Cliff Simon, Actor Best Known as Ba’al on ‘Stargate: SG-1,’ Dies at 58
Cliff Simon, a South African actor who rose to prominence playing the long-running villain Ba’al on “Stargate: SG-1,” died March 9 in an accident while kitesurfing, his wife announced Thursday.
“To Friends, family and fans, it is with unimaginable heartbreak that I am sharing with you, that my beloved husband, Cliff Simon, passed away at 12:30pm on Tuesday March 9, 2021. He was at Topanga Beach, California and sadly passed away after a tragic kiteboarding accident. He was known to most of you on this page as the villain you loved to hate, Ba’al, from Stargate SG-1. But as he said, “acting is what I do, it’s only a part of who I am,” his write wrote in the message, posted to Simon’s Facebook account.
“And he was SO much more – a true original, an adventurer, a sailor, swimmer, dancer, actor, author. There is a gaping hole where he once stood on this earth. He was loved by too many to mention and had a great impact on so many lives. He was an amazing and much loved brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend,” she continued.
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His wife also requested privacy for his family.
Born in 1962 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Simon was raised in the UK as a teenager before moving back to South Africa, beginning his acting career in 1982. In 1992 he landed a starring role on the bilingual soap opera “Egoli: Place of Gold,” remaining on the show until 1998. He emigrated to the United States in 2000, and in 2002 landed a guest starring role on “Stargate: SG-1” as Ba’al. He would continue to recur until the series ended in 2007, becoming the show’s longest-running villain.
Simon also made appearances on shows such as “NCIS: New Orleans,” “The Americans,” “Castle,” and “24” among others.
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