Mike Flanagan Explains How ‘Carrie’s Surprise ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Reunion Happened

Mike Flanagan has packed Prime Video’s new Carrie miniseries with familiar faces from the Flanaverse, but one group may have Battlestar Galactica fans doing a double take. Several actors from the sci-fi favorite appear throughout the eight-episode Stephen King adaptation. Warning: Some spoilers ahead for Prime Video’s Carrie.

The connections begin with Michael Trucco, who played Samuel Anders on Battlestar Galactica. In Carrie, Trucco plays John Hargensen, the father of mean girl Chris Hargensen (Alison Thornton) and has a recurring role throughout the season. In the show, John is an emotionally distant father whose financial problems derail his daughter’s future and contribute to many of Chris’ emotional issues.

Then there’s Tahmoh Penikett, better known to Battlestar fans as Karl “Helo” Agathon. He appears in Episode 6 as Ralph White, the late father of Carrie White (Summer H. Howell). Ralph appears in flashbacks as Margaret White’s (Samantha Sloyan) government conspiracy-loving partner, whose own wild views about society helped shape how the couple raised their daughter.

But Flanagan really goes wild with the reunion in Episode 7, which he also directs.

Katee Sackhoff, who played Kara “Starbuck” Thrace on Battlestar Galactica, makes an appearance as Amanda, a new addition to the story of Carrie. The episode opens with Amanda in 2015, when the mother has become afraid of her own daughter because of the girl’s ability to astral project. Margaret White reaches out to her in search of finding support, but instead finds something…else.

And Sackhoff isn’t the only Battlestar Galactica veteran who turns up in Episode 7. When parents and students gather to decide whether Ewen High School should cancel its senior prom, the room suddenly starts looking a lot like a Battlestar set.

Aaron Douglas, who played Chief Galen Tyrol, appears as an angry parent who has had enough of Principal Grayle (Matthew Lillard). “I am not letting my kid anywhere near an event supervised by you,” he says. “He’s still healing from a compound fracture from your last assemblies.”

Tricia Helfer, a.k.a. Number Six, is another concerned parent. “Emotions are high,” she tells the room. “A quiet end of the year might be the best thing that everyone can hope for.”

Rekha Sharma, who played Tory Foster — one of the Final Five Cylons — also appears as a parent speaking out at the meeting.

Despite their objections, the majority ultimately votes to hold the prom.

That puts four Battlestar Galactica actors in Episode 7 alone: Sackhoff, Douglas, Helfer, and Sharma. Add Trucco and Penikett from earlier episodes, and Flanagan managed to work at least six veterans of the beloved sci-fi series into Carrie.

Chatting with TV Insider, the modern master of horror explained how he made this happen.

“I’m such a Battlestar fanatic,” Mike Flanagan told TV Insider when we asked about the mini-reunion taking place in the fair burg of Chamberlain. “That’s why Katee Sackhoff was cast in Oculus, because I get to work with Starbuck! Trucco then came in for Hush, and I screened Hush for Trucco at his house, and there were so many other Battlestar cast members there, and I completely lost my cool, and just fanboyed out.”

“I got to work with a few phenomenal cast members for Battlestar over the years,” explained Flanagan. “I spent a ton of time with Mary McDonnell doing [Fall of the House of] Usher.”

“And when it came time, we had Tahmoh, and we had Katee, and we had Trucco in this, and it was like, oh, we need people for this scene, and Trucco said, ‘Oh, well, let me reach out! I bet Aaron Douglas is in town. He might pop by.’ And by then, it started to turn into a reunion. Trucco helped whip everybody up,” explained Flanagan. “And by the time Tricia Helfer was going to be there, I was like, ‘This is going to be the coolest day on set, this whole shoot. I’m just a huge fan.”

Carrie, Streaming Now, Prime Video