Richard Hatch as Captain Apollo in 1978’s «Battlestar Galactica. »
When I heard the sad news Tuesday that actor Richard Hatch died , my heart sank.
As Captain Apollo on the 1978 TV series » Battlestar Galactica ,» he wasn’t just my first space crush (sorry Han Solo). The pilot he brought to life embodied the kind of passion and stubbornness that made the popular sci-fi series more than what some critics called a «Star Wars wannabe. »
«Battlestar Galactica» actor Richard Hatch with CNET writer Bonnie Burton.
Apollo was a stand-out character to many of us space geeks who loved the short-lived ’70s original series. But Hatch wasn’t just Apollo. He returned to the «Galactica» franchise during its wildly successful 2004 reboot, playing Tom Zarek , a terrorist who becomes a politician.
He also had roles in » All My Children ,» » The Streets of San Francisco ,» » Hotel ,» » The Love Boat » and » Fantasy Island ,» and in one of my favorite guest appearances: He played a dubious boyfriend and possible suspect in » Murder, She Wrote.
