Who is Mira Furlan's husband Goran Gajić? 'Babylon 5' star who passed away at 65 fled Croatia with Serbian director
65-year-old actress Mira Furlan, known for playing the role of Minbari Ambassador Delenn on the sci-fi series ‘Babylon 5’, passed away on January 20, 2021. The tragic news was confirmed on Twitter from her account. Later ‘Babylon 5’ creator Michael Straczynski also dedicated an elaborate tribute to the late actress.
"It is a night of great sadness, for our friend and comrade had gone down the road where we cannot reach her. But as with all things, we will catch up with her in time, and I believe she will have many stories to tell us, and many new roles to share with the universe," he wrote.
It is a night of great sadness, for our friend and comrade had gone down the road where we cannot reach her. But as with all things, we will catch up with her in time, and I believe she will have many stories to tell us, and many new roles to share with the universe. pic.twitter.com/HyQlqyC19v
— J. Michael Straczynski (@straczynski) January 22, 2021
The veteran actress also played remarkable roles like Danielle Rousseau on ‘Lost’, Silver Sable on ‘Spider-Man: The Animated Series’ and starred in films like ‘With Mom’, ‘Twice Born’, ‘The Abandoned’, and ‘Cirkus Columbia’.
The cause of her death is not yet known, however, Straczynski has revealed that Furlan had been in frail health for a while.
Who was Goran Gajić?
The Croatian-origin actress was the wife of Serbian director Goran Gajić with whom she had to flee Croatia during the Croatian War of Independence. He is an ethnic Serb by origin.
It is believed that the two had met in the 1980s, when Furlan actively participated in the Yugoslavian feminist movement. She would commute regularly for three hours from her hometown Zagreb to Belgrade, where Goran Gajić was based. At that time, Furlan was acting in theater productions in both cities.
However, as the Croatian War of Independence broke out in 1991, it became difficult for Furlan to stay in the city as she was fired by Croatian National Theater for refusing to quit acting in Belgrade. After receiving life-threatening messages from the public, Furlan united with Gajić to leave the city together.
Soon, the couple left with little of their belongings and arrived in New York City. They got married in 1998 in the USA. The same year, their only child, Marko Lav, was born.
Furlan and Gajić were an 'ideal couple'
Goran Gajić has worked as a director in both English and Serbian language media. He directed one episode of ‘Babylon 5 – And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder’, where his wife Furlan was starring.
In 1995, Gajić directed an award-winning adaptation of Sophoclean tragedy Antigone. He had also worked as a writer and actor.
In his tribute, Michael Straczynski mentions Gajić as the “rock of her life”. “He was and is a gentleman, quick to laughter, and accomplished director and as much an artist as Mira, which made them the ideal couple. I’ve rarely seen two people so utterly meant for each other,” he wrote.
