Andreas Katsulas is gone
jms...@aol.com
passion that cannot be described -- was diagnosed with lung cancer,
which by then had already spread to other areas. He quit smoking at
once and went on a healthy diet and vitamin program, but there was
little hope of a good resolution even though the new regimen was very
good for him. When we spoke about it, he laughed, and said, "Now that
I'm dying I've never felt better!"
His spirits were always up and positive, putting everyone at ease about
his condition, because...well, that's the kind of person he was.
A couple of months ago, he and his wife convened a dinner with me,
Doug, and Peter Jurasik, which was filled with laughter and stories and
good food. He wanted to know all the stories we never told him
because, as he said, "Who am I going to tell?" So we did. Because we
knew we were saying goodbye, and there would not be a second chance.
Last night, in the company of his wife and family, Andreas closed his
eyes and went away.
He lived an amazing life...full of travel and wonder and good
work...was part of the world renowned Peter Brook company...he saw the
planet, loved and was loved, ate at great restaurants, smoked too many
cigarettes...he lived a life some people would die for.
And, sadly, due to the last part of that equation...he did.
Memorial arrangements are still being worked out, but will doubtless be
private.
Andreas is gone...and G'Kar with him, because no one else can ever play
that role, or ever will.
I will miss him terribly.
J. Michael Straczynski
Wendy of NJ
Thank you for your words, and thank you for letting us get to discover
the talent Andreas brought to the screen, even if it was behind latex
and paint.
-Wendy
http://www.musicforthegoddess.com/music/keepUinMyHeart_4Joe.mp3
"And we will tell your stories, and we will sing your songs
And we will still remember you long after you are gone
For we have been together as now we are apart
And you are with me always since I keep you in my heart"
(©2005 Wendy Sheridan)
>
Jan
jms...@aol.com says...
>
>Andreas is gone...and G'Kar with him, because no one else can ever play
>that role, or ever will.
>
>I will miss him terribly.
>
>J. Michael Straczynski
>
Thank you for sharing that, Joe.
The thoughts and sympathy of all who appreciated Andreas's life and work are
with you and the rest of the Babylon 5 family right now.
Jan
--
Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the death of dreams.
Against this peril we can never surrender. The future is all around us, waiting,
in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the
shape of that future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always
born in pain. --G'Kar (J. Michael Straczynski)
John
after my afternoon nap.
I'm thinking of thinking of sending her flowers,
right after Bonnie gets back.
So many fishies left in the sea,
so many fishies - but no-one for me...
Met him once at a convention years ago. Unforgettable.
Wendy of NJ
replying to myself to fix the link
http://www.musicforthegoddess.com/music/KeepUinMyHeart_4Joe.mp3
(sorry for anyone who got the inevetable 404 error)
Theodrake
I also thank you for sharing this. I hope its not inappropriate to ask,
but is there any way those of us on this list can express our
condolences and make them known to his family. I know I greatly
appreciated his skill as an actor and what he brought to the role of G'Kar.
Jeffrey Kaplan
> A couple of months ago, he and his wife convened a dinner with me,
> Doug, and Peter Jurasik, which was filled with laughter and stories and
> good food. He wanted to know all the stories we never told him
> because, as he said, "Who am I going to tell?" So we did. Because we
> knew we were saying goodbye, and there would not be a second chance.
That sounds like the good-bye dinner from "Sleeping In Light" that
G'Kar wasn't around for.
--
Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org
The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol
"I'm a latent telepath." (Cmdr. Ivanova, B5 "Divided Loyalties")
Wesley Struebing
<snip>
>
>Andreas is gone...and G'Kar with him, because no one else can ever play
>that role, or ever will.
>
>I will miss him terribly.
>
>
As many of us will, Joe. Even those not as closely acquainted with
him as you.
Thank you for a wonderful post.
--
Wes Struebing
I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America,
and to the republic which it established, one nation from many peoples,
promising liberty and justice for all.
Roseann
I'm sorry for your loss. I know that it's a loss that impacts many, but you
were his friend. At least you had the chance to say good-bye.
Another bright star has gone out.
Blessed Be,
--
Roseann
In brightest day, in blackest night
No evil shall escape my site.
For those who worship evil's might,
Beward my power - Green Lantern's Light!
<jms...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1139952717.9...@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
TheChaz
manner.
I've been reeling since first hearing this late last night and all my
dreams were full of sorrow with images of Andreas throughout.
God's Speed Andreas.
Dan Dassow
> Last night, in the company of his wife and family, Andreas closed his
> eyes and went away.
>
> that role, or ever will.
>
> I will miss him terribly.
>
> J. Michael Straczynski
Joe, let me express my deepest sympathy at the loss of a dear friend.
Please convey to his wife, family and friends our community's
condolences and deep felt sense of loss on the passing of Andreas
Katsulas, someone whom we collectively hold in high esteem.
Fellow community member, especially Amy, please except my condolences
on Andreas Katsulas' passing. I'm still in denial even though his
death was not unexpected. I've only had the pleasure of meeting Mr.
Katsulas once but he made a lasting impression.
My first thoughts on hearing the bad news was the image of Amy sitting
on Andreas' lap and Amy's G'Kar car.
Sincerely,
Dan Dassow
ksharp
I just hope that when it's my time, I can manage to go with that kind of
grace and humor.
-ksharp
Andrew Swallow
[snip]
>
> Andreas is gone...and G'Kar with him, because no one else can ever play
> that role, or ever will.
>
> I will miss him terribly.
Good bye. A major loss.
Andrew Swallow
Krystyna
I'm sorry to hear about his passing.
He brought so much to this world, and all I can say is that he will be
missed.
He was one of a kind, an actor that I looked up to and could see doing
Shakespeare and someone that the actors of today ( I'm sorry if I've
offended anyone), could not hold a candle to.
"This star reminds that we are born of the stars, we live in star
light, we die in star light. We come from the stars in life and return
to the stars in death."
I want to cry....but I take comfort in the fact that he will not suffer
and he looks down upon us all.
And so it begins...the tears......
Krystyna
Alone in the wild
Joe,
Thank you so much for the wonderful message. It is good to know that
Andreas had such good friends to have.. I just recently lost an Aunt
to cancer (pancreatic) and she was able to pass rather quickly (8 weeks
from diagnosis to passing)....
You brought a universe to print, but the actors that acted upon it made
it real.. Now, we have lost some of the best people from that
universe..
I never met Andreas, but watched him in his many performances (Star
Trek, Babylon 5 and a few other movies as a gangster type) and was
always amazed how wonderful of an actor he was..
I shall be posting a copy of G'kar's declaration of principles in
office cubicle in honor of the passing of the wonderful man..
Thank you once again..
Tony Miller
Monroe, WA
Lisa Coulter
My thoughts and prayers are with everyone here in this community, as
well as with Andreas' family and friends, as we remember this wonderful
actor and human being.
Lisa Coulter
Dan Dassow
> Last night, in the company of his wife and family, Andreas closed his
> eyes and went away.
>
> private.
>
I waited to post this until after the funeral.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch Classifieds
Katsulas, Andrew C.~passed away on Mon., Feb. 13, 2006 in Los Angeles,
California.
Beloved husband of Gilla Nissan Katsulas and deeply loved by her
family; dearest father of Katherine Parker and Michael Katsulas; dear
son of the late Pete and Bessie Katsulas; dear cousin to the Dimza and
Speropoulos Families and to his family in Greece. A dear friend to
many. Services:The Funeral Service will be conducted at St. Nicholas
Greek Orthodox Church, 4967 Forest Park Blvd. on Fri., Feb. 17, at 10
a.m. Interment St. Matthew Cemetery. Memorials appreciated to St.
Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. The family will receive friends at THE
LUPTON CHAPEL, 7233 Delmar Blvd., University City, on Thurs., from
4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Trisagion service Thurs. evening at 6:00 p.m.
(published: 02/16/2006)
Amy Guskin
Besides the loss of a tremendously talented actor, we've also lost an
intelligent, quick-witted, kind, patient, funny, uniquely attractive and
incredibly charming man who had a great joie de vivre, and whose love for his
family, his friends, and his life was unparalleled. This much was eminently
clear from the short time I got to spend with him, and talk with him.
The measure of a man is greatly revealed by what those left behind say about
him. Anywhere you go on the internet in these days following his death,
there is overwhelming evidence of the love the fan community felt for Andreas
off the screen as well as on it, mainly due to the generosity of spirit he
showed in dealing with the fans when he attended the occasional convention.
No one has a bad word to say about him, because there _are_ none. When he
was around at a convention, people were having fun, because he so clearly
was, too. There, he was all smiles and laughter, something we didn't get to
see much from him on screen. And what a smile! I remember fondly how he
laughed himself through one funny story after another, cracking himself up to
a nearly ridiculous degree; laughing so hard at one point that he asked me to
finish explaining the plot of the infamous 'joke script' to the audience,
after which he continued with the story of how that series of pranks
unfolded. But even more than the humor, and the unexpected gentleness, I
think that the big surprise for many who met Andreas at conventions was that
he did _not_ speak like G'Kar -- G'Kar's crisp, 'standard English' became
Andreas's thoroughly midwestern speech -- but he was no less delightful for
that, no less a pleasure to see, no less a treasure to listen to.
While he'll probably be remembered by most of the public as a "Hollywood bad
guy," he played a range of roles on screen that belied that narrow
descriptor. In "King of America," "Communion," "Milo Milo," "A Piece of
Eden" and others, he showed us his range from comedy to pathos, while even
his bad guy roles showed breadth, ranging from the comic ("Jane Austen's
Mafia!," "Sunset," "Hot Shots Part Deux!") to the complex ("The Sicilian,"
"Serie Noir," "Next of Kin") to the absolutely chilling ("Someone to Watch
Over Me," "Death of the Incredible Hulk," "The Fugitive"). Of course, none
of these roles can hold a candle to the emotions, the travails, the energies
and the colors he got to play in G'Kar. G'Kar was, quite simply, the role of
a lifetime. And Andreas's nuanced portrayal made G'Kar _live_.
You couldn't help but feel comfortable around Andreas, he was so comfortable
in his own skin and so un-Hollywood. Thus, soon after we met, I was speaking
so conversationally that I ended up sort of putting my foot in my mouth. I
was telling him that I thought his agent ought to try to get him cast on "The
Sopranos," since he had such an impressive resume of mobster performances to
his credit, and that as an added plus, he'd already worked with several of
the cast. I recalled Lorraine Bracco in "Someone to Watch Over Me"; we
talked about my father's cousin (a friend of Andreas's from college) who
coaches James Gandolfini; and then I tried to remember the name of "that
crappy movie you did with the guy who plays Paulie Walnuts - I think it was
'New York Cop'...?" I suddenly realized what I'd said, and quickly added,
"Uh, but of course _you_ were great in it. In fact, you manage to elevate
any material that you're given." That's what I think when I look at his body
of work: not all of it was Great Cinema, but Andreas managed to elevate any
material that he performed. As Stanislawski said, "there are no small parts;
only small actors." Andreas made every part, every line, every
rubber-foreheaded character a big, well-crafted performance.
Although, we admirers only have his work on screen to look back upon. His
wealth of experience on the stage is lost in the mists of time, with few
exceptions. His performance as Snout the Tinker in Joe Papp's New York
Shakespeare Festival production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is, happily,
preserved on video, and there's a rumor of a French language tv production of
"Measure for Measure," performed by the Peter Brook company with Andreas as
Claudio, although an actual copy has eluded me thus far. But what I wouldn't
have given to have seen him play the bound Prometheus, chained to the wall of
the ruined castle of Darius the Great at Persepolis, in Peter Brook's
landmark production of "Orghast" in Persia. If Andreas was masterful on
screen, I imagine he must have been awe-inspiring to see on the living stage.
Andreas was a particularly bright spark of star stuff. His absence will be
keenly felt.
It was a hard way to go. It pains me to think of how he must have suffered,
although I'm sure that he fought well, and bravely. And I'm equally sure
that what he would want us to remember is the vital, strapping man he was
when he was at the top of his game. That's the man the filmed record will
recall, and so, then, shall we.
Gone, gone far too soon. And how we miss him already!
Fans all over the internet have been talking about what episodes they've been
watching since hearing the news, talking about which G'Kar scenes they simply
_had_ to see again. But I haven't watched any of Andreas's work again yet.
I'm still too raw, and I fear that seeing him, hearing his voice, watching
his great and subtle bits of physical business (and for such a big guy, he
could move with astonishing grace and agility), will simply overwhelm me and
open the floodgates. And I'm not ready for that yet. Will I find it in my
heart to be able to open up and grieve fully? Perhaps, but not today.
Beloved by so many. Mourned by all.
Beannacht leat*, Andreas. May you walk well in the places where we can't yet
join you. Save a place for us; and we'll raise a glass to you.
Amy
*("Blessed be" in Gaelic)
(As a postscript, I'm providing a link to a memorial page I created. I'd
actually been playing around with the graphic for some time, since meeting
Andreas and insisting that I could do a much better website for him than the
one he had - to which he replied that he'd never even seen his own website as
he didn't own a computer! - so all I did this week was add the text, and
embed a sound file in the page. The song is an old one written by the band
Renaissance, and the performance is mine, from a long-ago house session that
we happened to record. It seemed to fit the mood well enough. The page is
at: http://www.fjordstone.com/andreas)
Bill
>him.
Wow. I had no idea that Andreas was so approachable and so easygoing in
person. I have seen some of his work on TV and in the movies, mostly
his mobster roles and the one-armed man from "The Fugitive," and have
always thought he was a fantastic actor. But finding out through these
posts that he was a genuinely nice guy, too, is amazing. Makes me wish
I had met him, too.
Bill
Wesley Struebing
<ais...@fjordstone.com> wrote:
>It's impossible to condense Andreas Katsulas into a few paragraphs of text.
>
<snip>
Yes, it is, Amy, though imho you've done a marvelous job!
Thank you VERY much.
Mac Breck (KoshN)
http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Television&action=page&obj_id=50705
Amy Guskin
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present the Oscar awards
on March 5. At every Oscar awards ceremony, they show a short film of people
in the industry who have passed on since the last Oscars. This reel isn't
just for big-name stars: they often highlight the careers of lesser-known
character actors, as well as technical people (like makeup professionals,
cameramen, etc.).
And they often include people who have very recently passed, which means they
have the ability to add footage to the memorial reel very close to the
broadcast date.
I wrote to the Academy last week asking if Andreas was going to be included
in the memorial reel, and haven't had a reply. Someone on the moderated
newsgroup had the wonderful idea that we should make sure that the Academy
knows about Andreas's death, and that he's someone worthy of being honored
therein.
You can write to the Academy through this form on their website:
http://www.oscars.org/contact/general.html
My suggestion is that you do _not_ emphasize his role as G'Kar, as that is
connected to a television show, and the Academy is all about film. Instead,
remind them that Andreas was well known for playing "bad guys" or "heavies,"
like the one-armed man from "The Fugitive," but also in "Executive Decision,"
"Someone to Watch Over Me," "The Sicilian," etc. etc. You can find a list of
his film credits here:
http://imdb.com/name/nm0441537/
Remember, stress the film roles. Particularly the big ones, the classic
and/or blockbuster films, which I've listed above.
You might say something like "I've just heard about the death of Andreas
Katsulas, who was a great character actor, often in the role of the bad guy,
and who brought wonderful subtlety to all of his roles. I have fond memories
of him playing the one-armed man in "The Fugitive," but also of seeing him
show up in numerous other great films like "Executive Decision" and "The
Sicilian." I hope you're going to include him in the memorial film you show
at the Oscars - he's a real loss to the film community."
I think it would be a really nice tribute to Andreas to see his face up there
on the screen at the Academy, being broadcast to millions of homes, and to
know that the biggest stars in Hollywood today - and those watching them -
are remembering him.
Thanks,
Amy
Amy Guskin
here, I meant to credit it to you.
Please excuse my fuzzy brain...
Amy
Dan Dassow
Amy,
Thank you for spreading the word. I saw your posting on the IMDb.
I emailed the Academy via their web site the funeral announcement and
obituary from the Post-Dispatch which includes many of Andreas
Katsulas' film credits.
http://www.oscars.org/contact/general.html
We probably should also send surface mail to:
http://www.oscars.org/facilities/index.html
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
8949 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, California 90211
I would suggest that we not make any phone calls or send them faxes.
That would likely backfire.
Dan Dassow
Amy Guskin
(in article <1140532757....@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>):
>
> Amy Guskin wrote:
>> Sorry, Dan, I've been copying and pasting this letter everywhere - obviously
>> here, I meant to credit it to you.
>>
>> Please excuse my fuzzy brain...
>
> Amy,
>
> Thank you for spreading the word. I saw your posting on the IMDb.
>
> I emailed the Academy via their web site the funeral announcement and
> obituary from the Post-Dispatch which includes many of Andreas
> Katsulas' film credits. <<
The problem with his obit is that it isn't under his SAG name.
>> http://www.oscars.org/contact/general.html
>
> We probably should also send surface mail to:
> http://www.oscars.org/facilities/index.html
> Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
> 8949 Wilshire Boulevard
> Beverly Hills, California 90211 <<
I don't think there's time for postal mail. Sure, it'll _get_ there before
the broadcast, but we don't know how long it takes them to open, read, and
process unsolicited mail from non-members, and at this point they only have
just under twelve days to the broadcast to decide to include him, find
footage/stills, and edit them into the reel. They'll figure out that postal
mail wasn't possible when they note the date of death.
Amy
Jan
Zocalo Today: http://www.isnnews.net/
Oron Port
wrote:
>Sandy Bruckner has posted a letter from Andreas' daughter on ISN News: The
>Zocalo Today: http://www.isnnews.net/
>
>Jan
Thanks. Nice to see a family member's perspective as well. I couldn't
really tell from what she wrote- did she watch B5?
Oron
Methuselah Jones
Port of rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated make plain:
> On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 13:46:30 +0000 (UTC), Jan <janmsc...@aol.com>
> wrote:
>
>>Sandy Bruckner has posted a letter from Andreas' daughter on ISN News:
>>The Zocalo Today: http://www.isnnews.net/
>
> Thanks. Nice to see a family member's perspective as well. I couldn't
> really tell from what she wrote- did she watch B5?
At least enough to know that, "...G'Kar and my father had a LOT in common."
--
Methuselah
"Existence is what happens when one applies measure to nothing."
-- Josh Hill
Amy Guskin
(in article <78q002pev2poj0s39...@4ax.com>):
I'm sure she did. Kate came to cons with Andreas from time to time, and
seemed to be pretty comfortable in the fan community. Plus, it was her
_father_, and she notes that the role was very important to him. How could
she have _not_ watched it?
Amy
Oron Port
Watching a couple of episodes featuring her father does not make her a
regular viewer of the show. As I understand, you participated in
several convention, and she was also around. Did she seem to like the
show, or just came to support her father?
Oron
Amy Guskin
(in article <2fg102h4efo1t2g2j...@4ax.com>):
I don't know. How could I? It _seems_ like she was familiar with the show,
but I really have no idea whether she watched every episode, most episodes,
or only episodes with G'Kar. What does it matter?
Amy
Oron Port
<ais...@fjordstone.com> wrote:
I'm just interested to know, since she wrote little about the
connection between Andreas and G'Kar, as she sees it. So I wanted to
know how well she actually knows the character.
None of it actually matters of course. Only thing matters now is that
a good person is now gone.
Oron
Amy Guskin
(in article <bjo102dnob1lf601c...@4ax.com>):
Yeah. Sorry to snap at you, Oron.
Amy
Oron Port
<ais...@fjordstone.com> wrote:
I didn't notice anything "snappy" so no harm, no faul and all is
forgiven. I am sorry if I caused you more grief during these sad days.
Oron
Amy Guskin
Howard Margolin of WUSB-FM Stony Brook (my alma mater) will be airing a press
conference he did with Andreas at I-Con 2002 on this Friday's (March 3rd)
installment of Destinies-The Voice of Science Fiction. It will start at 11:30
PM on 90.1 FM, WUSB, Stony Brook, and the link to the online listener's site
is: http://wusb.fm/audio/hear_us.shtml
After it airs, if people are interested in getting their own CD copies of the
show, they can send e-mail to Destini...@aol.com with their requests.
Amy
Amy Guskin
(in article <0001HW.C0287D43...@news.verizon.net>):
> Co-opting this thread so the information will appear on time...
>
> Howard Margolin of WUSB-FM Stony Brook (my alma mater) will be airing a press
> conference he did with Andreas at I-Con 2002 on this Friday's (March 3rd)
> installment of Destinies-The Voice of Science Fiction. It will start at 11:30
> PM on 90.1 FM, WUSB, Stony Brook, and the link to the online listener's site
> is: http://wusb.fm/audio/hear_us.shtml <<
Replying to myself to add: that date and time is US eastern. I'm not sure
how long the stream is available.
Amy
Oron Port
For all those who wish to know the time in your region in any country
just
1. Enter here: http://www.timezoneconverter.com/cgi-bin/tzc.tzc
2. Enter the following values:
a. Date: March 3 2006
b. Time: 11:30:00
c. Select PM
3. Uncheck the box "Use Current Date/Time".
4. Select "US/Eastern" from the list on the left.
5. Select your region from the list on the right.
6. Click on the "Convert" button at the bottom
7. The converted time will now be shown in red .
It's 6:30 AM (!) here. I might as well stay up till that our than
actually wake up in time, unless anyone can confirm it will be
archived and accessible online.
Oron
Oron Port
<zora...@netscape.net> wrote:
>It's 6:30 AM (!) here. I might as well stay up till that our than
>
>Oron
Boy do I feel like an ass when I read something I write after posting,
and it seems like I'm on drugs. That's what bad about NG- you can't
edit the crap you write.
What I meant to write, of course is:
The interview is at 6:30 AM (!) here, so I might as well stay up
untill that hour than actually wake up in time, unless anyone can
Heather in NY
I do know that the past shows are archived, but remember them as being
a little clumsy to find, so I did a little digging. The address to the
site where past episodes are archived is:
http://captphilonline.com/Destinies.html
Hope that helps everyone!
Heather
resuming lurking