RIP B5’s Commander Jeffrey Sinclair.
Michael O’Hare, the actor who played Commander Jeffrey Sinclair in (early) Babylon Five, has sadly passed away from a heart attack at the far too young age of 60.
Michael also appeared in George A. Romero’s Tales from the Darkside, and more recently, Law & Order.
Thanks to J. Michael Straczynski for passing on word of this. JMS said, “I regret that I must convey the sad news that Michael O’Hare passed away today. He suffered a heart attack on Sunday and was in a coma until his passing this afternoon. This is a terrible loss for all B5 fans and everyone involved with the show wishes to convey their condolences to the O’Hare family. He was an amazing man.”
That’s such a shame. The velvety smooth tones of Commander Sinclair are forever silenced. At least he’s got Dr Franklin and G’Kar up there for company. He’s not the one…
For a period of time in late ’95/early ’96, I had the incredibly good fortune of counting Michael O’Hare my friend. I never met the man – I’d sent him a fan letter of sorts, thanking him for his work on B5, and he called me out of the blue. More conversations took place over the months that followed, and we talked with frequency. I was in OKC at the time, and went through the Murrah bombing (I was in law enforcement). A few months after that, the love of my life left me, and I cratered. Amazingly, this man whom I’d never met was there for me. Michael was 4 years older than me, and he clearly “got” my pain. He helped me through some very, very dark days, giving me very sage counsel, encouragement, and a genuine caring ear. I gave to him what I could, and he was always genuinely appreciative of my friendship. Sadly, there came a time when his own shadows grew very strong, to the point of paranoia. Accordingly, we ultimately lost contact. I have thought of Michael so many times through the years, and missed the friendship we had. I will always be grateful for the hand he reached out; I honestly might not have weathered my personal storm had it not been for him. There were a few line deliveries that Michael had in B5 that I will always remember. One of them was when he left the message for Garibaldi, and started with “Hello, old friend.” Goodbye, old Friend. Thank you for all you did for so many, and for me. Rob