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Television Sci-Fi

'Babylon 5' Actress Mira Furlan Dies At 65 (bbc.com) 52

Posted by EditorDavid from the leader-of-the-Grey-Council dept.
Slashdot reader The Grim Reefer shares a report from the BBC: Babylon 5 and Lost actress Mira Furlan has died at the age of 65, her family and management have confirmed. Furlan played Minbari Ambassador Delenn in the 1990s sci-fi TV drama, Babylon 5, and Danielle Rousseau in the noughties mystery drama, Lost.

Her family told the BBC the Croatian actress died on Wednesday due to complications with West Nile Virus... A message on Furlan's Twitter account, confirmed to be taken from the autobiography she was working on, read: "I look at the stars. It's a clear night and the Milky Way seems so near. That's where I'll be going soon."
Babylon 5 J Michael Straczynski wrote on Twitter, "It is a night of great sadness, for our friend and comrade had gone down the road where we cannot reach her. But as with all things, we will catch up with her in time, and I believe she will have many stories to tell us, and many new roles to share with the universe."
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'Babylon 5' Actress Mira Furlan Dies At 65 More

'Babylon 5' Actress Mira Furlan Dies At 65

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  • Only one human captain has survived the battle... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by kot-begemot-uk ( 6104030 ) on Sunday January 24, 2021 @10:42AM (#60985582) Homepage
    One after another. Franklin... Sinclair... G'Kar... And now Delenn. https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

    Rest In Piece.

    Or to be more exact, sleep in light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

    • Damn... Rest in Peace... F*cking autocomplete...
    • You forgot Vir you insensitive clod

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by Z00L00K ( 682162 )

        Also Zack and Garibaldi...

        The cast of Babylon 5 and the development of the characters there is what made that series stand out - and the actors put the final touch on that development.

        Mira was one person that you really felt good when you saw her. The regret I have is that I didn't get to meet her in real life.

        Stephen Furst was another person that really did put his touch on B5 - in the way that he did represent everyone that's a bit unsure of themselves in real life but was able to overcome it.

        Andreas Kats

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by Erbo ( 384 )
      She has gone forth from us, to explore beyond the Rim.

      We live for the One, we die for the One.

      Entil'zha veni, in Valen's name.

  • Died of West Nile Virus (!!!) (Score:3)

    by zidium ( 2550286 ) on Sunday January 24, 2021 @10:51AM (#60985618) Homepage

    Mira Furlan, 65, just died of West Nile Virus complications (!!)

    WTF?! I never heard of anyone dying of that in the Winter! It’s a mosquito-borne illness!

    https://www.nydailynews.com/ne... [nydailynews.com]

  • Hah (Score:1)

    by pele ( 151312 )

    So at the very forefront of technology we bring you last weeks news. Pathetic.

  • She was the One (Score:5, Interesting)

    by jfdavis668 ( 1414919 ) on Sunday January 24, 2021 @11:03AM (#60985646)
    but no one listens to Zathras.

  • What's a minibar ambassador? (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    And why does a minibar need an ambassador? This must be some really crazy sci-fi.

  • B5 Curse (Score:5, Informative)

    by Kunedog ( 1033226 ) on Sunday January 24, 2021 @11:08AM (#60985668)
    In order of death:

    Richard Biggs, 44
    Andreas Katsulas, 59
    Jeff Conaway, 60
    Michael O'Hare, 60
    Jerry Doyle, 60
    Stephen Furst, 63
    Mira Furlan, 65

    For a while the women seemed to be immune, though according to Claudia Christian herself she came very close:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

    P.S. I know about Tim Choate but I'm just listing major recurring characters.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Viol8 ( 599362 )

      Didn't realise that many had died. Its not unexpected for a few of the middle aged main cast of a big series to have died after 20 years but that many is just bizarre.

      • > but that many is just bizarre

        Many of them had difficult lives. JMS's casting may have been brilliant in that regard.

        It certainly caused him no end of headaches, though his recasting of Sinclair as Valen of necessity(then opportunity) was categorically brilliant.

        • Interesting, I had no idea about Sinclair/O'Hare's personal troubles.

          I think it was truly fortunate for the show, however.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Fringe ( 6096 )
      It was the radiation poisoning. Planetary atmospheres protect you from an early death.

    • In her role in Babylon 5. Well, may she rest in peace.

  • Star Stuff (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Insanity Defense ( 1232008 ) on Sunday January 24, 2021 @11:08AM (#60985670)

    We are star stuff. We are the universe made manifest trying to figure itself out.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by Damouze ( 766305 )

      So true.

      Carl Sagan would have been proud that his wisdom carried over across the stars...

  • so sad.. was looking forward.. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by sjashe ( 2534132 ) on Sunday January 24, 2021 @11:10AM (#60985678)
    I liked her current work on Space Command.. I go back every year to rewatch B5.. she gave such a level of respect to that character. I had been in Yugoslavia before the breakup, and understood her sadness over the fall of that country and culture. Will miss her performances. Wish we could have known her more.

  • There were some terrible actors ... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by thomst ( 1640045 ) on Sunday January 24, 2021 @11:12AM (#60985686) Homepage

    ... in Babylon 5.

    Mira Furlan was not among them.

    With Andreas Katsulas and Peter Jurasik (not to mention the wonderful Stephen Furst and Bill Mumy), she made the alien characters on the show human, without in any way compromising their believablity as aliens. D'Lenn's empathic Minbari nature infused every moment of her screen time: every gesture, every word, every action - and that all was Mira Furlan's doing. She made us admire D'Lenn's integrity, and believe in her goodness.

    And, like the others I mentioned, she helped make Babylon 5 the amazing accomplishment it was, despite the dickishness of the WB execs, whose unwillingness to commit to a 5th season until near the end of production for the 4th one caused the 5th season to feel so padded it was downright upholstered. (Yes, I'm still pissed off about that. I'm older that Mira Furlan, so get the hell off my lawn ... )

    • D'Lenn would be a Narn name. She was a Minbari, hence Delenn.

    • And, like the others I mentioned, she helped make Babylon 5 the amazing accomplishment it was, despite the dickishness of the WB execs, whose unwillingness to commit to a 5th season until near the end of production for the 4th one caused the 5th season to feel so padded it was downright upholstered. (Yes, I'm still pissed off about that. I'm older that Mira Furlan, so get the hell off my lawn ... )

      How to watch Babylon 5, if you haven't already:

      Start with episode 1 of season 1, continue watching all episodes to the penultimate episode of season 4, then watch the movie "In the beginning", watch the last episode of season 5, wait ten years and finally watch the last episode of season 4.

      Skip the rest of season 5 and all the other movies (except perhaps for the pilot movie), because they really suck.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by Damouze ( 766305 )

        Before I first watched B5 I had several friends tell me something different: watch season 2 through 5 first, then watch season 1 and then watch the entire series all over again. I have never regretted heeding this advice.

  • West Nile. Sad (Score:5, Interesting)

    by WindBourne ( 631190 ) on Sunday January 24, 2021 @11:14AM (#60985696) Journal
    Back in the early 80s, I worked at CDC on arthropod borne virus. That included West Nile, *encephalitis, and Dengue. Because we used live virus, we had to take vaccines for these. These were live vaccines, BUT, these were not really safe. Turned out that CDC and FDA have loads of vaccines, that basically failed to be safe for the general public. These were such we had 10% chance of hospitalization, 5% brain death, and 1% death. Sound high until you look at the stats on the afore mentioned virus (In general, 5-10x that). So, it makes sense to have these for ppl that are working with it on a daily basis.

    However, Maderna is the one that pioneered the mRNA, but they were looking at fixing rarer genetic diseases. They then created these for vaccines. I am sure that once covid is solved, they will (if they are not already), moving on to other diseases to create SAFE vaccines for these. It would be nice to see a number of vaccines to some of the rarer virus be created and then stored for outbreaks, or outright used in locations where the virus is known to exists at.
  • Folks, this is why I constantly stress the need for social distancing and masks. Safety needs to be our number one goal and it's not an infringement on your rights to require you to wear a mask at all times. Personally I would be in favor of mandating that face shields also be worn and have called in to governor Newsom more than once requesting that they be part of his COVID-19 plans.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Fringe ( 6096 )
      She lived on a space station. Social distancing wasn't an option, although perhaps they could have quarantined B5 entirely; they'd done it before.
      I don't recall ever seeing her wear a mask, even on a ship. But then again, the White Star was pretty advanced.
      ;), in case it's not clear.
    • West Nile virus is mosquito borne. Face masks would have done nothing for Ms Furlan. A mosquito net, insecticide fogging or improved drainage would all be more appropriate.

  • We have lost a good actress, and an even better human being. This makes us all a little less then before. Fair winds Mira

  • This was first reported on the 21st.

    And the "news for nerds" site is reporting 3 days later?

  • This is news?

  • ...and raise our hand like she did for Sheridan.

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