There is a great sadness to be had today, as Mira Furlan, who is known the most for her roles in Babylon 5 and Lost has passed away at the age of just 65. Though the cause of her death is unknown at present she was noted by friends and family to be ‘fading’ in her health, and this was the result of that.
The life of Mira Furlan is very much one of perseverance and strength, as well as a dedication to the arts. Furlan was born in 1955 in Zagreb, which was at that time part of Yugoslavia. She was a member of the Croatian National Theatre, which traveled the region. She first earned notice in the U.S. in 1985’s award-winning When Father Was Away on Business, which helped her land film, TV, and theatre roles in the U.S.
Eventually, she got the role of Delenn on the beloved sci-fi series Babylon 5. She was one of the main characters and was there for all 5 seasons of the show. Mira showed both a great kindness and strength to the character, which made her stand out in the show in many ways.
Then, in Lost, she played the mysterious Danielle Rousseau, who had her own story to tell about “The Island”, and though she died in that show, she still had some stories to tell. After Lost she went and did all sorts of TV and movie appearances in the US and UK, proving that she had found her calling in life and that she wasn’t going to waste it.
The creator of Babylon 5, J. Michael Straczynski posted a statement about Mira’s passing, you can read part of it it below:
“Mira was a good and kind woman, a stunningly talented performer, and a friend to everyone in the cast and crew of ‘Babylon 5,’ and we are all devastated by the news,” said Straczynski’s post. “The cast members with whom she was especially close since the show’s end will need room to process this moment, so please be gentle if they are unresponsive for a time. We have been down this road too often, and it only gets harder.”
On a personal note, I had the honor of meeting Mira Furlan at the comic-con C2E2. She and Bruce Boxleitner (also of Babylon 5 fame) were doing a panel together and by some strand of luck she decided to sit next to me in the front row while she waited to be called up to the stage. She was nothing but kind as she did so and my family (who were Babylon 5 fans) will miss her very much. And it seems only fitting to end this tribute with a quote from Delenn herself:
“All life is transitory, a dream. We all come together in the same place, at the end of time. If I don’t see you again here, I will see you in a little while, in a place where no shadows fall.”
