Cliff Simon, ‘Stargate SG-1’ Star, Dead at 58

Actor Cliff Simon, best known for playing the villain Ba’al on Stargate SG-1, died on March 9 after suffering a tragic kiteboard accident while at Topanga Beach in California. He was 58 years old. His wife Collette Simon confirmed the news in a Facebook post on his page. “It is with unimaginable heartbreak that I am sharing with you, that my beloved husband, Cliff Simon, passed away…” she wrote. “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’s only a part of who I am.’”

“And he was SO much more – a true original, an adventurer, a sailor, swimmer, dancer, actor, author. There is a gaping hole where he once stood on this earth. He was loved by too many to mention and had a great impact on so many lives. He was an amazing and much loved brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend,” she continued. While she left out the details of the accident, she did mention “a small saving grace to this tragedy is that he was doing one of the things he loved most and passed away on the beach near the water, which was his temple. I know this is a shock and will hit hard but we hope you can respect our need for privacy at this time.”

Born Sept. 7, 1962, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Simon was not only a world-class actor. After moving to the U.K. at 15 years old, Simon trained as a swimmer and eventually joined the British International Olympic team in 1984. Without competing in the games, he then moved to the United States for a brief time before he decided to return to South Africa where he joined the South African Air Force. Once he completed his two-year term, he began studying theater –– a move which eventually granted him a spot as the principle performer at the world-famous Moulin Rouge Theater, Paris in 1989. His latest job working as the host of the Travel Channel’s Into the Unknown followed the adventurous Simon as he journeyed to unknown parts of the world. In addition to his hosting duties, he also served as an executive producer on the series.