Commander Sinclair has been reassigned.

September 28, 2012 10:52 PM

Michael O'Hare, the Chicago-born actor who is best known for his role as Jeffrey Sinclair in the science fiction television series Babylon 5 has died, aged 60 (non FB link) O'Hare suffered a heart attack on September 23 and had remained in a coma until the 28th, when he passed away.

O'Hare's tenure on B5 was largely confined to the first season, but he had studied at the prestigious Juilliard School of Drama, and a bit of a stage career where, among other notable roles, he was apparenty the first white actor nominated by the black theater community of New York for the AUDELCO Award for the Best Actor for his performance in the play "Shades of Brown" which examined the effects of apartheid in South Africa.

He also starred in C.H.U.D (full movie), and before landing the role in Babylon 5, which lead to this scene.

While he had bit parts in shows such as Law and Order, TJ Hooker and One Life To Life, Babylon 5 was his most notable role.

posted by Mezentian (58 comments total)

Far too young.

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posted by Kevin Street at 10:55 PM on September 28, 2012

Oh, no!

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posted by brundlefly at 10:55 PM on September 28, 2012

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I guess even Valen couldn't live forever.
yes, it's a spoiler of a TV show from almost 20 years ago.
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:10 PM on September 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

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posted by metaly at 11:10 PM on September 28, 2012

My first ever
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posted by Mizu at 11:19 PM on September 28, 2012

Damnnnnnnn .
posted by meta87 at 11:28 PM on September 28, 2012

Sinclair: "We have to stay [in space]. And there's a simple reason why. Ask ten different scientists about the environment, population control, genetics, and you'll get ten different answers, but there's one thing every scientist on the planet agrees on. Whether it happens in a hundred years or a thousand years or a million years, eventually our Sun will grow cold and go out. When that happens, it won't just take us. It'll take Marilyn Monroe, and Lao-Tzu, and Einstein, and Morobuto, and Buddy Holly, and Aristophanes, and - all of this - all of this - was for nothing. Unless we go to the stars."

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posted by sbutler at 11:34 PM on September 28, 2012 [19 favorites]

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posted by Start with Dessert at 11:35 PM on September 28, 2012

So I met my husband in a Babylon 5 IRC chat room.

And part of the reason we even started talking was our mutual preference for Sinclair over Sheridan.

When we decided to get married, he said "Look, do you want to get married or don't you?" Which was Sinclair's style of a marriage proposal.

So, yeah, Babylon 5 was a huge part of our early relationship. And you could probably say Michael O'Hare was responsible for part of it.

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posted by Katemonkey at 11:36 PM on September 28, 2012 [4 favorites]

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posted by dhartung at 11:42 PM on September 28, 2012

What a shame. I liked O'Hare's work in B5 very much, and have wondered more than once why he didn't get a few more prominent, visible roles after leaving that show.

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posted by Nat "King" Cole Porter Wagoner at 11:53 PM on September 28, 2012

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:( An artist passes.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 12:03 AM on September 29, 2012

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posted by andraste at 12:20 AM on September 29, 2012

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I've been thinking about rewatching B5 recently. Maybe now's the time.
posted by jiawen at 12:25 AM on September 29, 2012 [1 favorite]

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posted by Smart Dalek at 12:34 AM on September 29, 2012

yes, it's a spoiler of a TV show from almost 20 years ago.

You just shut up. SHUT UP.
posted by Mezentian at 12:34 AM on September 29, 2012 [12 favorites]

I liked him so much as Sinclair! So sad.

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posted by MelanieL at 12:43 AM on September 29, 2012

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posted by Artw at 1:13 AM on September 29, 2012

I haven't thought about Babylon 5 in a while. I may have issues with JMS's work in comics but I appreciate how well he was able to work casting decisions into the larger storyline on that show.

And yes, 60 is way too young. RIP, Commander.

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posted by ooga_booga at 1:36 AM on September 29, 2012

Goodbye old friend
posted by Podkayne of Pasadena at 1:38 AM on September 29, 2012 [1 favorite]

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posted by harriet vane at 2:56 AM on September 29, 2012

I just rewatched Babylon 5. Bruce Boxleitner was fine, but I missed Sinclair after the first series.

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posted by spectrevsrector at 3:34 AM on September 29, 2012

Good journey, good rest.

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posted by Mooski at 3:38 AM on September 29, 2012

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posted by juv3nal at 3:58 AM on September 29, 2012

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posted by snuffleupagus at 4:24 AM on September 29, 2012

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posted by gd779 at 5:40 AM on September 29, 2012

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posted by Thorzdad at 5:42 AM on September 29, 2012

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posted by ltl at 6:15 AM on September 29, 2012

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posted by cendawanita at 6:19 AM on September 29, 2012

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posted by Jazz Hands at 6:33 AM on September 29, 2012

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Why is the cast of B5 dying so young?
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:04 AM on September 29, 2012 [1 favorite]

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posted by mrgroweler at 7:14 AM on September 29, 2012

This makes me sad. I hope his family & friends have good memories to hold onto.

B5 is my favorite TV show and right now I'm on my umpteenth rewatch (really, I probably know it better than JMS himself by now). Think I'll take a break for a day or two before I pick it up again.
posted by Rocky Mtn Erica at 7:28 AM on September 29, 2012

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posted by Ber at 7:34 AM on September 29, 2012

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posted by The demon that lives in the air at 7:58 AM on September 29, 2012

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posted by brennen at 8:46 AM on September 29, 2012

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posted by Scattercat at 9:02 AM on September 29, 2012

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posted by doctornemo at 9:18 AM on September 29, 2012

"All my life I've had doubts about who I am, where I belonged. Now I'm like the arrow that springs from the bow. No hesitation, no doubts. The path is clear."

Farewell my friend
posted by Freedomboy at 9:20 AM on September 29, 2012 [7 favorites]

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posted by ckape at 9:45 AM on September 29, 2012

Oh, no!

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posted by brundlefly at 11:55 PM on September 28 [+] [!]

My exact thoughts as well :( RIP sir.
posted by ryanfou at 9:50 AM on September 29, 2012

A good man, lost too young. RIP.
posted by Jade Dragon at 10:41 AM on September 29, 2012

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posted by strixus at 11:26 AM on September 29, 2012

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posted by 2ghouls at 1:17 PM on September 29, 2012

>Why is the cast of B5 dying so young?

Why do I feel so OLD?
Dude only had me by like 8 years.


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posted by twidget at 2:11 PM on September 29, 2012

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posted by dlugoczaj at 3:46 PM on September 29, 2012

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posted by flexiblefine at 4:23 PM on September 29, 2012

How awful, how awful.

One of the things I admired about many of the cast of B5 were the voices. I loved Katsulas' smoke-eaten baritone, Jurasik's tenor, Christian's contralto...

O'Hare's voice is right up there. Tonally rich but soft-edged, dark as molasses but textured like old wood, and so comfortable to listen to that you feel you could just close your eyes and sink slowly down into it. A shame he seems not to have done any audiobooks. Still, we'll always have the breakfast prank.
posted by Pallas Athena at 6:03 PM on September 29, 2012

B5 was such an integral part of my college experience.

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posted by pointless_incessant_barking at 6:05 PM on September 29, 2012

I don't know why I was allowed to watch Babylon 5, considering I was about 5? Maybe my mother was busy when my dad would be watching it. I remember asking a lot of annoying questions like "What happened to Babylon 1? Babylon 2? Babylon 3? Babylon 4?" I was sad/confused with Sinclair left the show.

O'Hare was also my father's age. That's sad to think about.
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posted by melissam at 6:59 PM on September 29, 2012

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posted by uphc at 7:00 PM on September 29, 2012

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posted by mfoight at 8:08 PM on September 29, 2012

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posted by Spatch at 8:16 PM on September 29, 2012

Why is the cast of B5 dying so young?

Cosmic ray exposure, no doubt.

Also, I wanted to do a special ASCII tribute that looked like the B5 station, but it looked more like ... well, you know.
posted by dhartung at 9:46 PM on September 29, 2012

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posted by webmutant at 3:11 AM on September 30, 2012

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posted by Gelatin at 9:50 AM on October 1, 2012

Sad.
posted by grouse at 1:56 PM on October 1, 2012

Why is the cast of B5 dying so young?

You're not the only one wondering that. I caught a B5 panel with Mira Furlan and Bruce Boxleitner earlier this month at Dragon*Con (all part of my girlfriend's shameless stalking of Bruce during each day of the convention), and one of his talking points was that they've lost too many of their friends from that show too soon.

He also detailed how their soundstage was a leaky-roofed former hot-tub factory, so maybe environmental factors are to blame.

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posted by radwolf76 at 2:30 PM on October 1, 2012