Actor Richard Hatch — who starred in the original Battlestar Galactica film and TV series — died on Tuesday after a battle with pancreatic cancer, according to his manager Michael Kaliski. He was 71.
"I will always remember him fondly for his inspiring sense of youthful wonder, his boundless passion for creative expression and his huge, kind heart," Kaliski told news agencies.
Hatch played space fighter pilot Captain Apollo in the original series, which aired from 1978-1979, a role that earned him a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a television drama series. The show was canceled after one season.
He portrayed a different character, Tom Zarek, in the 2004-2009 re-imagined series. It was a recurring role in which he played a terrorist turned politician.
Hatch began his acting career Off Broadway, and then in 1971 he got noticed after an episode of All My Children.
He worked steadily on popular TV series at the time, such as: Dynasty, The Love Boat and Baywatch.
Variety reports Hatch also wrote five original Battlestar novels, and became a popular fixture at comic book and sci-fi events for fans.
Edward James Olmos, who played Admiral Adama on the rebooted Battlestar Galatica, tweeted his condolences:
Here's how RollingStone magazine ended its story on Hatch's death:
On his website, Hatch reflected on his time in the original Battlestar Galactica, calling the show "a milestone." He continued, "It afforded me the opportunity to live out my childhood dreams and fantasies. Hurtling through space with reckless abandon, playing the dashing hero, battling Cylons, monsters and super-villains – what more could a man want?"
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