By Eugie Foster | September 2, 2002 | 4:31 pm | Posted in: 2002

Looking much like his sexy/sophisticated smooth-voiced character, Ethan Rayne, on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series, Robin Sachs entered the packed Montreal/Vancouver room dressed in a white t-shirt and slim-fitting jeans to do an hour long “Meet Ethan Rayne” Q & A.

Sachs struck quite the muscle-bound figure as he good-naturedly flexed and posed for the shutterbug contingent.  It turns out that Sachs has a black belt in Karate and did most of his own stunts for Buffy.  “And my chiropractor is making a lot of money,” Sachs quipped.

When asked for insight on Ethan Rayne’s psyche, specifically what it was like to play such an evil character, Sachs replied: “Ethan was not loved enough by his mother.  And was spanked a lot by his father, which he rather enjoyed.  Evil?  No, I think he’s charmingly mischievous in an evil sort of way.” Mischievous, charming, and very ribald—evil is, after all, in the eye of the beholder—Sachs’ lively humor had the crowd in stitches.

A topic of much speculation, Sachs admitted that, sadly, he’d received no word of Ethan being on Ripper (a much anticipated BBC/Fox Buffy spin-off starring Anthony Steward Head as the title character—Rupert “Ripper” Giles), but the show itself is still in negotiations so hope still exists for all of us Ethan Rayne fans.

And, as to whether Sachs would be interested in being a part of the Ripper show?  “I’d love to do a show Ethan and the Ripper.”

Be sure to visit Robin Sachs’ website: www.robinsachs.com


Eugie Foster, when not flexing her editorial muscles for the Daily Dragon, is an award-winning writer of fiction that ranges from children’s folktales to science fiction to erotic horror. She received the 2009 Nebula Award for Best Novelette, is currently a finalist for the 2010 Hugo Award for Best Novelette, and was named the 2009 Author of the Year by Bards and Sages. Her works have been translated into French, Hungarian, Polish, and Greek, and her publication credits number over 100, including stories in Realms of Fantasy, Interzone, Orson Scott Card’s InterGalactic Medicine Show, Cricket and anthologies Best New Fantasy and Best New Romantic Fantasy 2. Her short fiction collection, Returning My Sister's Face and Other Far Eastern Tales of Whimsy and Malice, is now out from Norilana Books.