Battlestar Galactica‘s Apollo has taken his final flight. The New York Daily News and other outlets are confirming that actor Richard Hatch passed away after a long battle with cancer. He was 71 years old.
Hatch started on his road to success as a theater actor, before landing his first break on television as a performer on All My Children. By 1976, Hatch had a starring role during the final season of The Streets of San Francisco. But it wasn’t until 1978 that Hatch’s career really took off with his starring role in Battlestar Galactica as Captain Apollo. Although Battlestar Galactica lasted only a single season, it made Hatch a favorite guest at comic conventions for several years.
Something about Battlestar Galactica deeply resonated with Hatch, as he made it his personal mission to revive the franchise despite little to no backing from the studio. Hatch conceived of a continuation of the series called Battlestar Galactica: Second Coming, alongside several of his surviving co-stars. The studio ended up passing on the pitch, but BSG lived again just a few years after that.
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In the 2004 Battlestar Galactica revival series, Hatch maintained his ties to the franchise by taking on the role of Tom Zarek, a radical terrorist turned politician who attempted to build his power throughout the series. Hatch appeared in 22 episodes as Zarek throughout the run of the show.
On twitter, Hatch’s BSG co-star, Edward James Olmos, shared his thoughts on Hatch’s passing.
.Richard Hatch you made our universe a better place We love you for it. Rest In Peace my friend @SoSayWeAll the Admiral!
— Edward James Olmos (@edwardjolmos) February 7, 2017
So Say We All.
What are your favorite memories of Richard Hatch? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
