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On the character of Cameron, her action scenes and her deadpan attitude:

S. Glau

It’s just Josh Friedman.  It was his idea, you know, and it was a fine balance from the pilot to the series, deciding exactly how Cameron was going to relate to the people around her.  And I think we all felt that it was a great comic opportunity.  It’s been really fun for me.

On the poster of Summer Glau's disembodied head and wires running through her and her reaction to it.

S. Glau                      

Yes.  You know, I remember when we were on set and James Middleton, who is one of our producers, was describing this concept to me about this awesome poster.  I was going to be naked and I wasn’t going to have any legs, and my guts were going to be hanging out.  I was trying to act excited, but I was terrified.  I thought, oh my gosh, this sounds so scary, and I’m going to be up on a billboard looking like that.

Then I said, oh, come on.  Let’s just use a picture, a normal picture, maybe Lena holding a gun and that sounds good.  Then I saw the poster, and I thought, wow.  I’m actually – I understand the concept now.  I thought its’ really different.  I think it’s going to make people wonder.  It’s interesting.  And I think it says a lot about the show.

But I remember they were talking about how they were going to start the campaign in LA in December, but I went home for Christmas and for New Years.  And when I got home is when all the posters were up.  I can’t even describe how it feels.  It doesn’t feel like me.  When I look at it, I just think about the team of people that put it together.  It doesn’t even really register that it’s me, so it kind of represents all of us to me.

S. Glau                       

I don’t know.  Have you seen her?  She’s really tall in real life.  She’s very imposing, but we haven’t actually gone at it yet.  Maybe she’ll come be on the show.  Maybe she’ll help me out.

On what we might see in upcoming episodes:

S. Glau                       

Well, I think people are going to be surprised at the direction of the show is going in.  We have a lot of really strong subplots and a lot of great guest stars coming in constantly.  I’m always amazed at what our writers come up with.  I think people have a feeling of what they think the show is going to be, but there’s going to be a lot of interesting twists because, when you take a concept from film and you put it into a television show, you can really take time to develop the story.  So there are things that I think people haven’t thought of.

On what her favorite things about the character of Cameron are:

S. Glau                       

Well, I would say my favorite things about Cameron are I love the fact that I get to be very physical and that they’ve chosen for a girl to be John’s bodyguard.  I think that that’s really exciting for girls and a great role for an actress.  As far as her personality, if you could call it her personality, l love how open she is and how curious she is.  That gives me a lot of opportunity, as an actress, to try different things and for her to grow and change.

But one of the interesting things that I’ve been thinking about, especially with … Selena is, does the terminator understand what death is, and do they understand the value of life.  I think that that’s something that Sarah has a really hard time with because she needs Cameron and she keeps Cameron around because she understands how valuable Cameron can be to keep John safe, but I think that it constantly breaks her heart to watch Cameron and her coldness.  That’s something that Cameron is very curious about, I think.  I love that part of their relationship.

S. Glau                       

I think that Lena and Thomas have done an amazing job, and they’re both very brave actors and very independent and strong.  And so I completely trust their version of their characters.  But for me, it was easier, I have to say.  People still ask me about Arnold Schwarzenegger and how does that feel to be the new terminator.  I can laugh about it because no one can possibly compare me to him.  He is an icon, and I’m doing something really different, so it is a relief for me.

But I will say that I’m only one person who is working on this character.  It’s an entire team that helps me shape Cameron.  Josh Friedman created her and then the writers develop her from episode-to-episode.  And even Joel Cramer, our stunt coordinator, helps me decide how Cameron moves and how she fights.  So I always take comfort in the fact that I have people around me who are helping me make decisions about who she is, and I’m getting more and more comfortable.            

On any changes made in comparison to Cameron's character in the pilot vs. the remainder of the series:

S. Glau                       

Yes.  We did make some changes, and people will notice that from the pilot to the series.  We were experimenting with Cameron quite a bit, and we wanted her to be able to seem human.  We wanted especially John to be fooled by her, so that he would let her into his life.  And so in the pilot, I do act very human.  And then as I go through the series, it appears that I’ve taken steps back and that I am acting more like a terminator would.  We did that for several different reasons, but I know for me it’s fun because I get to take more time for her development, her human development.  I think that it also is funny and I think once her cover was blown with the Connors, she kind of was able to drop that persona and become who she really is around them, if that answers the question.

On her thoughts on "4400" being cancelled:

S. Glau                       

I was heartbroken.  I love all of those actors.  I have to say, I enjoyed my time there immensely, and I thought it was an excellent show.  You know, they had a really long run though.  The show was on for a long time, and I’m sure all those actors are going to do great in new projects.  I wish I could have been there for the finale too because I had to leave before the last episode because I was shooting Sarah Connor, and I always thought, well maybe I’ll come back.  Now I don’t know.  Maybe some of those actors can come be on Terminator, so I get to see them.

Are you a sci-fi fan?

S. Glau                       

Firefly was the first sci-fi show that I ever auditioned for, so I kind of got lucky, and I feel like once I became a member of the Josh Whedon family, those actors have found to like to see … actors on other shows.  It is sort of a small world.  Those actors that are in sci-fi shows tend to make an easy transition into other sci-fi shows.  It’s interesting, and of course I’ve always been a fan of science fiction.  I would say more of books.  When I was little, my mom used to always read us science fiction, and I think that it did a great service to me in developing my imagination.

I think sci-fi actors have to have a very vivid imagination.  Playing River was difficult because I don’t know what it’s like to be a psychic and I don’t know what it’s like to be a government experiment and live on a spaceship and fly around in space.  You have to really go there as an actor, and it’s not as easy as playing someone that might be your friend or someone that might be your sister.  It’s very different.

I think that sci-fi actors in general are very imaginative, creative people, and it’s been really fun for me.  I’ve loved it.  I’ve loved being a sci-fi actress.        

On any pivotal moment in her life where she decided to become an actress:

S. Glau                       

It’s funny.  When I was a little girl, I just had a feeling that I was going to be an actress.  I don’t know why.  I just thought I think one day I’m going to be an actress, but I never did it.  I danced since I was five.  And I did it all day every day.  I traveled, I danced, and I was in ballet companies, and I was a very serious dancer.  Then I got hurt, and it’s kind of the cliché story of the girl who put all her eggs in one basket and that’s all I ever learned how to do.  Then I got hurt, and I thought what am I going to do.

I ended up coming to LA to dance tango for a year, because I couldn’t dance on point anymore.  I started auditioning for acting jobs, and something just fit for me.  And I felt this piece that I was supposed to be doing it, and I ended up, after a year, I got enough acting work where I could completely switch over.  So I was very lucky, very lucky.

S. Glau                       

You know, it’s never over.  We thought it was over after the series got cancelled and that wasn’t the case.  We’re really close.  I’d say I get to see Nathan the most because he lives the closest.  I still see everyone whenever I can.  Jewel lives in Vancouver and she’s working up there, so I don’t get to see her as much as I like, but we all have such a strong bond.  I’d have to say, that was my first experience.  I didn’t even know how to stand on my mark.  I lost the camera all the time.  I ran into people, and they treated me like an equal and the family, so I think that we would all come back if we got the opportunity.  And it’s never over.

On her preparation for the role:

S. Glau                       

When I met with Joel Cramer to talk about the fighting, I said I don’t know how a terminator fights.  He said, well it’s going to be very different from what you did before with River.  You’re not going to be doing all these beautiful martial arts movements and it’s not about being creative and having to use dynamic movement.  It’s just about brut force.  It’s been a really fun change of pace for me because I worked so hard on Serenity.  I had to learn all that martial arts.  I did it myself.  I did it from start to finish, every fight scene, and it was incredibly challenging.

For Cameron, it’s challenging in a different way because I can’t – I have to constantly remind myself not to react humanly, not to move in a human way.  Even things like crossing your legs, I can’t touch my hair to move it out of my face.  I have to really reprogram my mind.  But as far as the actual fighting, it’s really fun.  Must of the training I did was just going to the shooting range with Joel.  It was a great time.

On whether she's getting to the range of roles she likes and whether she'd like to play a more comedic role at some time in the futuere:

S. Glau                       

You know, I have three goals, three new goals, and one of those is that I’d like to do a movie about dance, which is something that I’m working on right now, and I want to do a western.  That’s been one of my dreams.  When I was a little girl and I thought about being an actress, I always wanted to do period films, you know, romantic, Jane Austin kind of movies.  That’s not what I’m doing right now, but I hope that I can do it all at some point.

On the movie she has in the works:

S. Glau                       

There’s a little something that I’m working on right now, but with dance.  It’s something that Josh Whedon is working on.  He’s had this idea for a while and we haven’t had the opportunity where both of us were available, but it’s something that we’re working on as much as we can.