Babylon 5 - a promise kept for 19 years

[Space Commander]

Hello,

A few years ago, I used to post here quite often, but even though I'm not online as much as I used to be these days, I still remember that there were quite a few fans here of the TV show 'Babylon 5', created by Joe Michael Straczynski, (JMS).

The show originally starred innovative stage-actor Michael O'Hare as Commander Jeffrey Sinclair, but he left after just one year, and we fans never knew why. Many theories were posited by various people, indeed some of them were horrible and downright libelous, but JMS recently disclosed what actually happened.

Michael sadly died last September. It turns out that while JMS had told Michael he would take the secret of Michael’s reason for leaving to the grave, Michael felt it was important that the fans learn the truth, and so he asked JMS to keep the secret only until his (Michael’s) grave.

And so, as the convention season recently heated up Stateside, JMS asked as many fans as possible to meet at a comics convention in Phoenix. Those of us who couldn’t attend logged-on, knowing that those who were there would record JMS’s speech and post it online. JMS began by talking about all of B5’s main actors who have died; Richard Biggs, Andreas Katsulas, Jeff Conaway, and eventually Michael O’Hare.

Michael was suffering from a debilitating mental illness which, although treatable with therapy and medication, would’ve taken more time to manage than the series could have possibly given him. Learning this, JMS offered to put the whole series on hiatus while Michael underwent treatment, but Michael nobly said that he didn’t want his condition to impact on the careers of anyone else working on the show. So JMS and Michael then hatched a plan to replace Michael’s character with a new lead, allowing Michael the time he needed to receive treatment, and return to the series later on. Even so, the ongoing management of Michael’s condition took its toll, and sadly he finally left us last Autumn.

Below is page featuring an audio clip from the convention of JMS talking about Michael O’Hare and his courageous battle, and after that, a video clip of JMS talking about all the leading actors who have sadly died.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/ ... iCon-Panel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utUTN16rrEc

Kind regards to all the B5 fans,

SPACE COMMANDER

[SteveD]

Sad, but very noble too. What a class act.

And great to see a post from you Alex! I hope you are well.

[action-figure-supplies]

Read about this a few days ago, very sad. I always wondered why he left after 1 season.

[Red Laser]

Thanks for that I always wondered why he left it's sad to see another B5 actor pass away.

[The Baron]

Wow, thank you - I am a massive B5 fan. I had heard all of the horrible rumours, and as upsetting as this is, it's better than what people thought. Did JMS say why they chose to keep it a secret?

Rest in Peace, Entil'Zha.

[Red Laser]

One rumour I heard back before season 2 came out was he was fired for wooden acting which obviously wasn't the case.

[Space Commander]

Thanks guys, hello Steve

I think it was just a case of not wanting to air his ailments in public, that's all.

Sadly, Michael is gone... but Valen is forever! (Watch "The Coming of Shadows" and "War Without End" Parts 1 & 2 for details).

SPACE COMMANDER

[paul463]

Perhaps the phrase "There is a hole in your mind"was apt

[Space Commander]

It seems so

SPACE COMMANDER

[The Baron]

Harsh.