Katee Sackhoff recalled the negative reception she faced when she was cast as Kara “Starbuck” Thrace in Battlestar Galactica. Back in 2003, during San Diego Comic-Con, she arrived at Hall H and was met with boos. Since there wasn’t free internet back then, she later went to an internet café to find out what all the negative buzz was about. To her shock, she discovered a thread packed with hate.

Katee Sackhoff recalls fans booing her at Battlestar Galactica launch

In a podcast interview with The Joe Rogan Experience, Sackhoff opened up about receiving an upsetting reaction from fans upon the Battlestar Galactica launch at San Diego Comic-Con. She revealed, “They had us in Hall H, and I was booed. I was booed!”

She recalled that she bought 30 minutes at the internet cafe to check on what the negative buzz was about. “The internet did not exist yet, mind you. It was brand new. You had to go down to the internet café and buy 30 minutes … So I went down to an internet café because someone was like, ‘I guess they’re talking about the show on these message boards.’ And I was like, ‘What’s the internet?’ So I went on down. I logged on, and I saw this thread – and just the hate that I was getting in this thread!” she added.

Later, she attended Comic Con and was met with boos, which left her a bit upset. “I would be lying if I said it didn’t upset me. But luckily there were enough people championing the show that I really didn’t pay any mind to it.” Sackhoff mentioned that such boos could have easily broken her if they happened today, but back then, she had the “blissful ignorance of youth.”

At the time, she thought the show might not last long, so she didn’t pay much attention to the hate. Despite the boos, she was happy to be in Hall H. Gradually, the negativity faded, and fans eventually grew to love both the show and her character. She later attended conventions where she was met with support. She added, “People would say, ‘I didn’t want to like it, and I love it.’”