Stargate SG-1's Cliff Simon Dead at 58 After Kiteboarding Accident

Actor Cliff Simon, who played Ba'al on Stargate SG-1, passed away on March 9 following a kiteboarding accident in California, his wife confirmed.

By Jess Cohen Mar 12, 2021 12:53 PMTags
Watch: "Stargate SG-1" Star Cliff Simon Dead at 58

Cliff Simon, known for his role as Ba'al on Stargate SG-1, has passed away at the age of 58.

The actor's wife, Colette Simon, confirmed his death in message on his Facebook. "It is with unimaginable heartbreak that I am sharing with you, that my beloved husband, Cliff Simon, passed away at 12:30pm on Tuesday March 9, 2021," she began. "He was at Topanga Beach, California and sadly passed away after a tragic kiteboarding accident."

"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,'" Colette noted. "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."

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Colette went on to call Cliff the love of her life. "There is unimaginable heartbreak," she continued. "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."

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"I know this is a shock and will hit hard," she concluded, "but we hope you can respect our need for privacy at this time."

Cliff, who was born in South Africa, began his acting career in the early '90s on the TV series Egoli: Place of Gold. He went on to appear in shows such as Nash Bridges, 24, NCIS and The Americans. Before getting into acting, Cliff—a competitive athlete—trained and qualified as a swimmer for 1984's British International Olympic team. However, he didn't end up competing in the Olympic Games after deciding to return to South Africa, where he joined the air force.

In 2016, Cliff published his memoir Paris Nights: My Year at the Moulin Rouge, about his career transition from soldier to cabaret performer.