Who he is:

Felix Gaeta, portrayed by Alessandro Juliani, is one of the Galactica's best and brightest, a scientific genius with a natural understanding of computers and technology. He briefly left the Colonial Forces for a political role as President Gaius Baltar's aide, but after New Caprica, he was welcomed back to the CIC.

Why we love him:

This earnest, hard-working young officer on the Galactica has endeared himself to us through his passionate commitment to his job and his crewmates. He is modest and eager to be of use in all situations, and his boyish intellectual awe of Gaius Baltar was always a little bit painful to watch, because Baltar never seemed to take Gaeta very seriously (though he played at it when he needed him, of course).

In Final Cut, Gaeta explained that he'd put his entire life on hold in order to attain the position he now holds, and he is understandably stricken by the realization that the Cylon attacks have pulled his future ambitions off the table, leaving this position as his final destination rather than the stop along the way it was intended to be. He shyly admits that he's begun experimenting with drinking (he likes it), smoking (he hates it), and tattoos (he looks unbelievably hot showing it off).

A pivotal moment for Gaeta comes in Lay Down Your Burdens Part II, when he discovers the plot to steal the election from Gaius Baltar. His pure devotion to truth and justice drives him to intervene, leading to Baltar's inauguration as President. Gaeta retires from the military to serve as Baltar's aide, and over the course of the YIBH, his innocence is trampled by Baltar's many excesses and dispassionate leadership of the people.

However, Gaeta sees the opportunity for redemption once the Cylons arrive on New Caprica. He uses his position at Baltar's right hand to feed crucial intel to the human resistance, and during the New Caprica Exodus, he nearly executes Baltar in a final act of disgust and self-loathing. His desperation and uncertainty in this moment are so powerfully portrayed, it is among my favorite scenes of the series.

Back on Galactica, he is hated by many for his association with Baltar, and he even winds up a target of the Circle of Six in Collaborators for his perceived collusion with Baltar and the Cylons on New Caprica. He despairs of his actions so greatly that he seems willing to allow the Circle to kill him, but Chief Tyrol comes to his rescue upon realizing Gaeta had been their source of information. After that truth comes out, Gaeta finally gets to be a part of the family again, because maybe they all see him as the audience always had: just a good guy trying to do what he can to help, always making the most of any opportunity to do the right thing and never seeking any reward or recognition for it.

Where you may have seen him:

Like many Vancouver-based actors, Alessandro Juliani has appeared in a number of locally filmed TV series. In addition to Battlestar Galactica, on which he has been a major presence ever since the miniseries, he played two different characters on three episodes of Stargate SG-1 over the years. His character on Jeremiah recurred at least in voiceover after his initial appearance. Juliani has in fact done more work that you may have heard than that you could have seen, as evidenced by his extensive credits as a voice actor for animated series and films as well as video games.

What's next for him after Battlestar:

He's appearing in the feature films Elegy and Traveling!

Character Connections

• Gaius Baltar - Aide to Baltar before the invasion
• Tom Zarek - Becomes close to Zarek in s4 after Tom is arrseyed for corruption