Babylon 5, the iconic 90s sci-fi series, is renowned for its compelling narrative and memorable characters—oh, how we miss Vir Cotto. Here we offer a glimpse into the lives of six pivotal cast members. Claudia Christian, passionate about cooking, finds solace in culinary arts. Bruce Boxleitner reflects on his career’s twists and turns with gratitude. Phil LaMarr advocates for diversity in voice acting, stressing its importance. Julie Caitlin Brown shares insights on negotiating contracts amidst cultural complexities. Bill Mumy discusses the nuances of child acting and sustaining a career. Beata Pozniak highlights her activism, particularly in establishing International Women’s Day in the U.S. Read on.
Claudia Christian played Susan Ivanova on the first four seasons. She is an avid cook, and talked about her love of cooking with Tor.com. “Cooking is my sanity, my joy and my way of showing the people that I love that I appreciate them. I have no children, so my friends are the recipients of my maternal love. When I cook homemade meals for them, when the soufflé turns out perfectly, I feel that anything else … any negative minutia of life cannot affect me, I am at peace.”
Bruce Boxlietner played John Sheridan from seasons 2 to 5. He talked about how he feels about his career to Smashing Interviews Magazine. “I don’t think there’s anyone in this business that doesn’t have regrets. Maybe you should have gone one way, and you didn’t, or there was a role you were offered, and you turned it down. Everybody has those in this business. But, no, I’ve got to tell you that I’m very blessed. Actually I’ve been very, very blessed for the most part for the paths my career has taken.“
Phil LaMarr played Stephen Franklin in The Road Home. In an interview with Twin Cities Geek, he talked about the importance of diversity when it comes to voice acting. “Diversity and representation weren’t buzzwords, but they were in the minds of people who had raw vision,” he said. “We need new stories; we need new perspectives. That’s what makes things interesting.”
Julie Caitlin Brown played Na’Toth in season one. She makes sure to negotiate her contracts correctly, and shared her approach with RosterCon. “There are always cultural differences, this is the way of the world. There can be a bias against women, their can be a problem with language and customs, there can be socio-economic issues that must be considered. I take into account all of these things when I am negotiating a contract.“
Bill Mumy played Lennier in the first five seasons. He talked about his career in an interview with FOX News. “I’ve been very fortunate to work in so many areas of show business and be professionally rewarded for that,” he said. “But I will say it’s a hard thing to adjust to when millions of people watch you perform week after week and then one day nobody is paying any attention to you. I can see how that can be troubling. But you know, I just kept finding a slot to work in. I never suffered financially like many other child actors whose parents spend their money. My parents invested and they kept me humble.”
Beata Pozniak played President Susanna Luchenko on the show. She is an immigrant, and has worked to empower women. Pozniak also was a factor in making International Women’s Day a holiday. She talked about her activism with Voyage LA. “The most proud thing I have done is to have met and found women that are inspirational — giving voice to the immigrants, who came here for a safer life. In searching for my new self, for my new identity, I wanted to find other immigrants, women from different walks of life that could serve as a positive role model. I met so many extraordinary immigrant women, from Ghana to Japan that words can’t even describe how uplifting their stories were. Therefore, in 1994, I spearheaded the introduction of the first bill in the history of the U.S. Congress (H.J. Res. 316) to recognize International Women’s Day in the United States. I wanted to celebrate the diversity of this great country.“