January 22, 2021 - Some sad news hit the Croatian and international media - an international star, Croatian actress Mira Furlan, passed away at the age of 65.
The news was first reported on the actress' Twitter profile, where an obituary of sorts was written earlier today:
— Mira Furlan (@FurlanMira) January 22, 2021
J. Michael Straczynski, the showrunner for the show Babylon 5, in which Mira Furlan starred to achieve international acclaim after having left Croatia, also reported on her untimely demise:
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 Croatian media report, citing unnamed sources, that the actress has been infected with the Western Nile virus, and that after a long period of struggle with the disease and several months of poor health, she succumbed today in Los Angeles, where she lived with her husband.
Mira Furlan was one of the biggest acting stars in the former Yugoslavia, having the leading roles in numerous movies, theatre productions and TV shows during the eighties. When the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia started, she and her husband, Goran Gajić, were chased away from Croatia by the atmosphere created in all of the resulting nations by the nationalists, who felt like it was their prerogative to hate a couple that refused to become nationalists themselves. After their move to the US, they both managed to work their ways up to the exemplary careers, which in her case, included starring in TV hits such as Babylon 5 and Lost. During the last several years, Mira Furlan was able to return to her home country, where she performed in several stage-productions in different theatres in Croatia.
The viewers in Croatia remember her exquisite beauty and grace, as presented in TV shows and movies from the '80s, including Putovanje u Vučjak, Velo Misto, Kiklop and Smogovci.
