Charrozah, Tomalak.

Andreas Katsulas, the character actor known to SF fans as G'Kar on Babylon 5 and a familiar face from Star Trek and other SF&F TV shows, died Feb. 13 of lung cancer in Los Angeles, his agent, Donna Massetti, confirmed to SCI FI Wire. He was 59.

Katsulas, a longtime resident of Los Angeles, played the Narn ambassador G'Kar for five years in the syndicated cult TV series Babylon 5, starting in 1993. He reprised the role in subsequent Babylon 5 telefilms.

Katsulas was also no stranger to Trek fans, playing Romulan Cmdr. Tomalak in Star Trek: The Next Generation. His last appearance in a Trek series was as a Vissian captain on an episode of Enterprise.

Charrozah?

A Romulan's death is a somber occasion. Romulans believe that when they die, their spirit enters the cosmos and becomes one with those who have passed before them, and is cause for celebration. Yet there is also sadness at the passing of a loved one. Funerals are broken into two components; the burial, where the person is physically reunited with Romulan soil, and the Charozzah, which is a commemoration of the spirit. It is a ten-day ritual observed by all members of the immediate family, where they recount events of import in the deceased family member's life.

I always enjoyed his work, but I'm pleased to have so much of it on DVD, where it will last until, well, until the plastic dissolves. I don't want to think about that now.