In the note addressed to “Friends, family and fans”, Colette Simon said: “It is with unimaginable sadness that I am sharing with you that my beloved husband, Cliff Simon, passed away at 12:30 pm on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. He was in Topanga Beach, California, and unfortunately passed away after a tragic kitesurfing 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 is just a part of who I am”. And he was much more – a true original, an adventurer, a sailor, swimmer, dancer, actor, author. There is a hole where he was on this earth. He was loved by many to mention and had a great impact on many lives. He was an incredible and much loved brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend. “
His wife added: “A small saving grace for this tragedy is that he was doing one of the things he loved most and died on the beach near the water, which was his temple.
Born in South Africa, Simon was a veteran actor and author of the book Paris My Year’s Nights at the Moulin Rouge.
Simon qualified as a swimmer on the British international Olympic team in 1984 as a swimmer. He was offered scholarships to continue his athletic career, but the routine affected him and he decided to join the South African Air Force.
A chance encounter at a resort hotel led him to perform as part of a troupe in various theatrical productions, taking him to the Moulin Rouge in 1989.
He later modeled and after winning a contest, he was asked to audition for the hit television series Egoli – Golden Place. He would go on to become a household name during his six-year season.
Moving to Los Angeles, he landed a guest star role with Don Johnson on the hit TV series,‘Nash Bridges. Shortly thereafter, he acquired the recurring role as Ba’al’s guest star in the Stargate SG1 ′. The character was popular with fans and had a recurring five-year season. He also played Ba’al in the movie Stargate SG1, Continuum, ‘that was launched in 2008.
His other duties included recently hosting the Into the unknown series for Travel Channel and appearances in NCIS, Castle, Days of our lives, and 24, among others.
No information was immediately available on survivors or memorial plans.