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Josh Friedman, executive producer of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," says his hit Fox series is all about characters, but at the same time, it's all about the actors, too.

While some may look at the additions of Brian Austin Green from the original "90210" and rock artist Shirley Manson as stunt casting, Friedman says there's far more to it, and they had to go through the same auditions as everyone else to land their roles.

"I've known Shirley well cor a couple years, and known her off and on for many years as she's a friend of my wife," Friedman told reporters during a conference call Thursday that included Airlock Alpha. "Personally, I've always enjoyed her and known her as a performer. And as we were doing the show last year, I used to joke with her about coming on the show and doing one episode or something like that because she never acted. I said for her to come on and be a scary Terminator for an episode, and she would say, 'Yeah, yeah.'"

But as casting began for the second season, Friedman found himself looking for someone to play the mysterious Catherine Weaver, a tough executive who runs a company trying to develop the Turk technology featured last season.

"She just has an incredible charisma," Friedman said. "She was given no extra points for being Shirley Manson. In fact, she was probably given minus points by people who thought a singer couldn't do this."

Manson makes her premiere the same time "Sarah Connor's" second season kicks off Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Also making his first appearance since becoming a cast regular is Green continuing his role of Derek Reese, uncle to John Connor and a hardened veteran of the FutureWar.

"John was always looking for father figures, and it was nice to have one around that is blood-related," Friedman said. "Derek represents the future face of the FutureWar and the cost of it. He is this sort of damaged war vet, and when he's in the scene, you always have this sense of the stakes of what they're fighting for, because you don't want to see someone become like Derek."

Lena Headey, who plays the title character in the Terminator series, says there is a lot of emotions that flow through Sarah Connor, and just one of them is anger.

"I think Sarah is pretty complex," Headey said. "You take a normal girl who gives birth to Jesus, and is truly in love with this man [Kyle Reese in the original 'Terminator' film], and he dies and leaves her with this legacy," Headey said. "I absolutely think that her anger is of herself and her situation, and her frustration in dealing with it. I think she would like to say, 'Fuck you all.'"

Sarah also has to deal with cancer, something Terminator fans know she has to face thanks to "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" and a line from the friendly Terminator Cameron last season.

And no, writers haven't moved on after they opened that pandora's box, Friedman said.

"It's definitely not something that we've forgotten about," he said. "But I don't think you're going to see her in bed with chemo anytime soon."

One issue that is looming for the entire cast is death. During Comic-Con International in San Diego in July, Friedman revealed that "someone on this stage" -- which included every major actor on the show, including Manson -- would die this season.

At the time, no one -- especially the cast -- seemed to know who it was. But that's since changed, and the targeted actor is aware of his or her predicament.

"It's pure storytelling," Friedman said, adding it's still painful to say good-bye to actors on the show. "Going to an actor and saying, 'Here is a script and here is what's going to happen,' is extremely difficult. It's never driven by economics or anything extracurricular. We're just in the writers room, and there is this dawning realization where someone has a real good idea, but it's going to cost somebody their job."

As the second season premieres, fans will get to welcome Busy Philipps from "Freaks and Geeks" and "Dawson's Creek" fame for a handful of episodes.

Of course, all answers to many of the fans' questions will be revealed as "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" embarks on its second season beginning Sept. 8 on Fox.

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