes.
