Mira Furlan, actress on Lost and Babylon 5, dies at 65
From 1993 to 1998, Furlan starred in Babylon 5.
by Johnny Diaz
(NYT NEWS SERVICE)
.- Mira Furlan, an actress best known for her roles on the fantastical TV series Babylon 5 and Lost, died at her home in Los Angeles on Wednesday. She was 65.
The cause was complications of the West Nile virus, according to Chris Roe, her manager.
From 1993 to 1998, Furlan starred in Babylon 5, a space opera that followed the relationships, politics, interspecies tensions and galactic conflicts aboard a United Nations-type space station in the mid-23rd century. She played Ambassador Delenn, representing the Minbari alien race on the space station.
BBC News
Published
image copyrightGetty Images
image captionFurlan moved to the US from Croatia during the Balkans war of the early 1990s
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. It is with great sadness that I confirm the passing of Mira Furlan the statement read. She was a woman full of kindness, strength and compassion.
Who was Goran GajiÄ?
The Croatian-origin actress was the wife of Serbian director Goran GajiÄ with whom she had to flee Croatia during the Croatian War of Independence. He is an ethnic Serb by origin.
It is believed that the two had met in the 1980s, when Furlan actively participated in the Yugoslavian feminist movement. She would commute regularly for three hours from her hometown Zagreb to Belgrade, where Goran GajiÄ was based. At that time, Furlan was acting in theater productions in both cities.
However, as the Croatian War of Independence broke out in 1991, it became difficult for Furlan to stay in the city as she was fired by Croatian National Theater for refusing to quit acting in Belgrade. After receiving life-threatening messages from the public, Furlan united with GajiÄ to leave the city together.