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The “Babylon 5” and “Lost” actress, Mira Furlan, passed away on Jan. 20, 2021. Her death has been attributed to complications from the West Nile Virus. According to her family, she had suffered from the virus for a time prior to her death.
Her family further stated, “She was a woman full of kindness, strength, and compassion.” They told BBC that Furlan passed away in her Los Angeles home “surrounded by her family.”
The actress was born on Sept. 7, 1955, in Zagreb, Croatia, Yugoslavia. Furlan was a leading actress in theatre, TV, and film in the former Yugoslavia. She and her husband Goran Gajic moved to the United States in November 1991.
They left their homeland due to intolerable political circumstances. Soon after arriving in the U.S. Furlan began auditioning for acting roles. In 1993, she became Ambassador Delenn on the Warner Brothers television series “Babylon 5.”
She won the Sci-Fi Universe for Best Supporting Actress in a Genre TV-series in 1996 and 1997. Furlan starred in a TV movie called “My Antonia” in 1995. This film was directed by Joseph Sargent.
She has also appeared in many theatre roles throughout her career. The star won the Dramalogue Theatre Award for Outstanding Performance in 1995.
On Dec. 15, 1998, she and her husband welcomed their son Mako Lav Gajic into the world.
Furlan returned to her home country to work with the Rade Sebedzija’s Ulysses Theatre Company in 2002 and 2003. Her return to the Croatian stage happened eleven years after her exile.
After J. Michael Straczynski — creator of “Babylon 5” — heard about the actress’s death he posted a tribute to her on his social networks.
It is a night of great sadness, for our friend and comrade had gone down the road where we cannot reach her.
He further commented that everyone was looking forward to catching up with her in the afterlife. Straczynski also mentioned that the cast and crew of the show had “known for some time now that Mira’s health” had been declining.
Many of Furlan’s fans posted how sad they were to hear the news of her death. One person tweeted how “Babylon 5” was his “favorite show of all time.”
… because of actors like Mira Furlan who transcended the page, crafted a character beyond print or prose, who created a connection that moved your very soul.
She was 65-years-old at the time of her death.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
BBC: Mira Furlan: Babylon 5 and Lost actress dies at 65
b92: Actress Mira Furlan passed away, suffered from the West Nile virus
IMDb: Mira Furlan
Featured Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License