Babylon 5's Andreas Katsulas Has Died

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

Andreas Katsulas, the character actor known to SF fans as G'Kar on Babylon 5 and a familiar face from Star Trek and other SF&F TV shows, died Feb. 13 of lung cancer in Los Angeles, his agent, Donna Massetti, confirmed to SCI FI Wire. He was 59.

Katsulas, a longtime resident of Los Angeles, played the Narn ambassador G'Kar for five years in the syndicated cult TV series Babylon 5, starting in 1993. He reprised the role in subsequent Babylon 5 telefilms.

Katsulas was also no stranger to Trek fans, playing Romulan Cmdr. Tomalak in Star Trek: The Next Generation. His last appearance in Trek series was as a Vissian captain on an episode of Enterprise.

Born in St. Louis, Katsulas held a master's degree in theater from Indiana University, his official Web site said. After performing in plays in St. Louis, New York and Boston, he went on to film roles in such movies as Michael Cimino's The Sicilian, which brought him to Los Angeles, then in Ridley Scott's Someone To Watch Over Me and Blake Edward's Sunset.

www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=1&id=34628

Rest in Peace, Andreas. You will be missed.
:cry:

[YankeyMCC]

1. A loss indeed

a talented man who I enjoyed very much as G'Kar. He was absolutely outstanding in that role.

[IndianaGreen]

2. Katsulas brought G'Kar to life, filled him with humanity

He also played a great one arm man in "The Fugitive."

RIP

[Love Bug]

3. This sucks!

Be at peace, Andreas. You brought so much to SF fans everywhere.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

4. My favorite G'Kar Quote ever:

"No dictator, no invader can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever. There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom. Against that power, governments and tyrants and armies cannot stand. - Citizen G'Kar to Ambassador Londo Mollari, "The Long Twilight Struggle"

(Is it crass to reply to your own post?)

[ThoughtCriminal]

6. "The year we took back what was ours."

Amen!

[IndianaGreen]

7. That's a great quote!

Because of that you are forgiven for replying to your own post.

:)

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

8. Thank you. Here's Straczynski's words on the passing of Katsulas...

Just over a year ago, Andreas Katsulas -- who loved smoking with a passion that cannot be described -- was diagnosed with lung cancer,
which by then had already spread to other areas. He quit smoking at once and went on a healthy diet and vitamin program, but there was
little hope of a good resolution even though the new regimen was very good for him. When we spoke about it, he laughed, and said, "Now that
I'm dying I've never felt better!"

His spirits were always up and positive, putting everyone at ease about his condition, because...well, that's the kind of person he was.

A couple of months ago, he and his wife convened a dinner with me, Doug, and Peter Jurasik, which was filled with laughter and stories and
good food. He wanted to know all the stories we never told him because, as he said, "Who am I going to tell?" So we did. Because we
knew we were saying goodbye, and there would not be a second chance.

Last night, in the company of his wife and family, Andreas closed his eyes and went away.

He lived an amazing life...full of travel and wonder and good work...was part of the world renowned Peter Brook company...he saw the
planet, loved and was loved, ate at great restaurants, smoked too many cigarettes...he lived a life some people would die for.

And, sadly, due to the last part of that equation...he did.

Memorial arrangements are still being worked out, but will doubtless be private.

Andreas is gone...and G'Kar with him, because no one else can ever play that role, or ever will.

I will miss him terribly.



J. Michael Straczynski

www.jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-17526

(Moderators: I do not believe the above text is copyrighted. If you think it is, and thus should be edited...let me know or edit it yourselves. Thanks!)

[tlsmith1963]

11. Oh, It's Been Posted All Over the Place

I don't think that "Joe" (that's what everyone calls Straczynski, that or "JMS") would mind you posting it. :)

[jayfish]

5. I Always Think Of Him As The One Arm Man. -NT-

Jay

[Greylyn58]

9. Andreas will be very truly missed

I was lucky enough to have met this amazing man at a Dragon-con Convention in Atlanta and he was truly a wonderful human being. His portrayal of Ambassador G'Kar was one of my favorites on Babylon 5

My favorite quote of G'Kar was always:

G'Quon wrote, "There is a greater darkness than the one we fight. It is the darkness of the soul that has lost its way. The war we fight is not against powers and principalities, it is against chaos and despair. Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the death of dreams. Against this peril we can never surrender. The future is all around us, waiting, in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain."

Citizen G'Kar

RIP sir. I will really miss you. :cry:

[tlsmith1963]

10. I Met Andreas Once

He was my favorite actor on Babylon 5. He was just amazing as G'Kar. He could transcend the makeup, something that isn't easy to do. The B5 community tends to be very close, even to this day. Everyone is just devastated. It hasn't been an easy few years because Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklin) also passed away not too long ago. And the actor who played Zathras in a few episodes (Tim Choate) is gone, too. I listen to the B5 podcast, & the actors are all taking stock of their lives now that they have lost some of the people from the show. It has definitely made them realize what is really important.

[Cassandra]

12. So sad!

As you can see from my sig line, I love B5. Nightwatch was so obviously a bunch of repukes.