The “Battlestar Galactica” franchise is certainly more sci-fi than horror, but we’d remiss to not report on the sad passing of legendary actor Richard Hatch today. Hatch, who of course rose to fame as Captain Apollo in the original “Battlestar Galactica” TV series, just passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 71.

The Golden Globe-nominated Richard Hatch was nothing if not an icon in the world of science-fiction, and whether he was meeting fans at the various conventions he attended or reprising his most famous role in the short film Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming (which he co-directed), Hatch was always happy to embrace the franchise that made his name known in so many households across the world. Hatch officially returned to the “Battlestar Galactica” universe in the 2004 series, playing new character Tom Zarek.

Hatch’s acting credits include nearly 100 other films and television shows such as “All My Children,” “Kung Fu,” “Hawaii Five-O,” and “The Love Boat.” One of his most recent roles was in this year’s horror movie Asylum of Darkness, which is complete but hasn’t yet been released. He also completed work on the as-yet unreleased film Dead by Friday, and was recently announced to star in a handful of other projects.

“Battlestar Galactica” writer/producer Ronald D. Moore paid tribute to Hatch:

Richard Hatch was a good man, a gracious man, and a consummate professional. His passing is a heavy blow to the entire BSG family.

We offer our condolences to Richard Hatch’s family, friends, and many fans.