Actress Katee Sackhoff Recalls Backlash Over Gender-Swapped 'Battlestar Galactica' Role

In 2025, actress Katee Sackhoff, now 45, reflected on the backlash she faced when she was cast as the gender-swapped Starbuck character in the 2003 'Battlestar Galactica' reboot. Sackhoff, who was in her early 20s at the time, says she was booed by fans at the show's first Comic-Con appearance in San Diego.

The actress explains that while the internet was still relatively new, she was able to see the "hate" she was receiving in online message boards even before attending the convention. However, Sackhoff says her youth at the time helped her cope with the negative reaction, as she didn't think the show would last anyway.

Despite the initial backlash, 'Battlestar Galactica' went on to become a critically acclaimed and influential science fiction series. Sackhoff says the character "slowly started winning people over," and the lines to meet her at conventions grew longer as the show gained more supporters. Even those who were initially skeptical ended up loving the series.

Now, nearly 20 years later, Sackhoff plans to finally watch the show she starred in, along with her husband who has never seen it. The actress says she's looking forward to revisiting the series that has since been hailed as one of television's most complex and groundbreaking science fiction shows.