[Q] The decision to write out Carson has generated a huge debate, especially online. Do you think that Carson's demise would cause such an uproar?

[PM] The fact that Carson was written out and the fans have kind of 'rallied the troops' so to speak is really flattering to me as an actor and I think testament to the character that the fellas at Atlantis gave me the opportunity to play for three years. As far as commenting on the uproar, I don't know what to say. Again it's really flattering. My agents received hundreds of letters, and I know that 'the-powers-that-be' have received a lot of fan mail. And SCIFI and MGM have also received fan mail regarding the demise of the character.

So, again it's pretty flattering. I've had a fantastic time working on it. They had their reasons, I don't know exactly what those are but it was something that they thought might be able to shake things up a little with the series, seeing SG-1 was cancelled and they figured that they might need to 'shake things up' with Atlantis.

To be honest with you, I was disappointed at the time, but at the same time, I had done three years on the series and it's been such a great thing for me. I've been in the business for quite a while and I guess all good things come to an end. That being said if there's ever an opportunity for Carson to come back in any capacity I would be willing to look at that opportunity because I had such a great time working with the cast and crew especially.

[Q] Have you seen anything on the campaign and fan response? They're calling your character the 'Heart of Atlantis'; what are you feelings on this?

[PM] I'm sort of humbled by that. The 'Heart of Atlantis' -- that's a really nice thing for people to say. And I do think in a lot of ways the character did have that 'everyman' sort of feel and I think that there is a sensitive side to Carson. He wears his heart on his sleeve as a lot of the Scots do and I'm glad it translated that way onto the screen. Again, it's very flattering and I'm sorta humbled by the whole thing. I know there's been quite a big campaign. I certainly didn't expect that. As an actor you're kinda like. "Wow, I really did happen to have an effect on a lot of people". So, it's really flattering and I don't know what's going to come of it but it's certainly nothing I've ever experienced in my life.

[Q] Do you think it's going to make a difference?

[PM] I don't know if it will make a difference, it depends. You know these guys are very smart guys. Stargate SG1 was the longest running sci-fi show in history and they know what they're doing. Will it make a difference whether the character comes back or not? I'm not sure but it definitely makes people think twice when seeing the amount of response that the character's had and the effect he's had on fans, and I think the fans have a lot to do with the series. I think in some way it might make people think twice but I guess it remains to be seen.

[Q] You said in a recent interview with 'Starburst Magazine' that only a few people on set knew that it was your last day when finishing off 'The Ark'. What motivated you to get though that? It must have been incredibly difficult to shoot.

[PM] That was difficult to shoot. Martin Wood was directing the episode and Alex Pappas one of our first A.D.s, a great guy, and they knew it was my last day. I guess I'm sorta like Carson in that way. I do wear my heart on my sleeve to a certain degree, I just didn't wanna be upset and say goodbye to all these people I'd worked with for the past three years. And I didn't want to pull the focus on myself [by telling anyone]. I thought it'd be the best way because I knew I'd make it up to them at the wrap party. Who knows, maybe at some point in time they'll reprise Carson but I think it was just easier for me. And I don't like being the focus of attention like that; it makes me a little bit shy. So I felt the best way was just to take off.

I told a couple of my cast mates as I was leaving the set, and said goodbye to them. I saw them the next night and we had dinner, but I called David on the phone as he was driving away and I said, 'Listen, I didn't want to say anything but that was my last day', and he was like 'Oh God'. I think it affected everybody a lot. That's the thing. I've had such a great friendship with all of the cast members on the show and a lot of the crew so I didn't want the long goodbyes; it's not my style. But it was certainly difficult to keep my emotions in check.

[Q] A lot of Scottish fans seem to be especially irate about Carson's death. They felt your character was 'flying the flag' in a sense. How do you feel about that?

[PM] I'm honoured by that, and they are a feisty bunch so I can see that happening. **laughs** I am honoured by the fact they would think I was flying the flag in some way. I hate to use it again, but it's flattering. I'm humbled by it. To think that I can represent Scotland to a certain degree is great. I was born there, part of my mandate when I took the part was I wanted to make the Scottish people proud and I think I was able to do that to a small degree.

[Q] Have you heard anything about a possible return for the character? Joe Mallozzi has been hinting that's possible and teasing the fans on his blog. Should fans get their hopes up?

[PM] I don't know, I haven't heard anything as of yet. So who knows? They did say to me as well that 'no one ever really dies in sci-fi' when I left, so I said 'well, we'll see what happens I guess'. I don't know what to say, I don't want to give anybody false hope because I really don't know if that's going to be the case. But like I said before, if there's an opportunity that arises in that capacity and it works out for both of our schedules as far as Atlantis and myself go, I'm certainly not averse to jumping into the Pegasus Galaxy again.

[Q] A lot of criticism for Carson's death has been laid at the feet of the writers. Does that surprise you?

[PM] I think people want to vent on somebody and I guess they look at who wrote the script. But I think it's a very difficult thing for the writers as well. Martin Gero wrote that script and he's been a big fan of mine over the years. He did a special commentary on me in the second season on the DVD and I was really touched by that. He went out of his way to say how Carson was the breakout character, so it must have been really difficult for him to write that script. We've built up a bit of a friendship over the last few years. It's hard because I think the fans will look in some direction but sometimes the writer's penning something for a larger idea, from a group of people and he had to be the one to write that script. I do feel for him but at the same time I think fans will look for a direction to lay blame, so someone's got to feel it. But these guys have thick skins; they've been doing it for years so they know that they're going to cause certain reactions with their decisions. It's a tough one but I think at the end of the day it's a television show and it is a fictional character. I'm flattered that they [the fans] love the character so much and they respond that way; it really touches me. And at the same time I think the writers expected a huge reaction from it because I think the character is really well loved. So I think they were prepared for it. I hope they don't get hate mail or anything because I don't think that's really fair but I guess that's part of the game.

[Q] Going back, you said 'no one really dies in sci-fi'. That seems to be something mentioned quite a lot and there's a lot of scepticism around that. Do you think it's possible for Beckett to come back from the dead?

[PM] Sure why not?

***laughing***

I don't know, I would hope so. I've seen stranger things happen in sci-fi. I don't see why not but they may have other plans for the series...I really don't know to be honest with you. I've relocated down to Los Angeles in hopes of trying to pursue other avenues. So I'm sorta out of the loop as far as what their plans are. But I think I have heard several indications of that being a possibility. I would like it to happen. If it happens to occur, fantastic but then if it doesn't I guess I have to move on as an actor and do different things. But I think that these possibilities can always happen, especially in sci-fi. I think that's the really interesting thing about sci-fi, no one truly dies. I mean the scientific world is abound with different possibilities and different realities, as we have seen throughout the series with different incarnations of characters coming through the Stargate.

[Q] What do you miss most about working on Atlantis?

[PM] My friends. I've formed a really great bond with the rest of the cast and the crew. So that'll be sad not to start the fourth season with them. I've thought about that recently because I know it's coming soon. They're heading back to Vancouver and I won't be part of that. So that's kinda sad the thought that that's running without me. Because I was basically in one of the first scenes of the series so that's gonna be a little bit of a hard thing to swallow. I've made the adjustment accordingly and I'm working on that right now. It'll be tricky but that's the way it goes sometimes in this business.

[Q] What was your favourite aspect of playing 'Carson'?

[PM] I think he was multi-dimensional in a lot of ways. He wears his heart on his sleeve like I mentioned before and he's just, in a lot of ways, I think he's the eyes of Atlantis. He has a lot of comedy and he also has a lot of drama, which is fantastic. And I guess the camaraderie he has with the McKay character, Beckett and McKay, that interaction. As an actor he's just such a fun character to play. I play the Scottish character basically almost everyday, so it's just a blast and I really miss that part. It's also, like I mentioned before, it's a very interesting multi-dimensional character, which is fun. He's not just one thing, he's not just the information gusher, he's got all different aspects to him. I think I'll miss that but hopefully I'll get other roles that'll challenge me in those areas as well.

[Q] Fans say they're going to miss his humanity and compassion the most.

[PM] That's sweet. I'll definitely miss the fans too; they're great. I will definitely go to a few conventions here and there. They've been tremendous to me over the entire time I've been on the show. I've mentioned it many times, the reason I think Carson became a regular is because of the huge fanbase and support for my character. So this is an opportunity for me to say thank you once again, for being just so terrific to me.

[Q] Is there any particular memory or moment from your time working on SGA that really stands out? Either from the screen or the set?

[PM] Truly, there are so many moments that really stand out. I think the pilot was really special for me to be part of that. That was a really great experience. I remember one thing in particular when Martin Wood came up to me when we were shooting the pilot and said that Damien Kindler wants to talk to you because we're doing a big Beckett episode in the 6th or 7th episode which turned out to be 'Poisoning the Well'. He said he wanted to go talk to you about my character up in the office. I thought to myself, 'Oh this is going to go someplace'. I had a lot of excitement but I tried to contain it. I didn't want to be too eager but it was a moment where I thought, 'Oh this is really special'. I think when N. John Smith came up to me and said that, he's gonna make a regular that was something that I really felt good about.

[Q] One of the reasons that fans are so upset about the character being killed off is that there are a lot of unanswered questions about Carson himself, and things that happened over the series. Is there anything that stands out for you?

[PM] I think Carson was fleshed out in a lot of different areas. I think we didn't see a lot of his backstory. That would be something that I would have liked to have seen a little bit more of. Maybe where Carson came from. We just heard about his mum really, we didn't know more then he was from a big family at some point in time like myself, I'm from one of seven kids. So that would be neat to see more of the backstory for the character. I think a lot of the characters as the series goes on will be fleshed out a little bit more. It's tough I think for the writers to be able to flesh out the human sides of all these characters as well as keep an action series going. I understand that. I was really happy with the arc the character was taking. The retrovirus was really interesting and I think that wasn't fully finished as far as Carson's line went. And of course you know I think there's more opportunity for a love interest for Carson because he is a sweet guy, he needs a little bit of love. Everyone needs a little love.

***laughing***

[Q] You mentioned that you've moved down to LA. Do you have any projects in the works? Are you participating in pilot season?

[PM] I'm participating in pilot season. I have my US papers so not only can I participate in pilot season. I can read for lots of different things as well which is great, and go out for episodes in television shows. I've been here for a couple of weeks now and I've been pretty busy. I have an audition tomorrow, I had a couple last week and just getting the lay of the land so to speak, learning my way around a little bit. It's pretty daunting at first, especially driving. The drivers here drive pretty fast I tell you. But I'm starting to learn the ropes and spend some time down here as well. I'll probably go back and forth between here and Vancouver and Toronto. But I'll plant myself down here for a number of months for sure and see if I can make some leeway. It's a big change of lifestyle for me. Although it's 70 and sunny right now where as it's raining in Vancouver, so that's kinda nice. But I do miss my friends and I have a brother up in Vancouver that I talk to almost everyday.

[Q] So the move to LA is permanent or are you hoping to secure a role that takes you back to Vancouver?

[PM] Well it'll be permanent if I book a series here or something like that. That would be great. That is sorta the goal, to book a different series here and it'll be permanent. But if something pulls me back to Vancouver...I still keep my apartment in Vancouver. I love that city. I love the network of friends I have up there. So I would jump at the opportunity to do something else in Vancouver. I truly love Canada.

[Q] Carson was a really distinctive role; do you worry about being typecast? Many fans are talking about you playing Scotty in the new big screen remake of the original series that JJ Abrams is supposedly heading up.

[PM] Wow. ***laughing*** Yeah I have heard some rumours of me possibly playing [that character]. Any chance I get to play an interesting Scottish character especially an homage to Scotty would be fun. That would be something I certainly wouldn't turn my nose at definitely. If that opportunity ever arose, if I had a chance to read for that show, that'd be great. And working with a director like that would be fantastic. As far as typecasting? I don't think so, I've been fortunate enough to play lots of different characters in my career so far. [Carson] was the first Scottish one on a regular basis and I think truly as an actor you can try to reinvent yourself all the time. Hopefully I'll have the ability and the opportunity to be able to do that, play different characters not just a Scottish character. But [Carson] was a terrific character and I truly loved playing him. [He was] one of my favourites ever but I think there's other things for me to do as well and other opportunities where I can show different sides of myself as an actor.

[Q] Speaking of different characters. You played 'Ryan' in 'A Dog's Breakfast', which we've heard quite a lot about. David Hewlett was at a convention in London recently and at the Q&A, he was teasing fans about a couple of outlandish outfits in the film. Apparently they were your idea.

[PM] Really? I don't know if they were my idea because most of them came out of David's wardrobe...***laughing***  The outfits? Let's put it this way there was some very interesting outfits...

[Q] He was reported telling fans about the 'drag' moment and you insisting on shaving your legs and painting your nails?

[PM] Yes, I make a very, very ugly woman. They wanted me to shave my legs and paint my nails. I don't know why. It's kinda creepy but again I think it transcends back into 'Duet'...

***more laughing***

That was...yeah I DO NOT make a good-looking women at all. I make Mrs Doubtfire look good. It was a lot of fun to work on that film and play 'Ryan' as well as 'Colt'. I play three characters in the film. I'm really proud of David having finished that movie. He wrote it and starred in it and directed it and produced it with Jane [Loughman] and John Lenic. Jane being his wife-to-be. It was really a lot of fun for me to work with his sister Kate. I know MGM picked up the worldwide rights for it. So kudos to those guys for doing that; it's a big accomplishment.

[Q] Speaking of outfits or lack thereof, as we've seen in many photos David gets naked too. Back during 'Duet' he was always complaining but he seems to like taking his clothes off?

[PM] I don't know about that, I have one word for that...'uncomfortable'. **laughing** He's a good sport. We have a scene where David's lying there naked in the mud and I'm standing in drag and looking at him. I've tried to erase that from my memory if that's possible.

[Q] So you were both pretty uncomfortable then?

[PM] Yes, I'm seeking therapy for it.

[Q] Was it difficult to get out of 'Carson' mode as you were, as someone put it, 'prancing around on the Daedalus set' for the 'Colt' scenes?

**more laughing**

[PM] No that was a lot of fun. That was some of the funnest stuff for me, shooting that. It was like shooting a little movie within a movie and we had a blast doing it. [Colt's] sort of a tired action hero. It was a lot of fun to play. That's the fun thing about acting, you can jump in and out of characters which I really enjoy doing. I feel I'm a bit of a character actor so I really enjoy that.

[Q] David's now managed to get 'Starcrossed' optioned for a TV spin-off. Will we be seeing you reprising the role of 'Colt'?

[PM] That's fantastic. I'm really happy for him. As far as me reprising the role of 'Colt', as far as I know, I don't think so. I haven't heard anything about that. I don't know if it's going to be exactly like the movie was. The 'Starcrossed' inside [A Dog's Breakfast]. So I think they may be going in a different direction with that. But that being said, what I had the opportunity to do in the film I had a great time doing. So I wish those guys all the luck in the world with that. I think it's going to be a big hit. It's a really smart idea and there's some really smart people running it. So if at some point in time if they want me to be part of it, that would be great. But as of right now, I don't know if that's in the cards for me.

[Q] They're showing the film at cons. Will we be seeing you at any or screenings for the film in the future?

[PM] Yeah. If there's an opportunity for me to go and I'm available and they invite me, yeah I would love that. I was unfortunately not able to go down to Los Angeles because I was in Europe doing a convention at the time that they did the screening down here. Otherwise I would have gone to that for sure. I heard they had a great time and I want to support the film as much as possible. I also invested in the movie as well. I want to see it do well from a financial point for view for everybody. More importantly it's such an interesting creative process for me to be able to finish that. It just shows what you can do when you have a lot of good people behind you and a common goal. Finishing any film project is an amazing accomplishment. I was lucky enough to be able to finish one a couple of years ago and I know how good that feels. It just feels great. It's a lot of work and it's ongoing. I know Jane's trying to promote the film and get it out there. And who knows where the film will go? It's just something that I'll look back and know I had a chance to play three different characters, with a good friend of mine directing. It was a lot of fun.

[Q] One final question. If you could send any message to your supporters right now. what would it be?

[PM] Cheeky little buggers, I love ya to bits. Thank you so much for everything!

Now check out our partner site at www.savecarson.com for an EXCLUSIVE audio message from Paul!