AZ Central 8/4/07: Karen Cliche
Karen Cliche hops aboard 'hipper, sexier' 'Flash Gordon'
Kerry Lengel
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 4, 2007 12:00 AM
Some are born into geekdom, but Karen Cliche, one of the sexy young stars of TV's latest Flash Gordon remake, had geekdom thrust upon her.
"I started doing sci-fi about five years ago, and I really didn't know that world at all," says the 30-year-old Cliche (pronounced Kleesh), whose screen credits Adventure Inc., Mutant X and Vampire High.
"My favorite show was Golden Girls growing up. But I have learned to appreciate" the sci-fi world, she says.
"Now when I play regular human roles, I'm like, 'Ooh, where are my superpowers?' I find it kind of boring just to play a regular human girl."
Premiering Friday, Aug. 10, on cable's Sci Fi Channel, the latest Flash Gordon is a departure from both the original comic, which blasted off in 1934, and the campy 1980 film best-known for its Queen soundtrack ("Flash! Ah-aaah!"). The new show stars Eric Johnson, who played Whitney Fordman on Smallville, so it may be no surprise that the series has a bit of a CW feel.
"This Flash Gordon is a hipper, sexier, modern take on the previous stuff," Cliche says. "There's a little less of the spaceships and all that, and a lot more concentration on story line and the different characters and their interaction together. . . . Instead of the campy vibe of the film in the '80s, this is a little wittier, and a little more dramatic."
Ditching the familiar rocket ship, Flash travels back and forth between Earth and the planet Mongo via a "rift" in space-time. His sidekicks, Dale Arden and Dr. Zarkov, also have changed from past incarnations.
And Cliche's role is brand new. She plays Baylin, a tough bounty hunter sent to Earth by the evil dictator Ming who ends up switching sides.
"She's not bad, she just acts bad," says the Canadian-born former model, who likes playing smart, independent characters.
"My most loyal fans are young women. Not that I don't appreciate the male fans and their dedication, but it's really important for me to be that role model, and my characters to be that role model, for young girls."
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