Jill Teed

Jill Teed
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Portrays:	Sergeant Hadrian (Battlestar Galactica) Colonel Sasha Patel (Caprica) Commander Ozar (Blood and Chrome)
Date of Birth:	April 09, 1964
Date of Death:	Missing required parameter 1=month! ,
Age:	61
Nationality:	CAN
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		@ BW Media
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Jill Teed (born April 9, 1964) is a Canadian actress who has established herself as a prominent figure in science fiction television. She portrayed Sergeant Hadrian in the first season of the Re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, Colonel Sasha Patel in the Caprica episode "End of Line," and Commander Ozar in the web series Blood and Chrome.

Early Life and Background

Teed grew up in a small town in Nova Scotia, where both her parents worked in the medical field. Growing up in a rural area meant limited cultural opportunities, requiring drives to neighboring towns for activities like ballet lessons and swimming that were considered acceptable by her family.

Her introduction to acting came in grade nine when a teacher developed a drama program at her school. Teed and her fellow students would write their own shows and participate in theater competitions, sparking her desire to become a singer and actress. However, she faced strong family opposition, with the repeated message that "you can't make money doing that." This opposition only strengthened her resolve, as she explained: "As if I'm told no, I will do anything to prove that I can do that thing. That's just my nature. I love the word no."

Career

Early Training and Paris Experience

After continuing with community theater in Nova Scotia, Teed moved to Vancouver with two strangers and attended the University of British Columbia, still trying to pursue something her parents would approve of. However, she eventually left to live in Paris for a year, which she describes as "a huge part of the story."

While in Paris at age 21, her girlfriend was dating a well-known French actor who, knowing of Teed's acting aspirations, sent her to an agent. Despite having no résumé or demo reel, she began attending commercial auditions, though she encountered inappropriate situations that led her to leave the French market and return to serious training.

Professional Development

Upon returning to Vancouver, Teed immediately began taking acting classes and formed lasting friendships with fellow actors. She and her colleagues engaged in aggressive self-promotion, cold-calling casting directors to demand auditions. She recalls calling a prominent casting director and boldly asking "Why aren't you bringing me in?" The casting director found this approach "very unusual" but began bringing her in for auditions, and they eventually became friends.

Professional Career

Teed has built an extensive career in genre television, making guest appearances across numerous science fiction series. She appeared in such notable productions as The X-Files, Stargate SG-1, Sliders, The Outer Limits, Smallville, and the Sci Fi Channel's Flash Gordon. Her career began in the early 1990s with an appearance on Street Justice in 1992.

Regarding her work on Stargate SG-1, Teed had auditioned for the series multiple times over the years, including for the role of Samantha Carter, though she later learned that role was specifically written for Amanda Tapping. When she received the audition for "Wormhole X-Treme!," the show's 100th episode, she immediately knew it was the right fit, recognizing the meta nature of the parody. She noted that her friendship with Amanda Tapping and their similar personalities made her well-suited to portray the meta version of Carter's character.

In addition to her television work, Teed has appeared in several feature films including X2: X-Men United (2003) as Bobby Drake's mother, Mission to Mars (2000), Along Came a Spider (2001), and Godzilla (2014). She had a prominent supporting role in the television film Seasons of the Heart (1994).

Her experience working on major Hollywood productions varied significantly from television work. On Mission to Mars, she was under a picture deal for several months, during which director Brian De Palma would frequently change his mind about scenes, requiring extensive waiting in trailers while sets were rebuilt. By contrast, she found working on X2: X-Men United memorable for meeting Hugh Jackman, though she admits to being somewhat starstruck and awkward during their interactions.

Notable among her science fiction roles was her portrayal of Maggie Sawyer, a Metropolis police officer, on Smallville, which marked the live-action debut of the character. She also played FBI Agent Kaayla Brooks in "Reluctant Heroes," a Season Four episode of Highlander: The Series, and Colonel Lasky in the web series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.

One of her most memorable television roles was in The Outer Limits episode "What Will the Neighbors Think?" directed by Helen Shaver. Teed played the character Tory Beth, described as "Queen of Rage, part bile, part jaundice," and praised the creative freedom Shaver provided, allowing the cast to go "over the top" in contrast to the more restrained X-Files-influenced acting style that was popular at the time.

Theater Work

Teed has also worked extensively in theater, including a challenging one-woman show called "Miss Margarida's Way." The 105-minute piece, written by Brazilian playwright Roberto Athayde during the era of South American dictatorships, used the metaphor of a grade-eight school teacher to explore themes of political control and fascism. The interactive performance broke the fourth wall, with the audience serving as her students. Teed learned the complex, non-sequitur-filled script while caring for her newborn son, using the project to combat "baby brain" by committing to at least 20 minutes of line study daily. The piece was recommended to her by acclaimed acting teacher Larry Moss, whom Hilary Swank thanked during her Oscar acceptance speech for Boys Don't Cry.

Current Projects and Philosophy

Teed continues to work steadily in television and film, with recent appearances including roles in Superman & Lois, Van Helsing, iZombie, and numerous Hallmark Channel productions. She is also writing a television series, working with a partner to develop the project and focusing on character development and story structure. She has expressed interest in pursuing more comedic roles, finding them both challenging and enjoyable.

Regarding her approach to auditions, Teed has observed a paradox in her career: "When I walk into a room and I really don't care, those are the jobs I book. When I'm like 'oh my god, I'm so good,' I just get nothing." She believes that acting forces performers to examine themselves in ways most people can avoid, describing it as "kind of like therapy" where "shitty for life is great for art."

Her advice to aspiring actors emphasizes collaboration and professionalism: "Keep creating and keep collaborating with friends, even if it goes nowhere, it's a whole other education in itself." She also stresses the importance of treating everyone on set with respect, citing actors like Zac Efron and Hugh Jackman as examples of "class acts" who treat everyone with courtesy and grace.

Personal Life

Teed was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she continues to reside with her two daughters. She speaks French fluently and has maintained strong ties to the Vancouver entertainment industry throughout her career.

In addition to her acting career, Teed has worked as an acting coach and instructor at Mountain Arts Academy (MAA) in Vancouver, offering on-set and private coaching services. The academy described her as specializing in helping actors develop their craft across various mediums including film, television, and theater. Teed has also been recognized as a notable student of veteran Vancouver acting coach Mel Tuck, who has taught thousands of Canadian actors over three generations.

Her coaching work has included mentoring rising actors such as Olga Petsa, who credited Teed with helping her prepare for auditions and roles, including her work on the film "I Used to Be Funny." Petsa has described Teed as both her "acting coach and friend," expressing gratitude for her guidance and support.

Teed is passionate about establishing proper boundaries in the industry, particularly for young performers. She emphasizes that actors "don't have to do anything you don't want to do or that you're not comfortable doing," and actively advocates for the presence of intimacy coordinators on sets. Her commitment to this philosophy stems from early experiences in her career, including an uncomfortable audition situation in Paris that helped shape her professional boundaries.

References