‘Battlestar Galactica’: Which Cast Members From the 1978 Show Are Still Alive?
Created in 1978 by Glen A. Larson, the original Battlestar Galactica featured a great cast. Though the show only ran for a single season, the original series of Battlestar Galactica earned two Primetime Emmys and a People’s Choice Award in 1979 after its short run.
It also laid the groundwork for the 2004 reboot starring Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell, which was similarly critically acclaimed and remains one of the most beloved sci-fi series in TV history.
The original ‘Battlestar Galactica’ released in 1978
In both the original series and the reboot, the plot of Battlestar Galactica begins after a long war with the Cylons. Humans have been diminished to a single fleet captained by Galactica’s Commander Adama. On the run from their enemies and searching for the lost Thirteenth Tribe, members of the Galactica and its sister ships must find Earth and the remaining human survivors of the universe to survive, according to IMDb.
As the creator of several primetime gems like Magnum, P.I., Knight Rider, and The Fall Guy, Larson made television hits, and Battlestar Galactica was no different. The series was a success but was canceled after only a single season following a lawsuit from none other than fellow space-hound George Lucas (along with 20th Century Fox).
The lawsuit claimed that Battlestar Galactica copied Lucas’ space opera in 34 instances. And while the suit was eventually resolved out of court, Battlestar Galactica only ran for one season as a result of the legal action, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In 1980, a new series titled Galactica 1980 was made but failed to attract viewership and was canceled after one season as well. Then in 2004, twenty-five years after the original Battlestar Galactica series in 1978 aired, the series was rebooted with the same plot. The series ran for four seasons and won three Primetime Emmys.
Which ‘Battlestar Galactica’ cast members are still alive?
Playing Lieutenant Starbuck, Dirk Benedict, 77, is still acting. After overcoming cancer, Benedict went on to star as Templeton ‘Faceman’ Peck in the hit series The A-Team.
Herbert Jefferson, who played Lieutenant Boomer in the series, is also still acting. Since Battlestar Galactica in 1978, Jefferson has appeared in tv shows like Knight Rider, Airwolf, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Fall Guy, ER, Sister, Sister, and Star Trek: Renegades. He is now 76 years old.
Still known best for her role as the beautiful Lieutenant Athena, Maren Jensen began as a model for Cosmopolitan and Seventeen magazines. Following her role in Battlestar Galactica in 1978, she went on to act in Beyond the Reef, The Love Boat, and Deadly Blessing. She is now 66, married, and living in New York City.
Noah Hathaway, who played Boxey in the series, is now 51. After Battlestar Galactica, Hathaway went on to star as Atreyu in The NeverEnding Story in 1984—the role for which he remains best known.
Playing Cassiopeia in the series, actor Laurette Spang (now Spang-McCook) remained a presence in television for several years after Battlestar Galactica. She had guest appearances on Three’s Company, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, The Dukes of Hazzard, and Magnum, P.I., before leaving the entertainment industry behind. Spang-McCook is now 71 and has three children with her husband John McCook.
Like many of his co-stars, Terry Carter, who played Battlestar Galactica’s Colonel Tigh, continued his acting career following the show as well. After the series was canceled, Carter (who is now 94 years old) went on to appear in series like The Jeffersons and The Fall Guy.
What happened to the rest of the original ‘Battlestar Galactica’ cast?
Sadly, several members of the Battlestar Galactica cast from 1978 are no longer with us. Lorne Green, who played Commander Adama in the series, died in 1987 from complications from pneumonia following ulcer surgery. The former Bonanza star was 72.
In 2016, actor Tony Swartz, who played Flight Sergeant Jolly, died at the age of 73. The following year, Richard Hatch—the actor who played Captain Apollo—died at 72 from pancreatic cancer. Then, in 2000, their co-star, John Colicos, died from a heart attack at 71. Colicos played Count Baltar in the series.
As poetically stated by mourners on social media at the time of Hatch’s death in 2017, the Battlestar Galactica original cast members that have died are remembered best by the show’s most famous line; they are missed, “So say we all.”
