Robert Carlyle has had an extremely diverse career during his many years as an actor. First rising to international prominence in films like Trainspotting and The Full Monty, Carlyle went on to play many more memorable roles including the villain Renard in The World is Not Enough and Don in 28 Weeks Later. His latest role of Dr. Nicholas Rush on Stargate Universe puts him on a runaway spaceship where his character, along with the others stranded on the ship, must do what it takes to survive and get back home to earth — even if that means some people may have to be sacrificed in the process.

I caught up with Robert during press for Stargate Universe at the San Diego Comic-Con to talk about his new show. Among the topics covered was if he prefers movies or TV, the show itself, his interactions with the writers and his feelings about his characters motivations and morality.

QUESTION: You’re a movie star, and now you’re doing television. What’s the impetus to take on this particular role on this particular show?

ROBERT CARLYLE: Genuinely I’ve never really made deliberate differences between the genres like that. I think that particularly nowadays the difference between television and film is getting increasingly blurred and that’s just been the case in the past eight, ten years or so.  American television has been superb absolutely superb, it seemed to me that at one point the shows were just better than the last one and better than the last one.

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Over at Sci-Fi Channel’s official Stargate Universe site they’ve posted some new video footage incouding a couple “sneak peeks” and a trailer for your enjoyment. This series picks up the Stargate mantle where the previous three series left off and features a pretty decent cast including Lou Diamond Phillips, Ming-Na and Robert Carlyle.

The story, although still Stargate in many respects, is also a bit different this time around. It concerns the purpose of the so-called ‘Ninth Cheveron” and the team assigned to investigate it. This investigation leads them to a mysterious and ancient ship called “Destiny” and once there, they become trapped aboard as the ship races on its programmed mission. The team, unable to change the ship’s programming or course, are along for the ride — wherever it takes them.

During the trip they encounter new races, new technologies, new enemies and maybe even a few friends as the ship takes them on a journey to the end of the Universe. I don’t know about you but that actually sounds pretty interesting to me. Plus, Robert Carlyle is good in pretty much anything he does so his inclusion in this series makes it even more likley I’ll check it out when it hits the air this Fall.