Okay, I'm basically going to type up my notes from the Q&A sessions of the con, for the time being, so I can get it all down while I remember what she said. I'll try to write a more amorphous, feelings-y post later. Oh, and I have a metric ton of photos to process into postable form.

There were four Q&A sessions; these are my notes from sessions one and two, on Saturday morning and afternoon.

Session 1: Fewer notes on this one, I didn't think to write anything until afterwards.

Who's the best kisser, Jack O'Neill or John Druitt? John, because they didn't have to be restrained, unlike Sam and Jack. But she'll have to do some more research with RDA... lots of research...

Injuries on set: she whacked her head against the wall while filming 'Breach', when Adam slams her against the wall three times in a row – in stunts like that, you're apparently supposed to put your elbows back so they hit the wall first, to soften the blow to your head, but she forgot. They wouldn't let her wrap the chains around herself, but twirling the pole was all her, and she was good at hitting things with the hammer. The head injury was a running theme throughout the con: she forgot something? "Oh. Head injury, you know." *g*

She was asked about embarrassing moments in public, and told us about when she and one of the con organisers went to a spa in Bath. They were walking back from the spa to the changing rooms, AT went first, and didn't notice the big 'M' on the door... oops...

Working with William Shatner on the new animated series: "Bill Shatner... I call him Bill..." *laughs, clears throat, puts on serious face* "Mr. Shatner..." She and Shatner are playing a travelling couple of alien bar singers. Apparently they didn't ask her if she can sing – and we all know about Shatner's singing 'talent'. Captain & Tennille was mentioned...

Someone asked about the moment in 'For King & Country' where Helen lays down next to the unconscious Druitt and wraps his arm around her. AT described it as a moment where Magnus could finally let go – there's no immediate danger, no witnesses... Magnus is very tightly wound. She did say it was a little weird that she'd basically drugged him unconscious first, though. *g*

Her favourite ep: Heroes. She described the filming of the battle scene – on the border, just after 9/11. They'd forewarned the military that they'd be letting off gas bombs, but they kept having planes flying overhead to check on them – added to the feeling.

She has been asked to record her voice for a GPS system, but just hasn't managed to get around to it. She'd love to do it in the style of the London Underground announcer (who, for the record, basically sounds like Magnus at her most cut-glass British).

She directed an upcoming Will-centric episode. There's a girl, she likes Will, they go on a date... "So that's the abnormal part." *g*

If she had a scene where she had to kiss a woman, would she do it? "Oh, totally. Why wouldn't I?" Although not Teryl, because that would be like kissing her sister. If they ever had Amelia Earhart on Sanctuary, AT's ideal casting would be Claire Danes.

Why would Sam have married Rodney? (She had to be reminded of the ep. "Head injury.") She suggested pity, or that Sam saw the David Hewlett in Rodney. She also pointed out that Sam isn't the most socially-ept person, either.

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Session 2: Note-taking occurred to me a few questions in on this one, so this and session 1 may be a little mixed.

As Henry was basically raised in the Sanctuary, does he see Magnus and Big Guy as his parents, and do they have any parenting tips? (I was very interested in this question, because we'd been speculating about it, just the night before.) No, Henry doesn't really see them as his parents. Although there's a lot of affection there, Magnus is his boss. But if they were, Big Guy would be the disciplinarian.

AT said she understood fandom, because she's a big fan of Coronation Street (a UK soap opera), and she got to visit the set recently, and was completely fannish about it. She tries to catch Corrie when she can. There's a fandom drive to get her on Ellen, and someone asked what song she'd dance to. She said Lady Gaga (I think she named a specific song, but I didn't catch it).

She agreed – very diplomatically – that it was weird being on after wrestling (on SyFy), but that they preferred the Friday slot to the Tuesday one that has a reputation for killing a load of shows. They're trying to persuade the wrestling fans to watch. ComCast is responsible for the only 13 eps next season.

Martin Wood likes to kill his actors at great length, so the final scene in 'The Hollow Men' was torturous – not just "zap, zap, aaaaaaaand cut!", but "zap, zap, zappity-zap, zap-zap-zap, zap, zap zap zappity zap, zap-zap..."

Fan: So, I met Chris Judge a few weeks ago...
AT (looking very concerned): Oh, are you okay?

In the Stargate ep 'Unending', there's a very emotional scene where Landry dies. AT was basically in tears at the end, and she's supposed to turn and open the door, and outside is standing Teal'c, who wraps her in a hug (I'm recapping that because I've not seen it). But, on set, that day, she turned around, teary-eyed, opened the door... and there was Chris Judge, naked but for a leather thong with the SG-1 patch on, and a huge grin. AT said she just ploughed to a halt, and her brain completely froze up – it couldn't make the jump from 'death scene, sad sad sad' to 'OMG NEKKID CJ!'. Everyone on set laughed at her. *g*

Who would Magnus have known in more recent history? Definitely the Kennedys, particularly Bobby, she would have been intimidated by Margaret Thatcher, she knows the Royal family, and Pierre Trudeau. She hasn't met Barak Obama yet, and she didn't meet Bush.

She has a history of characters who kill their male partners... AT pointed out that she's mainly had male writers. She joked(?) that she intimidated them, and they took out their fear and small... -mindedness on her character.

SG-1 alumni on Sanctuary: they wanted to avoid it in the first couple of seasons, but they would like to get some of the actors in now they're more established. They invited RDA to play Helen's old assistant in [ep?], but he wasn't available at the time (Robin Dunne played the part instead). She'd love to get Teryl on the show – the audience cheered at that, and AT seemed to be giving it very serious thought.

Male vs. female writers, and if they write Helen's voice differently: there is a greater female-to-male ratio of writers on Sanctuary than on Stargate. Everyone writes Helen's voice slightly differently, and that gets ironed out in rehearsals – AT likes Damian Kindler's version best. AT tells the writers: "Don't write me as if I'm a woman, write me as if I'm a person (the stilettos will do the rest!)."

She would love to do a comedy play – she loves the adrenaline rush of being on stage, and she loves comedy. She just needs to find the time.

In a language smackdown, she thinks Magnus would defeat Daniel, because she's actually lived in all these places. But MS might think differently. *g* (IMO, if Daniel's German accent is anything to go by, I think she's right.)

They're working on getting the Sanctuary soundtrack released.

She recently met Dawn French and it was just as awesome as hoped. She'd also love to meet Helen Mirren, and would go completely fannish and inarticulate if she ever met Meryl Streep.

Someone asked about what it was like to film intimate moments with actors she'd only just met, and she talked about filming the scene with Carmen Argenziano, where Jacob tells Sam he's got cancer, when they'd barely met. She said it wasn't difficult – that's acting.

She loved playing the villain in Requiem. She enjoys playing Magnus for her toughness, independence, feistiness.

If Helen, Sam and AT met, she and Sam would get along best, and she'd find Magnus intimidating, but fascinating. They'd eat sushi and drink sake.

Then Bob the Builder arrived (don't ask me, I've got no idea), and the session ended.