US actor Richard Hatch has died at the age of 71 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Hatch played the space fighter pilot, Captain Apollo in the original 1978-79 science fiction series Battlestar Galactica, a story about a space fighter carrier of that name and its accompanying fleet of cargo craft carrying humans fighting for survival against their Cylon enemies. The series was, for a time, an initially convincing competitor to Star Wars and Star Trek.
Richard Hatch with Lorne Greene and Dirk Benedict (with a Cylon and the Battlestar Galactica in the background) in this promotional image for the original “Battlestar Galactica”.
While Richard Hatch’s later film and television career which included roles in Baywatch and Dynasty did not live up to that first role, Hatch later starred in the 2004-2009 remake of the series, albeit as the different character Tom Zarek.
We give our condolences to Richard Hatch’s family and friends.
