20:47 PST 3/11/2021
in
Abid Rahman
The South African played Ba’al in the science fiction series.
Cliff Simon, the South African actor who played the villain Ba’al in the sci-fi series Stargate SG-1, died on Tuesday after a kitesurfing accident. He was 58 years old.
A message posted on Simon’s Facebook page said the actor died after the tragic accident on Topanga beach, near Malibu. “He was known to most of you on this page as the villain you loved to hate, Ba’al, of 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 so many lives. “
Best known for playing the villain Ba’al in five seasons of the hit science fiction series Stargate SG-1, his character was a member of an alien species called Goa’uld, and one of the last System Lords.
Born in Johannesburg, Simon excelled in gymnastics and was a competitive swimmer in his youth, choosing to focus on the latter. In the early 1980s, his sporting potential, along with the global sports boycott of South Africa due to Apartheid, led Simon and his family to move to the United Kingdom in pursuit of their Olympic ambitions. He qualified for Britain’s national swimming team and was, at the age of 17, on track to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984. Ultimately, after years of intense training, he was exhausted and did not go to the Olympics.
He returned to South Africa and joined the army and spent two years in the Air Force. After military service, he danced and performed at cabaret and stage shows in South Africa before being offered a coveted seat in the choir of the Moulin Rouge in Paris. After six months, he became the main dancer for the Moulin Rouge.
After a year in France, he returned home again. He worked as a model, but was trying to transfer to acting. His big break came when he won Mr. South Africa’s first contest and a producer saw him and offered him a role in the bilingual South African soap opera. Egoli: place of gold.
He starred as Mitch in Egoli: place of gold For seven years. In 2000, he moved to the United States in search of acting opportunities. His first American role was in Nash Bridges. A year later, he marked the role of Ba’al in Stargate SG-1, reprising the character in the 2008 direct-to-video film Stargate: Continuum.
Simon used to be seen as a villain in his work on television. His other notable credits include 24, NCIS Los Angeles, NCIS New Orleans, The americans, Undercovers and Castle.
He fulfilled a lifelong dream and became an American citizen in 2005.
In July 2016, his book Paris Nights: My Year at the Moulin Rouge was published.