When viewers tuned into Babylon 5, they came for the science-fiction space adventure, and stayed for the politicking, war, and very grounded approach to all its subject matter – including the fascinating relationships between its crew. Integral to this engaging realism was Mira Furlan’s character, who played the Minbari ambassador, Delenn. While she gave a very commanding performance that demanded respect, her own career is enough to spark admiration too, even after the show ended in 1998 – until a tragic twist took it all away.
Furlan’s story begins on September 7, 1955, in Zagreb, Croatia, back when it was a constituent of Yugoslavia. Hers was a family of mixed ancestry, but what they all had in common was their backgrounds as intellectuals and university professors. Before she was even a pre-teen, Furlan was in love with American rock and roll; when she crossed that threshold into adolescence, she added acting to her list of fascinations.
Furlan immersed herself into the acting world before answering a different calling
Furlan began her career in her native Croatia, first as a member of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb. She was in the award-winning When Father Was Away on Business. By ’92, however, Furlan had fled Yugoslavia following the eruption of unrest. She resettled in New York City and joined the Actors Studio. Her theatre experience from years ago helped her establish connections that helped her get work permits.
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So, when Babylon 5 was set for takeoff, Furlan was ready to join the crew, armed with additional experience on stages in New York and Los Angeles. The role of Ambassador Delenn is one she maintained through all five seasons and in the associated films.
Additionally, she appeared in Lost as Danielle Rousseau, a recurring role throughout the first four seasons, with an additional 22 episodes as a guest star in season six. She also features prominently in the NCIS episode “South by Southwest.” But people would come to know her face through politics just as much as through her acting.
How did Mira Furlan get West Nile virus?
Politics and identity were a big part of Furlan’s life. Her husband was an ethnic Serb, director Goran Gajić, who would actually direct an episode of Babylon 5. Through it all, Furlan was a dedicated feminist, especially for her home of Yugoslavia. She would work in both Zagreb and Belgrade alike, and when the war for independence broke out, Furlan was prepared to continue her work and was fired for her choice. She also received threatening messages by phone. She wrote a public letter expressing her disappointment with the aggressive language she’d been met with, but she and her family had to flee; Balkan countries reportedly call the attack she faced “media lynchings,” which could, according to Global Voices, lead to actual lynchings.
So, when the couple gave birth to their only son, Marko Lav, in ’98, he was born in America. It’s reported that, when sad news regarding Furlan made the headlines, some of those commenting with sympathy and praise had been among those who fired her.
Sadly, Furlan’s well-rounded story would come to an end on a somber note. She was infected with the West Nile Virus, which was transmitted to her through an infected mosquito. This illness is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease; one in five infected people develop a fever while one in 150 affected individuals may develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness. Furlan struggled with the virus for a long time before succumbing to it on January 20, 2021, at the age of 65, leaving behind a life that was quite out of this world.