View source for Samuel Witwer

{{Cast Data
| image= Samwitwer.jpg
| character= [[Crashdown|Alex "Crashdown" Quartararo]]
| series=RDM
| born_month= 10
| born_day= 20
| born_year= 1977
| nationality= US
| imdb= 1022429
| sortkey= Witwer, Samuel
|image2=CrashdownKobolGleaming.jpg}}
'''Samuel Witwer''' is an American television actor who portrayed [[Crashdown|Alex "Crashdown" Quartararo]] in the first two seasons of the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]].

Born October 20, 1977, Witwer was a big fan of ''[[MemoryAlpha:Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' as a child, and went on a tour of the set. The tour guide took him and his brother to meet [[MemoryAlpha:Wil Wheaton|Wil Wheaton]] ([[MemoryAlpha:Wesley Crusher|Wesley Crusher]]), who was studying in his trailer. Witwer said Wheaton "talked to us for 30 minutes, while the rest of the tour group just sat by and patiently waited. That experience put it in my head that I wanted to be an actor". <ref name="mediablvd">{{cite_web|url=http://www.mediablvd.com/magazine/News/The-Secret-Projects-of-Crashdown-An-interview-with-Sam-Witwer,-Actor-and-Musician.html|title=The Secret Projects of Crashdown: An interview with Sam Witwer, Actor and Musician|date=03 April 2006|accessdate=21 May 2007|last=Gold|first=Kenn|format=|language=}}</ref>

Pursuing an acting career, prior to his stint on ''Galactica'', he also appeared on ''[[w:ER (TV series)|ER]]'', and on ''[[w:Dark Angel|Dark Angel]]'' as Marrow, which would have been a recurring role had the series not been canceled.<ref name="mediablvd"/>

Witwer was willing to leave the show of his own accord because of other work possibilities in [[w:Los Angeles|Los Angeles]]. Currently, he is producing, writing, and directing an independent film, and hopes that several other ''Battlestar Galactica'' cast members and fellow friends, like [[Nicki Clyne]], might be able to make cameos.<ref name="mediablvd"/>

Witwer remained a fan of ''Star Trek'' and appeared on ''[[MemoryAlpha:Enterprise|Enterprise]]'' in the episode "[[MemoryAlpha:The Shipment|The Shipment]]" as a [[MemoryAlpha:Xindi-Arboreal|Xindi-Sloth]] because he asked his agent to find a role for him on ''Star Trek'', and as an unpleasant result Witwer said that "I’m affectionately referred to, by my other friends that work on ''Star Trek'', as Sam the Sloth, which totally sucks."<ref name="mediablvd"/>

Witwer's true passion is his band, the ''Crashtones'', a one-man band with Witwer performing all of the instruments and vocals. To achieve the illusion of having multiple people as his band, Witwer dresses up in costume as various fictitious other members of the "band," who appear on the cover of "their" albums.<ref name="mediablvd"/>

On 18 May 2007, Witwer was named as the voice actor for [[w:Darth Vader|Darth Vader]]'s Secret Apprentice (later Jedi) in the video game ''[[Wookiepedia:Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (video game)|Star Wars: The Force Unleashed]]''.<ref name="lucasarts">{{cite_web|url=http://www.lucasarts.com/games/theforceunleashed/gameinfo/news/the_cast.html|title=Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Meet the Cast|date=18 May 2007|accessdate=21 May 2007|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>

== On ''Battlestar Galactica'' ==
Witwer was cast as Crashdown after watching the [[Miniseries]] and knowing he "really wanted to work on the [[Season 1 (2004-05)|first season]]."<ref group="Book">{{Cite book|author=David Bassom|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|year=2005|publisher=Titan Books|isbn=1845760972|page=131}}</ref> Executive producer [[David Eick]] described the character to him as "a cross between [[Wookiepedia:Han Solo|Han Solo]] and [[W:Bill Paxton|Bill Paxton]]’s character, Hudson, in ''[[W:Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'' — the “Game over, man” guy! And that’s sort of what I endeavored to bring to the role."<ref group="Book">{{Cite book|author=David Bassom|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|year=2005|publisher=Titan Books|isbn=1845760972|page=131}}</ref>

Reflecting on his time on the show, Witwer said, "There were a few times on season one when I caught myself thinking, ‘No one should be allowed to have this much fun and get paid for it!’... It’s an honor to be a part of such an amazing series."<ref group="Book">{{Cite book|author=David Bassom|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|year=2005|publisher=Titan Books|isbn=1845760972|page=132}}</ref>

==External links==
*[http://samwitwer.com/ The Crashtones]
{{ext-ma|article=Sam Witwer}}
*[http://www.samwitwerfans.com/ Sam Witwer Fan Site]
== References ==
{{reflist|group="Book"}}
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[[Category:Former Dark Angel Cast and Crew]]
[[Category:Former Star Trek Cast and Crew]]

[[de:Samuel Witwer]]