General Hammond dies

Commenter Brian emailed me regarding some sad news: Don S. Davis, the very embodiment of military gruffness on the scifi series Stargate SG-1, has passed away.

With great sadness we must report that veteran actor Don S. Davis passed away on June 29, 2008. He was 65 years old.

Don co-starred on Stargate SG-1 for the show’s first seven years, helping to launch the enduring science fiction franchise. Davis played Major General George Hammond, base commander and a father figure to many of the show’s characters.

He is also well-known for his portrayal of Major Garland Briggs in Twin Peaks.

Off-screen, Don was beloved by the show’s cast and crew. He departed the show in 2003 due to a medical condition that restricted his workload, but returned for several guest appearances on SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis in the following years. Don worked hard to improve his health, and continued to work both on screen and off until his death.

He was from Missouri, which I didn’t know. Always liked Davis as a character actor; am glad to see that my sense of him as a decent and likable guy off the set was not unfounded. The comments left on the GateWorld forum thread are touching. “General Hammond ascended,” indeed.

Sigh. Should’ve been you, Stephen Baldwin.

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