thehefner: (Bill the Butcher: Reflective)
thehefner ([personal profile] thehefner) wrote2008-07-01 04:18 pm

Major Garland Briggs has entered the White Lodge

The great Don S. Davis...



... Major Garland Briggs from TWIN PEAKS, Major General George Hammond on STARGATE SG-1, and Scully's father Captain William Scully on THE X-FILES, among many, many other film and television projects befitting one of the great character actors of my generation... has passed away at age 65.

I wish I had a way of ripping videos off DVD to put them on YouTube. If I could, the first thing I'd post would be the little interview conducted with Mr. Davis a couple years ago for a short "where are they now?" type segment on the TWIN PEAKS Season One DVD. Most of the cast did one of these, and most were marginally interesting little trifles, a couple minutes of an anecdote or two, but generally forgettable.

Don S. Davis' one, on the other hand, was about fifteen minutes long, following him through his house as he shows us his beloved black lab, his office area, his garage where he would carve wooden sculptures and decoys, and upstairs to his studio for a look at his art. During the course of this "postcard," as it's called on the DVD, we get a subtle inside glimpse into the heavy heart and soul of this soft-spoken, laconic man, and the result is--for me--one of the most moving little bits in my entire DVD collection.

No!

[identity profile] american-arcane.livejournal.com 2008-07-01 09:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Damnit... not him, too.

He was awesome in everything I ever saw him in.

:(

All those young actors out there better get moving on filling in character actor roles... we're running out.

(And all those directors better get moving on better casting choices! All the old standbys are fading away.)

At least we still have Dick Miller... but he'll be on his way out soon, too, I'd imagine. :(

[identity profile] bimmin.livejournal.com 2008-07-01 09:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Again with the ;_;

[identity profile] jcsbimp.livejournal.com 2008-07-01 09:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, NO!

Copious tears of genuine sadness would be coursing down my face right now, if it were not for the fact that I can never generate tears for genuine sadness, but only for heart-rending movie moments. Yeah, I'm weird that way. Nadine softly saying "Good-bye" in the Season 1 cliffhanger of Twin Peaks would do it.

The sequel story I wrote to Twin Peaks, before the movie came out, called "MEANWHILE", featured Major Briggs as a central character. I just couldn't leave that whole "I'm in the Black Lodge with Agent Cooper; we're waiting for you" moment go. It's fanfic of the most egregious stripe, but I can show it to you sometime if you'd like.

Ugh...

[identity profile] spirit-o-fire.livejournal.com 2008-07-02 02:19 am (UTC)(link)
Man, that does make today a sad day. He is one of my most favorite actors and I'm a big SG-1 Fan too. He was one of the best parts of the show.

You are right. He definitely has a place in the White Lodge. A good one.

[identity profile] little-dinosaur.livejournal.com 2008-07-02 03:39 am (UTC)(link)
Really? Aww. I'm putting on "Beyond the Sea" right now.

[identity profile] thehefner.livejournal.com 2008-07-02 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
Oh god, the Brad Dourif episode!

Have you seen EXORCIST III? I have told you my theory that Brad Dourif cries in every film he's in? Not sobbing, but just a tear or two sudden drops from his eyes?

[identity profile] feedthewarpcore.livejournal.com 2008-07-02 09:32 am (UTC)(link)
Oh not Don S. as well. I loved him as Hammond. On the Season One of SG1 with him he talks about how he was a stunt double on MacGuyer with RDA.