In the 1990s, the Star Trek franchise was the pinnacle of science fiction. In the shadow of Starfleet adventures, however, ran a series that was in many ways bolder, more complex, and more groundbreaking: Babylon 5.
Conceived by J. Michael Straczynski, the 5-season sci-fi epic tells the story of a huge space station as the last fortress of peace in space, where numerous peoples come together and intergalactic conflicts are fought. The station was managed by Commander Jeffrey Sinclair. The character and actor Michael O’Hare unexpectedly disappeared after the first season.
The sci-fi marvel Babylon 5 switched the main character and the reason is tragic
When Michael O’Hare didn’t return after Babylon 5’s first season in 1994, the series found a fitting replacement in Tron star Bruce Boxleitner. New character John Sheridan became commander of the space station from Season 2 onwards. But fans have been left in the dark as to why one of the main stars of the 5-season sci-fi series left the project from the start.
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Michael O’Hare in Babylon 5
Babylon 5 and O’Hare did not part ways. Showrunner Straczynski explained at the time: “This is an amicable parting. It’s not a Tasha Yar situation” The actor, after a brief cameo in Season 2, later returned for a double episode in Season 3 to finish his character’s story, but what was the reason?
The true background to Michael O’Hare’s exit remained secret for almost two decades – until the actor died of a heart attack on September 28, 2012. A few months later, J. Michael Straczynski addressed Babylon 5 fans during a panel at Phoenix ComicCon 2013 to share the tragic truth.
Michael O’Hare suffered from a serious mental illness and paranoid delusions, which became more and more serious during the season 1 filming. Only Straczynski knew about his star’s condition and even offered to stop production so that he could seek treatment. However, O’Hare rejected the proposal and fought through to the end of the season so as not to jeopardize the project.
Michael O’Hare wanted Babylon 5 fans to know the truth at some point
The Babylon 5 star was unwilling to go public with his affliction, jeopardizing his career and possibly the future of the series. Straczynski and O’Hare then struck a deal. Because the fandom of the sci-fi series was very important to him, he asked his friend to do the Reveal the background to his departure sometime after his death. Because the fans deserve an explanation.
Here is a video of J. Michael Straczynski’s portrayal of the tragic circumstances of Michael O’Hare’s departure:
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After his appearances in Babylon 5, Michael O’Hare appeared in front of the camera only for short guest roles in the series Detective Hanks and Law & Order. From the year 2000 he withdrew completely from acting.
Where can I watch Babylon 5?
In Germany you can watch all 5 seasons of the science fiction series Babylon 5 on Freevee, Amazon’s free and advertising-financed streaming service.
Unfortunately, the TV films and the spin-off Crusade, which was canceled after a few episodes, are not available to stream as a subscription.
Featuring Babylon 5 and Beyond: 15 Series Secrets You Can Stream Totally Free
Far away from Netflix and Co., there are numerous series that you can stream completely free of charge without a subscription. In the new episode of our podcast Streamgeurious, we present 15 insider tips.
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We have selected 15 fantastic series tips for you from the free streaming programs from Amazon’s Freeve to the ZDF media library. Whether it’s funny comedy, harrowing drama, weird fantasy adventure or a forgotten sci-fi masterpiece: there’s something for every taste.