"Battlestar Galactica" was known for its collaborative creative process that involved not just the writers and producers, but the actors as well. And the fruits of that collaboration could be seen from the very beginning during the memorial service speech in the miniseries that went from a simple podium lecture as written, to a rising speech ending with the now famous "So say we all!"

There have been a lot of comparisons between the style of "Battlestar Galactica" and the new Syfy series "Stargate: Universe." But when it comes to actors making changes to script on set, it's not a very common occurrence.

"I was trained that the writer wrote for a specific reason, and it's your job as an actor to make it work," Brian J. Smith, who plays Lt. Matthew Scott in 'Universe,' told Alpha Waves Radio. "If there's a problem, it's not because of the writer, it's usually because of you. My brain doesn't work around, 'This scene isn't working for me. How can you tailor-make this scene to fit my ego.'"

On top of that, there just isn't a lot of downtime on the set of "Universe," where production is kept moving at a brisk pace.

"You don't have a lot of time to sit around and get kumbaya about a scene," Smith said. "It's very tight and structured. The scene is placed where it's placed for a specific reason, and you're saying things for a very specific reasons."

Smith is back on set in Vancouver, British Columbia, with the rest of the ensemble cast of "Universe" shooting the show's second season. Fans, however, will have a chance to get the back-10 episodes of the hit series' first season beginning April 2 when "Universe" returns to Syfy.

"Universe" is the first regular series gig Smith has picked up in his very young career, and there are many times he still stands in disbelief about where he is when acting out a scene.

"I still see myself as a community theater actor," he said. "That is always how I'm going to view my career. I love to do theater. I will sweep the stage of the theater and work backstage."

Television was meant to be more of a way to pay the bills, making occasional appearances in shows such as "Law & Order" and "CSI," Smith said. And his first couple years out of Juilliard were spent doing theater both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, as well as some independent films.

"I got into acting when I was in high school as a way to sort of escape, to give voice or vent feelings to the characters I was playing," Smith said.

But the acting bug stuck with him, and he focuses solely on the art. In fact, making the move from New York to Vancouver was not an easy one, so convincing him to take on any project on the west coast was a major undertaking for any producer looking to cast him.

"The only shows I watch are 'Friday Night Lights,' 'Battlestar Galactica' and 'The Shield,'" Smith said. "When I heard some of these names come up when I was talking to the producers of ['Universe'], I said, 'OK, that is the kind of TV that I would want to be involved in."

Hear the full 35-minute interview with Brian J. Smith March 25 beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Alpha Waves Radio. Immediately following the live stream, Tony Tellado hosts Alpha Waves Rewind, a live call-in show where listeners can share their thoughts, opinions, or whatever in science-fiction, fantasy, comics and more.

"Stargate: Universe" returns with its 10 final episodes of the first season April 2 at 9 p.m. ET on Syfy, with a second season expected to start airing in the fall.