Andreas Katsulas died yesterday.

[ria_oaks]

Andreas Katsulas from Babylon 5 died yesterday of cancer, at the age of 59. I knew he was sick (it wasn't publicized, but the news leaked anyway), but I'm still shaken and upset. I guess I was in denial, didn't believe that he wouldn't survive... It's strange how sad I can feel about the death of a man I never knew, didn't know much about, and honestly didn't even know what he really looked like under the make-up. And yet, for 5 seasons his portrayal of G'Kar moved and inspired us all so much, it feels like we knew him. He was so brilliant, so talented... his performances on B5 constantly blew me away, and I swear I could've listened to him read the telephone book. He had an amazing voice...

I can't stop crying. Strange, isn't it? But it's hard to believe that he's gone, and we're never going to see him act again. I'd like to go and find some of the other shows and movies he's been in. He was truly an inspiration for all of us B5 fans. It's remarkable how much an actor like him can touch fans' hearts throughout a TV series. For anyone interested, I'd love to have a Babylon 5 marathon this summer, after exams. I've been wanting to have one for awhile, anyway, and this seems like a fitting time. Although it's going to be so sad to watch it and know that both him and Richard Biggs are gone now.

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=34628

I've had this icon for a couple of years, and it's certainly fitting now...

My thoughts go out to all his friends and family, and may he rest in peace.

ETA: Thought about doing a separate post with this, but decided just to edit it into this entry. Just felt like having this up on my LJ...

"The Universe speaks in many languages, but only one voice. The
language is not Narn, or Human, or Centauri, or Gaim or Minbari. It
speaks in the language of hope; It speaks in the language of trust; It
speaks in the language of strength, and the language of compassion. It
is the language of the heart and the language of the soul. But always,
it is the same voice. It is the voice of our ancestors, speaking
through us, And the voice of our inheritors, waiting to be born. It is
the small, still voice that says: We are one. No matter the blood; No
matter the skin; No matter the world; No matter the star; We are one.
No matter the pain; No matter the darkness; No matter the loss; No
matter the fear; We are one. Here, gathered together in common cause.
we agree to recognise this singular truth, and this singular rule: That
we must be kind to one another, because each voice enriches us and
ennobles us, and each voice lost diminishes us. We are the voice of the
Universe, the soul of creation, the fire that will light the way to a
better future. We are one."
G'kar (Andreas Katsulas) Babylon 5 "Declaration of Principles"

I just made a really shitty wallpaper in Photoshop with that quote on it. It sucks, but I'm going to keep it on my desktop for awhile anyway. The flare makes it look more "professional", at least. If anyone wants it, let me know... I kinda like it, actually. ^^;

On a similar note, I re-uploaded the drawing of G'kar I drew a couple of years ago. Messed with the contrast a bit, so it looks somewhat better. I'm fairly pleased with it, though it didn't scan all that well. Meh,

http://www.deviantart.com/view/29097267/

Time to get off my ass and start updating my DeviantArt site again...

Comments

[bk635.livejournal.com]

Terrible news. I still remember, to this day, that thing he did during the last episode of Babylon 5. It shocked me that much back then.

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

*thinks back* He wasn't in the last episode, was he...? Considering that it took place several years after his death in the future... Which part do you mean?

It is certainly sad news, though, yeah. I'm kinda numb... I also kinda feel bad because I wasn't as sad when Richard Biggs died. I mean, that was very sad and it was also more sudden, but I guess Andreas just made a bigger impression on me.

[bk635.livejournal.com]

Ah, shit. I was thinking of Londo or Lando or whatever his name is. It's been too long since I watched that show.

Still, sad news.

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

Londo. And he wasn't in the final episode either, considering that he was also dead by the time that episode took place. I'm still curious which scene you mean, though. ^^

Wanna watch it with me this summer? I'm going to see who else I can round up... we can make a party of it a couple of times a week for the summer.

[bk635.livejournal.com]

>.< Now I don't know who I was thinking of.

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

LOL. Can you give me an idea of what happened? ^^ Are you sure it was the last episode?

[bk635.livejournal.com]

If it didn't happen in the last episode, then it happened during an episode close to it. I remember the cast, old, was gathered together on Earth (?) after the Babylon 5 blew up. I think someone was having a baby or there was some event that caused them to be gathered together, and there was an exchange of gifts. One of the gifts was laced with some kind of device or parasite or whatever; I don't remember.

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

SPOILER warning for those who may be reading this who haven't seen the series.

*thinks* *thinks harder* I think you mean when Londo gave Sheridan and Delenn the urn for their son, in the second to last episode. It had a Drakh keeper hidden in it, and was supposed to be given to him when he turned 16 (I think). They were on Centauri Prime; it was a few episodes after Londo became emperor and became a puppet of the Drakh. It also wasn't when they were old/after B5 was destroyed - that happens in the final episode, "Sleeping in Light", which takes place in 2281 (20 years after Sheridan's death at Z'ha'dum - it's the episode where we see him finally go 'beyond the rim'. I sob like a baby everytime I see that episode...) Yeah, that scene is sad. I always feel so bad for Londo, being forced to give them the urn and knowing what will eventually happen to their son. Especially since I've read the Centauri Trilogy, which details everything that happens to Londo from the end of the series up to his & G'kar's death. Good stuff.

Dammit, I wanna watch it now. And all my DVDs are at school.. I'm considering d-loading some random episode and watching it. Preferably G'kar-centric, for obvious reasons...

[bk635.livejournal.com]

Haha.. I guess you can tell how much I've forgotten. :p

Are those books canon?

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

Heh, yeah. Well, it's been 4-5 years since you watched it, and you only watched it through once, right? I've watched it through several times over the years, plus I've read the books and various episode guide things. I can't claim to have a perfect memory of the series, though; it's just way too detailed, and way too much stuff happens to remember it all without having seen it more times, and more recently. It's strange, though, how I know BtVS and AtS in so much detail, and can name most of the episodes (all of the AtS ones, ~70% of the BtVS ones), and yet I can't remember nearly as much of B5. I think it's partly because the series is so arc-centred - many of the episodes in s3 and 4 pretty much just continue after each other, and it's hard to remember what happened in which episode. Though I know them better now, having watched it on DVD.

The books are pretty much canon, yeah. I think JMS outlined them. The Centuari Trilogy is the best, imo, though the Psi-Corps Trilogy is very good. The Technomage Trilogy is so-so. Other than that, there are 9 or 10 tie-in books that, for the most part, are pretty mediocre. A couple of them are good, though. I haven't read them all.

[garran.livejournal.com]

Oh no. I hadn't known.

That's so hard to imagine.


-Andy H.

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

I know. I still can't believe it... I've been feeling down all day since I found out.