Actor and star of Babylon 5
Born: July 16, 1956;
Died: July 27, 2016
JERRY Doyle, who has died aged 60, was an actor and talk show host who starred in the 90s science-fiction series Babylon 5. Set on a space station staffed by humans and aliens, Doyle played the head of security Michael Garibaldi. It was a sophisticated and intelligent show and has had a cult following ever since.
The series finished in 1998, but there were constant rumours of revival and movie versions. Doyle himself was always keen on the idea, but in recent years had been presenting a national radio show from Las Vegas in which he promoted his libertarian views. Doyle was a Republican and once stood for the party for the House of Representatives.
Politics and acting were just two of the careers he pursued in a busy life. Born in Brooklyn, the adopted son of a police officer, he studied aeronautics and trained as a corporate jet pilot. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, while also receiving his flight training. He then worked for ten years as a stockbroker on Wall Street before deciding he wanted to give acting a go.
“I was 35 years old and in a position to take a shot at whatever I wanted to try,” he said. “The Air Force said I was too old to fly fighter jets. I thought about becoming a fishing boat captain, before deciding that acting seemed pretty cool.”
He headed to Hollywood in 1991 and started to pick up small roles, including a recurring part in the day time soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. Two years later, he landed the role in Babylon 5.
More sophisticated and thoughtful than most shows, even Star Trek, Babylon 5 was set in the mid 23rd century at a time when human and aliens had come to an agreement to share outer space. When there were disagreements, it was often up to Doyle’s character to sort them and the show intelligently tackled questions of race, religion and ethics.
Doyle was always a big fan of the programme and was disappointed when it finished after five seasons. “It opened doors to things and places I might not have been and people I might not have met. It’s taken me all over the world,” he said.
He was also supportive of the idea of a revival, although the rumours eventually came to nothing. “I always thought that we should have gone on, but not necessarily in the same sweeping story arc form that we did but more free standing episodes because there were so many plot points that hadn’t been resolved. So I thought that there was opportunity to continue the series in that way. And there’s always been rumours of a feature film – when I know it’s real is when I’m standing on the set or I’m watching it on the screen, then I’ll know.”
After the end of Babylon 5, Doyle continued to work in acting, appearing in Martial Law, Sliders, Beverly Hills 90210, Homefront, and Reasonable Doubts, although he took a hiatus in 2000 to run for the US House of Representatives for California’s 24th District. He did not win the election though and in recent years had been working as a host on Talk Radio Network and, in Las Vegas, weekday afternoons on AM radio station KDWN.
Active in his local community, Doyle raised funds for many charities including Disabled American Veterans, Cystic Fibrosis and the Motion Picture and Television Fund.
He was found dead in his Las Vegas home and the Clark County coroner said it would several weeks and toxicology tests to determine a cause of death.
Doyle was married to his Babylon 5 co-star Andrea Thompson from 1995 to 1997.
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