Richard Hatch (1945-2017)

"I fell in love with the original show and I spent a lot of time and money fighting to bring it back, so it was a painful process for me to accept that the studio was going ahead with a re-imagining instead.

I would have loved Universal to have made a continuation with Ron Moore and David Eick and most of their cast and crew.

But I had to come to terms in a very painful way that I didn't own Battlestar, and I had to move past my own frustrations to appreciate the new show on its own merits.

The new show is very different from the original Battlestar Galactica and they shouldn't really be compared.

It explores a similar premise in a very different way."

 

-Richard Hatch, Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion-

The loss of Richard Hatch (1945-2017) was not lost on me when his passing came in February of this year.

Was there any actor more synonymous with Battlestar Galactica? Was there any actor more connected to the franchise than Richard Hatch? Hatch was like the living symbol of Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979). Along with that of Dirk Benedict's Starbuck, his was the face of the original series and an icon of the franchise itself.



Hatch also played a big part in the enduring legacy of the series through writing, books and comic books. It was Hatch who also shined a light on the arrival of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009) as envisioned by Ronald D. Moore. He was so important to the franchise he would land the role of Tom Zarek in Moore's series.

Often we lose actors that have the good fortune of gracing countless films and television appearances and these actors are hard to forget.



The sincere portrait of Captain Apollo embodied by Richard Hatch may be one of his crowning moments in television, but it was epic and it remains as unforgettable as he does. Apollo was the honorable colonial warrior and as a man Hatch appeared to mirror his life in much the same way.

Alongside Bill Paxton (1955-2017) and singer/songwriter George Michael (1963-2016) the loss of Hatch was yet another unexpected loss. Not to sound overdramatic, but losing influences like this is like someone ripping chapters of your life away. It's sad to see them go.

Included are images taken from a thorough analysis of Saga Of A Star World and more Battlestar Galactica classic found here.