Richard P. Woolsey is a fictional character in the Stargate television franchise about military teams exploring the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies via a network of alien transportation devices.

Woolsey returns in the season 9 episode "Prototype" and encourages the SGC to take great risks with the captured Goa'uld-human-Ancient hybrid Khalek to learn more about the Ascension process.

[3] Being the US's representative on the newly formed International Oversight Advisory Committee (IOA), Woolsey and some colleagues are rescued by SG-1 and the crew of the Odyssey after a catastrophe at the Gamma Site in "The Scourge", which he later considers an "eye-opening experience.

[5] Faced with the threat of the Wraith, Woolsey tells Dr. Weir that the IOA is considering bringing the Atlantis ZPM to Earth to power the Ancient defense platform in Antarctica.

[10] After Samantha Carter takes control of Atlantis, Woolsey once again returns in order to assess her ability to command the expedition.

In this timeline, he ordered every resource in Atlantis to focus on the protection of the city and recalled everyone trying to help other humans in the galaxy who had fallen victim to Michael's plans for galactic domination.

Prior to taking his position in the NID, Woolsey was lead counsel for the Army Corps of Engineers and later sat on the Defense Policy Board.

He was offered a one-day guest star as Richard Woolsey for the SG-1 episode "Heroes" in season seven (2004) while he was working on The Outer Limits in Vancouver (where Stargate SG-1 is filmed).

"[13] Actor David Hewlett was enthusiastic and praised Woolsey's promotion to main character, stating "he brings sexy back," and expressed that Picardo's addition to the cast was "fish out of the water [...] he is the last person who should be in charge of Atlantis.