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Message

Subject: Re: In Memeory Still Bright: Johnny Sekka
Date: 24 Sep 2006 00:25:37 -0700
From: jmsatb5@aol.com
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated

Jan wrote:
> Found on B5TV and confirmed in Variety: Johnny Sekka, Dr. Kyle in The Gathering,
> passed away on Sept. 14 due to lung cancer. He was 72 years old.
>
> http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117950308?categoryid=25&cs=1&query=johnny+and+sekka&display=johnny+sekka
>
> To absent friends...


I'd heard word about this last weekend, from a B5 cast member to Doug
then to me, but wanted to wait for confirmation before putting it on
the net.  Then, unfortunately, I got hit with the Martian Death Flu and
have been totally out of action all week...so I wasn't able to post
about this sooner.

It's a great loss, and he was a fine man.  His health was always
problematic; even back during "The Gathering" there was concern about
his health and lungs.  He was noticeably fragile, and would often run
out of steam in the middle of a scene, especially if there was any
action involved.  This was ultimately the reason we couldn't in all
good conscience bring him back for the series, though we kept that to
ourselves in hopes that things would eventually improve and he might be
fit enough to one day return to B5 or work for other shows.  But it
didn't happen, and B5 was the last thing he worked on that I know
about.  Which is so unfortunate, because he was a vastly talented man
whose compassion was evident and sincere in his eyes, even when his
voice was sometimes so low that you could barely hear it on the track.

It's a genuine loss all around.

jms