The actress Mira Furlan (foto ©Gage Skidmore) passed away on Wednesday, January 20, 2021. The causes of her death have not been disclosed, but the commemorations that started arriving indicate that she had been ill for some time.
Mira Furlan was born on September 7, 1955, in Zagreb, in the then Yugoslavia, today in Croatia. I already wrote a tribute to the actress on the occasion of her 60th birthday that traced her life and her career.
One of the roles for which Mira Furlan is best known is that of Delenn in the TV show “Babylon 5”. From J. Michael Straczynski, that show’s creator, came one of the most heartfelt homages, in which he remembers in particular the period of the civil war in the then Yugoslavia. At the time, the actress worked in a traveling theater that continued to cross the borders of what had become independent nations. Straczynski expressed his admiration for her courage, but she replied that they could have killed her but art should have no boundaries.
Eventually, Mira Furlan and her husband had to emigrate to the USA, also following death threats. Her refusal of war as a solution and of hating people who were somehow different from her were interpreted by someone in Croatia as a form of betrayal at a time when patriotism was exasperated by the clash with Serbia. In previous years, she had been accused of importing a Western ideology from the Yugoslav communist government for her feminist positions.
In the USA, Mira Furlan has worked a lot, obtaining considerable appreciation. After playing the other role she is best known for, that of Danielle Rousseau in the TV show “Lost”, Mira Furlan has participated in other television and film productions, not only in the USA but also in other countries because in the meantime she had returned to work in Croatia as well. Over the years, she has continued to work extensively in stage productions as well.
The commemorations of the people who worked with her recall how Mira Furlan was a very talented actress and a person with great values. She will remain in the memory of friends and fans!
