The A&E drama series Longmire, based on the Walt Longmire mystery novels by best-selling author Craig Johnson, is a contemporary crime thriller set in Big Sky country. Walt Longmire (Australian actor Robert Taylor) is the charismatic, dedicated and unflappable sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, who buries the pain of losing his wife behind a brave face and dry wit. With the help of Victoria “Vic” Moretti (Katee Sackhoff), a female deputy new to the department, Longmire becomes reinvigorated about his job and committed to running for re-election, as he rebuilds his personal and professional life.

During this exclusive interview with Collider, actress Katee Sackhoff talked about how this show came about and how it came down to either Longmire or the ABC fantasy series Once Upon A Time (she was up for Jennifer Morrison’s role), how she identifies with her character, and what she enjoys about working with this cast. She also talked about what appealed to her about doing the next Riddick film with Vin Diesel, her crazy audition process for the role, her feelings about the Battlestar Galactica finale, and her dream of playing a country singer who falls in love with a rodeo cowboy (for the film Paper Wings). Check out what she had to say after the jump:

Vin Diesel recently posted some updates on his Facebook page that suggest we might be seeing Riddick as early as January of next year.  Principal photography wrapped recently on Riddick, the third film in a franchise that started with Pitch Black. While Diesel was hoping to see a release in 2012, this comes as a good sign that the studio is happy with what they’re seeing.  That bodes well, not only for Riddick, but for the potential sequels if Riddick proves commercially successful.  Be sure to check out some images from set here. The extensive cast includes Karl Urban, Katee Sackhoff, Jordi Molla, Bokeem Woodbine, David Bautista, Matt Nable, Conrad Pla, Raoul Trujillo, Nolan Funk, and Keri Hilson. Hit the jump to see what Diesel had to say.