How Richard Dean Anderson Accidentally Named a Fan Favorite Stargate SG-1 Character

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Over the span of ten years, even secondary characters on a TV series can gradually gain popularity among fans, and in the unique instance of Stargate SG-1, they might even acquire their own names, sometimes unexpectedly.

In a comprehensive oral history interview on Stargate SG-1 by SYFY WIRE in 2018, one of the series’ co-stars, Gary Jones (widely recognized by fans as the personnel stationed at the Stargate control room who frequently exclaims “Chevron seven locked!” across numerous episodes).

It’s not surprising that during the initial stages of the series, he primarily served as an unassuming background actor. However, as the storylines progressed, he was given a character, some promotions (earning those chevrons isn’t a walk in the park!), but his name wasn’t officially set until the lead actors, Richard Dean Anderson and Don Davis, accidentally called him by another name. This blunder resulted in him adopting a new moniker on two occasions.

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The reason why the Air Force asked for changes in Stargate SG-1 is that they wanted to clarify that no aliens are present at Area 51. The line from the pilot episode of SG-1 that convinced Richard Dean Anderson to join the show was this revelation about Area 51. Interestingly, Ben Browder almost played two different roles in Stargate Atlantis before eventually joining SG-1.

Stargate SG-1 star Gary Jones on becoming Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman

Jones elaborated on the topic for SYFY WIRE in this manner: “Initially, everyone found my role amusing since I began as a mere ‘technician.’ When you’re just a ‘technician,’ you can be easily swapped out with any other technician. To ensure I stood out, I aimed to become the best technician they had ever hired. It wasn’t until Season 2 that I started getting more episodes, but I was still referred to as ‘technician.’

After they altered my role from “sergeant” in the script, they began identifying me differently. I used to wear a nametag on set, which read Davis, making me Sergeant Davis. When they changed my character, it became significant because once you name a character, it’s challenging to eliminate them. I realized that this likely meant they might have to write me out of the story, so they needed to develop my character more substantially.

After that, I earned the rank of Master Sergeant. I kept getting promoted for unknown reasons, leaving me puzzled as to why. I remember thinking, “Why am I being promoted?” Their response was simply, “You just are.” Upon my return, I found myself elevated to Chief Master Sergeant. At one point, Richard Dean Anderson started referring to me as Walter instead of Norman Davis, which I believe happened in the episode ‘2010.’ The team corrected him, saying, “His name isn’t Walter,” but Anderson insisted, “Well it is now.

“So then I was Norman Walter Davis.

Later on, Don Davis, who was General Hammond, had a distinct southern accent due to his Missouri origins. At one point, since I was an Air Force member, one of his commands was ‘open the iris, airman.’ However, he pronounced it in a way that sounded like Harriman instead of airman. As a result, they altered my name from Norman Walter Davis to Walter Harriman.

Ultimately, the character of Chief Master Sergeant Walter Jones came to be known by the surname Harriman.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the series Stargate SG-1 enjoyed an impressive run on the SYFY network, leading to numerous sequels and movies that continued for over a decade.

The Ark brings Stargate creators back to SYFY

Even though Stargate has come to an end, its innovative essence continues through SYFY’s original show, The Ark, which will be back for its third season in the year 2026.

Dean Devlin and Jonathan Glassner jointly serve as the showrunners and executive producers for the series titled “The Ark“. In this production, Christie Burke plays the role of a space traveler who leads an unconventional team on a mission to discover a suitable new world to inhabit.

Watch the initial two series of “The Ark” on Peacock right away, as Season 3 will be available exclusively on SYFY starting in 2026.

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2025-07-04 16:02