Stars Joining The Cast Of 'Stargate SG-1' & 'Stargate Atlantis'

Beau Bridges, Mitch Pileggi and Lou Gossett Jr. Join the Casts Of SCI FI's 'Stargate SG-1' and 'Stargate Atlantis'

NEW YORK -- February 7, 2005 -- Hot on the heels of the exceptional January premieres of 'Stargate SG-1' and 'Stargate Atlantis,' SCI FI Channel and MGM Television Entertainment have scored a casting hat trick, welcoming three-time Emmy winner Beau Bridges, Oscar winner Lou Gossett, Jr. and sci-fi favorite Mitch Pileggi to the 'Stargate' family.

Bridges will join the cast of 'Stargate SG-1' as General Hank Landry, the new head of Stargate Command. When Jack O'Neill is promoted to oversee Homeworld Security, he hand-picks Landry to be his successor. In addition to being committed to a regular role on 'SG-1,' Bridges will also cross over to appear in a few episodes of 'Stargate Atlantis.' Gossett will also join the cast of 'SG-1' in a recurring role as a Jaffa leader who vies with Teal'c for political control of the new Jaffa nation.

Bridges and Gossett join returning cast members Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge and Michael Shanks, and newest team member Ben Browder, who plays Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell. With these fresh casting additions, 'Stargate SG-1' - currently the longest-running sci-fi drama on American television - is primed for even greater success as it enters its ninth original season.

X-Files alumnus Mitch Pileggi will take on 'Stargate Atlantis' in a recurring role as a hard-nosed colonel who butts heads with Dr. Weir (Torri Higginson) and Major Sheppard (Joe Flanigan).

Production on both 'Stargate SG-1' and 'Stargate Atlantis' is set to begin in March 2005 for summer premieres on SCI FI.

Robert C. Cooper and 'SG-1' co-creator Brad Wright will continue to serve as executive producers on both series, which are distributed by MGM Worldwide Television Distribution.

About MGM Worldwide Television Distribution

MGM Worldwide Television Distribution handles global distribution of film and television product as well as co-productions for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. Through this distribution unit, approximately 4,000 feature films and 10,100 television episodes are available to the global television market. MGM's series lineup includes the hit "Stargate Atlantis," animated children's series "Stargate Infinity," post-apocalyptic drama "Jeremiah," action-adventure series "She Spies," and the long-running, critically acclaimed "Stargate SG-1." MGM Worldwide Television Distribution also produces such made-for-television movies and miniseries as the contemporary thriller "Carrie" and the groundbreaking drama "The L Word." The company also distributes NBC Enterprises-produced programming in all territories outside of North America, including "Las Vegas," "American Dreams" "Will & Grace," "Crossing Jordan," and "Providence." For more information, visit www.mgm.com.

SCI FI Channel is a television network where "what if" is what's on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 84 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.