Stargate SG-1 star Cliff Simon has died aged 58 in a kiteboarding accident. The actor, best known for playing villain Ba'al on the sci-fi show, died on March 9 at Topanga Beach in California, with his wife Colette confirming the news.
Writing on her husband's Facebook page, Colette said: '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.'
Cliff, born in South Africa in 1962, was a keen swimmer and gymnast as a child. After emigrating to the UK, he was chosen to swim in the British international squad and qualified for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, but decided to quit. He later performed as a dancer and acrobat at Paris's Moulin Rouge and starred on the South African soap Egoli: Place of Gold for six years before moving to the US.
He won the guest role of Ba'al on Stargate SG-1, which was so popular that the character was brought back for six seasons, as well as the movie Stargate: Continuum. He also starred in shows including NCIS, Castle and 24, and hosted the History Channel documentary Uncharted Mysteries.
Colette asked for the family's privacy to be respected during this time, adding: 'A small saving grace to this tragedy is that he was doing one of the things he loved most and passed away on the beach near the water, which was his temple.'
