Why Paul Campbell's Billy Left Battlestar Galactica

Billy Kekia was a supporting character in the hit TV series Battlestar Galactica played by Paul Campbell until his character was murdered in Season 2. There can be multiple reasons for a character to leave the show before it ends especially in supporting roles. the television. But with Billy there seemed to be reasons beyond scheduling or creative differences. The character got a decent farewell with an emotionally satisfying arc for her character but Campbells exit from the show was for more than narrative reasons.Battlestar ran for 76 episodes between 2004 and 2009 over 4 seasons following the last human survivors in a convoy while trying to evade their pursuit by the Cylons. Bailey was President Laura Roslins personal assistant spying on the military and later becoming her liaison. Bailey forms a directing relationship with Roslyn which later turns into a semi motherly relationship giving her death more emotional weight. He forms a romantic relationship with de Douala an officer aboard Galactica and proposes to her in the same episode she wrote about. However the love triangle with Lee Apollo Adama makes Dee reject his offer in favor of the main character. This leads Billy to compare himself to Lee and the traits he chooses to encapsulate are heroism. The main plot or Cylons plan to destroy humanity created the hysteria that spurred the terrorist act behind Lee Billy and Dee being turned into hostages. Billy was killed trying to save Dee and he was fatally shot in the chest.

This was as good a goodbye as any supporting cast member could ask for. Billy was well integrated into the many layers of the shows plot his social awkwardness relatable and likable and he had important connections to the main characters. The shows writers seemed to care about the character which gave him an agreeable arc and a fair amount of screen time. The characters death was also handled well and was not as controversial as Dees suicide in Season 4. However the actor behind the character Paul Campbell was not working with the shows makers due to his perceived lack of contract commitment. term. . Campbell had to weigh the choice between several projects after the first Battlestar season and was reluctant to commit to the entire series before it was renewed for a second season. Thus while his characters death was well executed it was actually caused by circumstances beyond the narratives control.Most of the actors excitedly signed new contracts while Campbell was reluctant which led to the character being written. Another project that Paul was involved in didnt work out and he blames himself for the missed opportunity saying It was my choice somehow... It wasnt really a surprise but I didnt expect it to happen. The way he did. The young actor had to live with the decision yet he didnt resent the show and admitted to watching Battlestar Galactica until its controversial three part finale and even an appearance after that.

It would be easy to judge Campbells decision with hindsight given the success of Battlestar but there are plenty of factors for the young actors trying to make a name for themselves. Choosing a program with a low cancellation risk is a gamble. Even great scripts stellar templates and great budget uses havent stopped shows like Firefly from stopping by. Another undeniable factor is the possibility to get involved in the sci fi genre as many actors have done jumping from one show to the next with very few people having achieved high profile acting careers. This will undoubtedly be living in the back of Campbells mind when he faces the ultimatum.Theres no doubt that Paul Campbell regretted his decision or lack thereof and that his character Billy would be writing from Battlestar Galactica. Campbell later appeared with antagonists having several actors such as Richard Hatch reprise their roles and remaining professionally positive about his release. Campbells career continues with several acting credits to his name mostly with minor roles but he remains active to this day and is currently looking for a new project. Like his character Billy Paul Campbell was forced to take a risk and when the dice were turned against him he accepted the consequences.