Richard Hatch, ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Star, Dies at 71

Richard Hatch, the Golden Globe nominee who starred in both the original Battlestar Galactica as well as the mid-2000s reboot, has died at 71 after a battle with cancer. 

“Richard Hatch was a good man, a gracious man, and a consummate professional. His passing is a heavy blow to the entire BSG family,” tweeted Ronald D. Moore, creator of the Battlestar Galactica reboot. 

Hatch had been battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer, Alec Peters, the writer/producer behind the Star Trek fan film Axanar, wrote on Facebook. Hatch had acted in and was a supporter of the project. 

“Richard was in good spirits when I visited him 2 weeks ago. He knew his time was short, but was comforted by the fact that his son would be taken care of,” wrote Peters.

In the original Battlestar Galactica, Hatch played hotshot pilot Captain Apollo, with the role earning him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama in 1979. In the 2004-09 reboot, he returned to the franchise as Tom Zarek, an opportunistic political leader who often shook up the playing field as humanity tried to survive annihilation at the hands of the Cylons, a cybernetic race who rebelled against their creators.

Before his time on BSG, Hatch was also known for work on episodes of All My Children (1971), Hawaii Five-O (1973-75) and The Waltons (1975-75).

Throughout his career, he continued to have a passion for Battlestar Galacitca, penning three novels continuing the adventures from the original series, and becoming a fixture on the fan convention circuit, hosting Battlestar Galactica panels at San Diego Comic-Con and Dragoncon.

“In my case, Battlestar Galactica was a milestone. It afforded me the opportunity to live out my childhood dreams and fantasies,” Hatch once said. “Hurtling through space with reckless abandon, playing the dashing hero, battling Cylons, monsters and super-villains – what more could a man want?”

Edward James Olmos, his co-star on the BSG reboot, tweeted a tribute Tuesday: “Richard Hatch you made our universe a better place We love you for it,” wrote his co-star Edward James Olmos on Twitter. “Rest In Peace my friend @SoSayWeAll the Admiral!”

Hatch is survived by his son, Paul.