KAREN CLICHE
INTRODUCES US TO THE NEW WORLD OF FLASH GORDON
By : Suzanne Philips
by Suzanne Philips
The Sci-Fi Channel is set to turn on a new generation of fans this week with
the premiere of the series "Flash Gordon". Beautiful Canadian star Karen
Cliche took a few minutes out of her busy schedule to talk with CFMNews
about the project.CFM: Tell us a little bit about the show?
KAREN CLICHE: The series premiere is this Friday, August 10th at 9pm on the Sci-Fi Channel. People know "Flash Gordon" from the comic book and the old film. What We are doing is a hipper, sexier, modern day version. I play a new character called Baylin, who is a bounty hunter, but al of the old favorites are still there. It's a Sci-Fi show, but our show has great new elements of life in it - relationships, drama, action, and comedy in a one-hour show.
CFM: Did you have to do any physical training to play a bounty hunter?
KC:The last show I worked on,"Young Blades", I played a woman dressing up as a man to join the Musketeers to avenge the death of her brother and I did a lot of sword fighting and action in that. In the last five years, I have been in several shows where I have had to beat people up, so I had some experience with that coming into "Flash Gordon". There is a lot of hand-to-hand combat in this show. No CGI or wires, just brutal fighting. It's fun to beat people up, or at least pretend to. It gets out a lot of aggression.
CFM: Who do you think this new version will appeal to?
KC: I think it will appeal to teenagers to forty year olds. Everyone will have a crush on someone in this show. All of the major characters are really good looking. I think teenagers will have a crush on "Flash" and there is someone for everyone in the show. I think the show will have a wide appeal. There are complex relationships and a mature sense of humor, but there are silly moments as well. We are doing 22 episodes this year, we have finished 10 so far and are just getting ready to start with number 11.
CFM: I know you are really involved with charity work, specifically those that concern women, can you tell us a bit about that?
KC: I took a Women's Studies curse in college and started learning about what happens to women and children in third world countries. The horrific situations they go through with slavery, sex trafficking and mutilation. We are talking about girls that are 10,11,12 years old. I knew that I had to do something.
I sponsored two girls through a charity called World Vision - one in Thailand and one in the Philippines. One of the girls has just reached a point where her village is fully self sufficient. I am also involved with Equality Now, which works with Amnesty International to fight for the rights of people both in third world countries and in North America who are living with similar situations, many times out of extreme poverty. We are trying to get the message across to those who are unaware. It's something I am very passionate about.
To see a sexy, intelligent woman who is a role model but can also kick butt, tune into "Flash Gordon" when it starts airing on the Sci-Fi channel on Friday at 9pm.