Sarah Rush

Sarah Rush
PerformerTOS
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Portrays:	Rigel
Date of Birth:	September 20, 1955
Date of Death:	Missing required parameter 1=month! ,
Age:	70
Nationality:	USA
Related Media
		@ BW Media
Official Site (archived)
IMDb profile

Sarah Kathleen Rush (born September 20, 1955) is an American actress best known for portraying Flight Corporal Rigel in the original Battlestar Galactica. Born in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, Rush was crowned Coal Queen in 1972 and later starred in and narrated the 2005 documentary The Bituminous Coal Queens of Pennsylvania, which won the 2006 Heartland Film Festival Award.

Career

Rush graduated from Waynesburg Central High School in 1973, where she actively participated in school plays. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater summa cum laude from Pennsylvania State University and subsequently became a member of the Actors Studio in Midtown Manhattan, New York.

After graduation from Penn State, Rush moved to New York on a scholarship from Samuel Gallu for "Most Promising Actor." Within two weeks, she signed a contract with Universal Studios as a contract player for three and a half years. During her training period, she studied acting with renowned instructors Uta Hagen and Milton Katselas, and later with Herbert Berghof. Rush has credited the late Don Adams as her acting mentor and best friend.

On Broadway, she understudied for Kathleen Turner in the play "Toyer," which was performed at the Kennedy Center.

Battlestar Galactica

While working as a contract player for Universal, Rush auditioned for Battlestar Galactica. She recalls the memorable audition experience:

When I think about the audition, I have to laugh! I was a contract player at Universal, and I think that certainly helped me to get the role. However, I remember walking in to a huge office in the Black Tower at Universal, and along with Glen Larson, there were about seven other people. It was pretty amazing to see all these folks in one room, looking at me! Anyway, I had one line, something like "100 microns and closing, 99 microns and closing. . . Red alert!" I said these lines into my fist, as if it were a microphone. I have always been very serious about acting, and so I took it very seriously.

When I finished, I looked up at everyone, and after a moment of total silence, we all started laughing!!!!! Glen Larson was so kind to me, and I am so grateful that he gave me the job.

Rush has said that many fans related to her character, viewing her as "the girl next door" in contrast to the more "exotic" and "gorgeous" actresses on the show. She has said, "I liked that people seem to kind of feel like I was a friend, and they could relate to my character." She also noted that the cast and crew of Battlestar Galactica felt like a family, and that she has remained close with many of them over the years.

Early Theater Work

One of Rush's significant early breaks was being cast as Emily in a theater production of Our Town by Thornton Wilder. The production starred Eddie Albert as the Stage Manager and was directed by Gower Champion, who had previously directed celebrated Broadway productions including Hello, Dolly! and 42nd Street. Champion later told Rush that "there was something about me that haunted him, which is why he cast me."

Rush has also performed in notable theatrical productions including Alma in Summer and Smoke at a theater in Pittsburgh, expressing her passion for Tennessee Williams as a playwright, and The Belle of Amherst, a one-woman play about the life of Emily Dickinson.

Following her role on Galactica, Rush secured her biggest part for Universal as Amanda Kent in The Seekers, the third and final adaptation of John Jakes' Kent Family Chronicles books for television in 1978-79. This production featured several other Galactica cast members from previous segments, including Lorne Greene, John Colicos, and Herb Jefferson Jr.

In 2002, Rush appeared in Steven Spielberg's acclaimed film Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, in the role of Secretary.

Rush has worked on various television projects, including a pilot directed by Peter Horton called Big Girls Don't Cry, based on the film Mermaids, which was considered as a series for CBS. She also appeared in the Disney film Max Keeble's Big Move and had roles in independent films including Fangs and Destiny. She has also had guest roles on television shows such as Friends, Monk, The Middle, Everybody Loves Raymond, Happy Days, and The Incredible Hulk.

Theater Work

One of Rush's significant early breaks was being cast as Emily in a theater production of Our Town by Thornton Wilder. The production starred Eddie Albert as the Stage Manager and was directed by Gower Champion, who had previously directed celebrated Broadway productions including Hello, Dolly! and 42nd Street. Champion later told Rush that "there was something about me that haunted him, which is why he cast me."

Rush has also performed in notable theatrical productions including Alma in Summer and Smoke at a theater in Pittsburgh, expressing her passion for Tennessee Williams as a playwright, and The Belle of Amherst, a one-woman play about the life of Emily Dickinson.

Post-Galactica Career

Rush's most significant recent project was the 2005 documentary The Bituminous Coal Queens of Pennsylvania, produced by Patricia Heaton and directed by David Hunt, Heaton's husband. The documentary, which won the 2006 Heartland Film Festival Award, followed Rush as she returned to her hometown of Carmichaels, Pennsylvania (population 556) for the 50th anniversary of the Coal Queen Pageant in August 2003. The film served as both narrator and subject, as Rush was herself crowned Coal Queen in 1972 at age 16.

Personal Life

Rush experienced a challenging period in the late 1980s to early 1990s, during which she was married and divorced, lost her mother, and helped care for ill family members, which resulted in a pause in her acting career.

In 1999, Rush married guitarist Fred Bova after friends had attempted to bring them together for two years. Rush returned to Los Angeles in the early 1990s after her challenging period in New York, where she has continued her acting career and found greater personal happiness. She and her husband Fred were also in the process of adoption, as Rush expressed a strong desire to become a mother. The couple has a daughter, Amanda Grace Bova.

Rush has noted that her father's cousin was the legendary actor James Dean (1931-1955), which served as an early influence on her desire to pursue acting. Her grandparents were from Shrewsbury, England, and she has expressed a strong desire to visit Ireland, stating a particular ambition to see a play at The Abbey Theatre.

Production Notes

Rigel Character Design

Rush designed the distinctive braided hairstyle for her character Rigel, which she initially believed was appropriate for the role. However, the style was ultimately removed by production staff. During filming, an incident occurred when the hairdresser removed the braids and cameras began rolling before Rush had an opportunity to brush her hair, creating an unintended look for the character.

Fan Reception

Rush has expressed appreciation for the lasting impact of her Battlestar Galactica work, particularly recounting a meaningful encounter with a fan:

One of the best compliments I received was from a fellow who had become a member of the club. He said that he remembered an episode I was in from his childhood days, and he remembered me very specifically, including my lines. He wanted to watch it again to see if he remembered it correctly, and he had. He said that he had remembered me because I had been truthful and honest and brought real humanity to the moment in the scene.

I was so touched by that, because even though Battlestar Galactica's time frame is set in extraordinary circumstances with amazing technological effects, people are human and real and experience true feelings. That's actually one of the reasons I would love to do a science fiction show again, to bring that humanity in the midst of the vastness of Space.

Rush has described the fans of the series as "wonderful and loyal," and enjoys hearing their personal stories about the show's impact on their lives.

References

External Link

• Sarah Rush on Instagram