Linda Hamilton to Guest Star on Season 2 of Defiance

NEW YORK – April 10, 2014 – Linda Hamilton joins the season two cast of Syfy’s highly-rated and groundbreaking drama series, Defiance, in the recurring guest role of Pilar, the mysterious and long-separated wife of Rafe McCawley (Graham Greene). Premiering its second season on Thursday, June 19 at 8PM ET/PT, the ambitious series delivered an average of 1.5 million viewers 18-49 and 3.2 million total viewers in its first season, based on Live +7 data.

Hamilton will play the key recurring role of Pilar McCawley, the wife of Rafe McCawley (Graham Greene) and mother to their three children. Separated from her family for a number of years, Pilar has now returned home. Pilar suffered from serious mental illness and in the aftermath of the Votan arrival and subsequent war, did not have access to her medication. With her mental state unchecked, Pilar snapped and tried to murder her children. Fearing for the family’s safety, Rafe sent her to an institution and told their children she had died. Now Pilar is back with both a steely resolve and a warm, maternal love for her family. But the motives for her return are unclear, and soon Rafe and others in town begin to question where she’s actually been these past years.

Trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, Hamilton triumphed in her breakout role as the iconic Sarah Conner in James Cameron’s action/sci-fi masterpiece The Terminator, followed by the blockbuster sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day. She is also well-known for her popular role on the television series Beauty and the Beast opposite Ron Perlman. Her additional film credits include Mr. Destiny, Silent Fall and Dante’s Peak.

Hamilton joins the previously announced James Murray, William Atherton and Anna Hopkins as new cast additions to season two of the series. Murray will portray the integral role of Pottinger, the new mayor of Defiance. Atherton portrays high-ranking Earth Republic official Viceroy Mercado and Hopkins is Earth Republic soldier Jessica “Berlin” Rainier.

Grant Bowler will return as Nolan, along with Julie Benz as Amanda Rosewater, Stephanie Leonidas as Irisa Nolan, Tony Curran as Datak Tarr, Jaime Murray as Stahma Tarr, Graham Greene as Rafe McCawley and Jesse Rath as Alak Tarr. The cast also features Dewshane Williams as Tommy, Trenna Keating as Doc Yewll, Justin Rain as Quentin McCawley and Nicole Munoz as Christie McCawley.

As the story of Defiance resumes, the lives of the townspeople are in drastic turmoil. The Earth Republic has assumed control of the town, with far-reaching consequences including a new mayor. Nolan traverses the badlands to find a lost Irisa, Amanda has an unexpected new role in the town as she searches for Kenya and the Tarr family desperately tries to keep control of their criminal empire in the midst of dramatic changes.

Kevin Murphy (Desperate Housewives, Caprica) resumes his role as executive producer and showrunner. Smallville’s Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin return as executive producers for season two and Michael Taylor serves as consulting producer. Michael Nankin (co-executive producer) is set to direct the season two opener. Defiance is produced by Universal Cable Productions.

Defiance is an unprecedented partnership between Syfy and Trion Worlds and the first-ever convergence of television and online gaming, featuring an interconnected world and storylines that co-exist on both platforms.

Syfy Announces Cast Additions for Season Two of Defiance

NEW YORK – September 5, 2013 – Syfy announces additional casting for Season 2 of its highly-rated and groundbreaking drama series, Defiance. William Atherton signs on to portray high-ranking Earth Republic official Viceroy Mercado and Anna Hopkins has inked the role of Earth Republic soldier and documentarian Jessica “Berlin” Rai. Slated for a June 2014 launch, production is currently underway in Toronto, ON for the 13-episode second season of the ambitious series, which delivered an average of 1.5 million viewers 18-49 and 3.2 million total viewers in its first season, based on Live +7 data. Defiance is produced by Universal Cable Productions.

Atherton steps into the supporting role of the jaded, Earth Republic official Viceroy Mercado, Major Pottinger’s (James Murray) commanding officer. Mercado is ruthless, quick tongued and sarcastic, fond of peppering his sentences with obscure old Earth cultural references and mocking younger subordinates for being too young to understand. He sees Pottinger for the manipulative person he is, but grudgingly admits the man gets results. Mercado also has a dark secret that would shock his colleagues and the townspeople of Defiance.

Atherton attended the Drama School at Carnegie Tech and began his career on the New York stage working with many of the country’s leading playwrights including David Rabe, John Guare and Arthur Miller. He got his big break playing hapless fugitive Clovis Poplin in Steven Spielberg’s The Sugarland Express. After this, he garnered major roles in dark drams such as The Day of the Locust and Looking for Mr. Goodbar, as well as the big-budget disaster film The Hindenburg. He also starred as cowboy Jim Lloyd in the groundbreaking 1978 miniseries Centennial. Atherton’s other film credits include Ghostbusters, Real Genius, Die Hard, No Mercy, The Pelican Brief and The Last Samurai. He has also made guest appearances on numerous TV shows including Desperate Housewives, Law & Order, Boston Legal and Monk.

Hopkins joins the cast as the sexy, tough and fearless Jessica “Berlin” Rai, an Earth Republic soldier and documentarian who makes propaganda films that shine a positive light on the Earth Republic occupation of Defiance. Berlin believes in her films’ messages having grown up during the lawless and volatile years of the Pale Wars, and now seeing the government as a means to protect and unite by any means necessary. Sexy and confident, Berlin becomes the center of a passionate love triangle. Hopkins is a Montreal native and holds a Communications degree from Concordia University. She jumped into the acting scene in 2005 with a role in the film Barney’s Version alongside Dustin Hoffman and Paul Giamatti. She has also had appearances in television’s Nikita, Law & Order and Stephen King’s Dead Zone, as well as in the TV movies Human Trafficking, Too Young to Marry and Circle of Friends.

Atherton and Hopkins join the previously announced James Murray as new cast additions to season two of the series. Murray will portray the integral role of Pottinger, the new mayor of Defiance.

Grant Bowler will return as Nolan, along with Julie Benz as Amanda Rosewater, Stephanie Leonidas as Irisa Nolan, Tony Curran as Datak Tarr, Jaime Murray as Stahma Tarr, Graham Greene as Rafe McCawley and Jesse Rath as Alak Tarr. The cast also features Dewshane Williams as Tommy, Trenna Keating as Doc Yewll, Justin Rain as Quentin McCawley and Nicole Munoz as Christie McCawley.

As the story of Defiance resumes, the lives of the townspeople are in drastic turmoil. The Earth Republic has assumed control of the town, with far-reaching consequences including a new mayor. Nolan traverses the badlands to find a lost Irisa, Amanda has an unexpected new role in the town as she searches for Kenya and the Tarr family desperately tries to keep control of their criminal empire in the midst of dramatic changes.

Kevin Murphy (Desperate Housewives, Caprica) resumes his role as executive producer and showrunner. Smallville’s Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin return as executive producers for season two and Michael Taylor serves as consulting producer. Michael Nankin (co-executive producer) is set to direct the season two opener.

Defiance is an unprecedented partnership between Syfy and Trion Worlds and the first-ever convergence of television and online gaming, featuring an interconnected world and storylines that co-exist on both platforms.

About Universal Cable Productions
Universal Cable Productions creates innovative and critically acclaimed original scripted and digital content across multiple media platforms and outlets for domestic and international distribution. UCP produces “Covert Affairs,” “Psych,” “Royal Pains” and “Suits” for USA; “Defiance,” and “Warehouse 13” for Syfy and “Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome” for distribution on Machinima Prime/YouTube, Syfy and DVD/Blu-Ray. Universal Cable Productions is a division of NBCUniversal.

About Syfy
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

Syfy to Take Over San Diego Comic-Con

NEW YORK – July 15, 2013 – Following last year’s dramatic success in introducing the hit series Defiance at Comic-Con, Syfy will use 2013 Comic-Con International (July 18-21) as the launch pad for its newest scripted series Helix. The new thriller about a mysterious outbreak at a desolate Arctic outpost from Battlestar Galactica’s Ronald D. Moore will premiere on Syfy in January 2014.

As part of its innovative, multi-media marketing campaign for the series, Syfy will brandish a larger-than-life wrap showcasing Helix around the Marriott Marquis & Marina Hotel, adjacent to Comic-Con headquarters in the San Diego Convention Center.

In addition to introducing the Helix creative team during one of the channel’s four star-studded show panels, Syfy will ask fans to retweet an image of the Helix Marriot Board, Like Facebook.com/Helix, and Follow @HelixSyfy to release clips of the Helix Comic-Con reel prior to the Comic-Con panel. Syfy will also feature panels for retuning original series Defiance, Being Human, Haven and Warehouse 13.

No matter what Comic-Con super fans are doing – dining out, walking around town or attending a panel – Syfy will encourage them to become part of the fun:

For the second year in a row, Syfy will transform MaryJane’s Café into Café Defiance. The immersive experience into the world of Defiance will feature video displays, social/interactive elements and game play. The popular Defiance game will be available for purchase. In between bites at Café Defiance, customers can win a Defiance prize package by tweeting Café photos using #DefianceSDCC. There will also photo opportunities for fans to have their picture taken with “Bioman,” a character from the show.

Two of the Dodge Chargers featured in Defiance will patrol the streets of San Diego, enticing participants to enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a Dodge Charger. Attendees can enter the sweepstakes by locating the vehicles and tweeting a picture of either car to #DodgeDefiance.

On-site at the Being Human, Defiance, Warehouse 13 and Helix star-studded panels, attendees can tweet photos and quotes using the show-specific hashtags, giving them the opportunity to win signed t-shirts and DVDs from the four series.

All social activity will be aggregated to Syfy.com/ComicCon so that those fans unable to attend in person can experience the excitement. All official and user-generated posts will be dynamically updated in real time all week long. Online fans can also tweet out the Syfy.com/ComicCon url to enter for a chance to win a Xbox 360.

Syfy will also serve as the title sponsor of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the “Oscars” of the comic book industry, for the second consecutive year.

SYFY 2013 COMIC-CON PANELS

Friday, July 19

DEFIANCE 10:30am – 11:30am, Room 6A

Earth has changed, and entertainment will never be the same. Join Grant Bowler (Nolan), Julie Benz (Amanda Rosewater), Stephanie Leonidas (Irisa), Tony Curran (Datak Tarr), Jaime Murray (Stahma Tarr), Jesse Rath (Alak Tarr), Executive Producer Kevin Murphy and more from Syfy's groundbreaking multi-platform series as they discuss the overwhelming success of Defiance (the show and game) and share exclusive details from the second season. Moderated by Maureen Ryan, TV Critic for Huffington Post.

HELIX 11:45am – 12:45pm, Room 6A

Leave sunny San Diego behind for an icy chill as the creative team behind Helix – Executive Producers Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica), Steven Maeda (Lost), Writer/Co-Executive Producer Cameron Porsandeh and more – introduce Syfy's hotly anticipated new series. Get an inside look at this exciting new thriller about a mysterious outbreak at a desolate Artic outpost. The truth will spread! Moderated by Entertainment Weekly’s Geoff Boucher.

HAVEN 3:00pm – 4:00pm, Room 6DE

Leave your Troubles behind and join the cast of Haven as they bring a taste of Stephen King’s Maine to San Diego for their first ever SDCC panel. Moderated by new series addition Colin Ferguson (William, formerlyEureka’s Sheriff Carter), series stars Emily Rose (Audrey), Lucas Bryant (Nathan), Eric Balfour (Duke) and Adam Copeland (Dwight) will shed light on the town’s many secrets, mysteries and shocking surprises – not to mention exclusive footage – to come in Season 4 of Haven, premiering September 13. They’ll be joined by Haven co-creator Sam Ernst and executive producers Shawn Piller, Matt McGuinness and Gabrielle Stanton. Following the panel, fans are invited to participate in the #DiscoverHaven Scavenger Hunt.

Saturday, July 20

BEING HUMAN 4:00pm – 5:00pm, Indigo Ballroom

Itching to know what goes on behind the scenes of Syfy's smash hit series Being Human? Give in to your temptation and join cast members Sam Witwer (Aidan), Meaghan Rath (Sally), Sam Huntington (Josh), Kristen Hager (Nora) and Executive Producer Anna Fricke as they discuss what's in store for the new season. Moderated by Aaron Sagers, entertainment journalist (CNN.com/MTV.com) and geek culture expert.

WAREHOUSE 13 5:00pm – 6:00pm, Indigo Ballroom

Go behind the scenes of America's top-secret supernatural storage facility with Warehouse 13’s Eddie McClintock (Pete), Joanne Kelly (Myka), Saul Rubinek (Artie), Allison Scagliotti (Claudia) and Jack Kenny (Executive Producer). Take a look back at four out-of-this-world seasons and get a glimpse of what's in store for the fifth and final season of the beloved Syfy series. Moderated by Sam Thielman of Adweek.

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast Corporation. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

Syfy Drops First Trailer for Upcoming Series Defiance

Watch the show. Play the game. Change the world.

Coming soon to Syfy, Defiance is the innovative serial drama from the minds behind Battlestar Galactica and Farscape. Drifting through a terramorphed American landscape, the mysterious Nolan settles in a border town where aliens and humans fight against the fragility of peace. Tune in weekly as the citizens of Defiance thrive in this hostile world, and see how their struggles impact your war in the high-octane multi-platform MMO shooter from Trion Worlds!

Check out the first trailer for Syfy’s upcoming premiere of Defiance, a full Syfy experience where the television series converges with an MMO game, premiering in April 2013! Defiance, from the minds behind Battlestar Galactica & Farscape, stars Grant Bowler (True Blood) and Julie Benz (Dexter), and will join the transmedia revolution as it unfolds a serial drama from the TV screen into the world of gaming. For more information about the show, visit http://defiance.com/en/series/, and for more information about the game, check out http://defiance.com/en/game/.