by - Cliff Simon has died at the age of 58.
- The veteran South African actor’s wife, Colette, confirmed he died after a tragic kiteboarding accident at a Malibu beach.
- Cliff was best known for his roles in Egoli and Stargate SG1; he recently spoke to Channel24 about his new show, Uncharted Mysteries on the History channel.
Cliff Simon has died. He was 58 years old.
The South African actor, who had been living in California, died on Tuesday after a tragic kiteboarding accident at Topanga Beach in Malibu, his wife, Colette Simon, shared on his Facebook page.
“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,” his wife said.
The veteran actor, in 1984, qualified as a swimmer for the British International Olympic squad. Though he was offered many scholarships to continue his athletic career, he ultimately entered the South African Air Force before he was discovered and started performing as part of a troupe in various stage productions, reports Deadline.
He began his career in television with a six-year run on South African soap, Egoli, before starring alongside Don Johnson in Nash Bridges. He was best known as the villain Ba’al, however, on Stargate SG1 and the Stargate SG1 movie, Continuum. He also appeared in NCIS, Castle, Days of Our Lives, and 24, and spoke to Channel24 last year about his new series Uncharted Mysteries.
“He was and always will be the love of my life and there is unimaginable heartbreak,” his wife shared in her post on Thursday. “I will end with this verse which Cliff loved and lived his life by,” she said.
“I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dryrot. I would rather be a super meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”
