Croatian actress and singer, Mira Furlan, best known for her roles as Danielle Rousseau on Lost and Minbari Ambassador Delenn on Babylon 5, has passed away at 65.
The news of her death was announced on Furlan’s official Twitter account and confirmed by J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of ‘Babylon 5’.
Her family told BBC that the actress died on Wednesday due to complications with West Nile Virus, a virus spread by mosquitoes in many countries.
A message on Furlan’s Twitter account, confirmed to be taken from the autobiography she was working on, read: “I look at the stars. It’s a clear night and the Milky Way seems so near. That’s where I’ll be going soon.”
— Mira Furlan (@FurlanMira) January 22, 2021
Straczynski in his own Twitter post wrote;
It is a night of great sadness, for our friend and comrade had gone down the road where we cannot reach her. But as with all things, we will catch up with her in time, and I believe she will have many stories to tell us, and many new roles to share with the universe.
It is a night of great sadness, for our friend and comrade had gone down the road where we cannot reach her. But as with all things, we will catch up with her in time, and I believe she will have many stories to tell us, and many new roles to share with the universe. pic.twitter.com/HyQlqyC19v
— J. Michael Straczynski (@straczynski) January 22, 2021
Born in the Croatian capital, Zagreb in 1955, Furlan was a well-known, award-winning theater, film, and TV actress in the former Yugoslavia.
Furlan emigrated to the U.S. with her husband in November 1991, during the early stages of the Croatian War of Independence, one of several conflicts that led to the breakup of the Yugoslavian federation
Upon her arrival in the U.S., Furlan quickly landed the role of Ambassador Delenn in Babylon 5, which ran for five seasons. She starred in numerous plays, TV series, and films.
May her soul rest in peace.
