Colonel Jonathon "Jack" O'Neill

Series version

Image from RDA Web Site

Richard Dean Anderson

Okay, I can remember my Mother watching MacGyver on television as I was growing up.  Who'd have thought that I, myself,  would now be the one that sets the VCR to catch the re-runs of his show???  Strange, isn't it?  Life....

Richard Dean Anderson (to be known affectionately as RDA for the rest of this page - or I shall end up with writer's cramp from writing out his name alone!) seems, to me at least, to be a mini American Icon. 

Idolised (almost Canonised)  by the two sisters in The Simpsons (which happens to be Michael Shank's favourite show.. he must chuckle whenever they drool..."MacGyver... ahhhhhhh"  Hahahahaha)   he seems to have been around forever... and there seems to be a real  "6 Degrees of Seperation" thing  going on here too.

Christopher Judge appeared in a MacGyver episode... Michael Shanks was inspired to act after watching the filming of an episode  .. and as I delve further into Amanda Tapping.. well.. let's wait and see....

I must say, that unlike the two  "Daniel's",  I actually have a preference for Jack O'Neill and that is RDA's version.   Yeah, yeah I know what you're thinking.. set's the tape for MacGyver.. how surprising she prefers his version.. but it's not like that.. sincerely!  God, the guy's old enough to be my Dad... (and rich enough that I wish he were!) but there is a *something* about him on screen. 

Maybe it's the fact that he isn't a Blue Eyed Boy.. as many actors seem to be nowadays.  His dark eyes are quite a nice change in a leading man (IMHO)   and the fact that he is pushing 50 while looking better than me (at my age) - is compelling  too. 

Maybe it's the wise cracks  and the quirky little looks he gives on screen, I don't know what it is.. but Jack O'Neill *is* a great character (IMHO).

Just to settle the rumours that he is leaving the show... RDA mentioned in an interview that he would like to fade out of television - maybe in a few years time.. which will be a very sad thing.. but it's not an immediate thing.  

I think it will be sad considering how much we like O'Neill now. I mean,   how much are we gonna like him by then?? 

But give the guy credit.. he's 'settled with the right woman', has a new baby daughter - who he absolutely dotes on by the sounds of things  :-D  *and* a HOUSE!!  hahaha - No wonder  he wants to retire!  (If you want to see this guy at his blissful best.. go here. 

But don't go writing him off right now though.... it seems we'll have a few more years of those chocolate brown eyes on screen yet!

Okay.. so we know what makes RDA appealing.. so what makes Jack O'Neill, tough Military Man, appealing.?? 

Well in three little letters it's (say it with me, please)  RDA.

He brought to the character some of his own self.  He toys with O'Neill, ad-libbing some lines to sharpen the wise-cracking character more.  And it's those wise-cracks that just cut me up!   Some people hate it.. with venom.. but you know.. I really like it.   I like it in real life friends... I like it in characters on my television set.

A surly, sour man, crippled by the death of his only child, and bitter by the break up of his marriage just wouldn't really have me coming back each week for more.. you know?  Sorry to say.  No matter *how* cute his off-sider was!    

And speaking of Daniel... Jack tells him that although he'll never forgive himself (for the death of his son) ... he can sometimes forget... "sometimes..."

Which is in stark contrast to the Movie Jack, who was still grieving the loss of his son, painfully so.

And it's that grieving that gets to you too!  I remember the first time they showed the episode Lazarus...  and Jack goes to the house to "see" the boy.. I remember watching that  from another room (at that stage I was not a fan of the show) and I caught him in the boy's bedroom.. and I just stood and watched.. and by the end of it.. I was teary :) hahaha and as I said.. I wasn't even a fan. 

And I remember thinking "Great, what a depressing show!"  (little did I know then!)  So you can see why I'm a lot happier with the wise cracking Jack than the depressed and moody one. 

So what's with the changes to the character... ?

Let's face it.  It's been a year since the Jack O'Neill - Movie version- when we meet up with him again.  He's a changed man.  He's mellowed a bit.

Losing his wife and son within months of each other (Jack tells Kowalsky that his son died "just before the Abydos mission"  and later tells Daniel that his wife left him by the time he returned from the Abydos mission.. so, by my reckoning (which is pretty good) - that's a matter of months).

Not to mention that the Flat-top is gone too (RDA jokes that his hair could never do that!) and I think his eyes have changed colour also (wouldn't  know what colour Kurt Russell's eyes are.. but I'd wager they'd be blue!). 

All in all, I'm glad that Jack is the character he is... and I am surprising myself even as I admit, that I'm glad that RDA is the guy playing him...  

Wanna know a little more about Richard Dean Anderson????   Click on his image >>>

So.. How many people have viewed this page??