Straczynsky’s creative genius had much to do with Babylon 5’s popularity, but the work of the ensemble cast was one of the main ingredients of the series’ appeal. He was also featured as Kent "Flounder" Dorfman in the film, National Lampoon's Animal House. Elsewhere from 1983 to 1988, and as Centauri diplomatic attaché Vir Cotto in the science fiction series Babylon 5from 1994 to 1998. J.M. We would see Vir again in the series finale, Sleeping In Light, during the bittersweet farewell dinner for Sheridan. Many TV shows boast an ensemble cast, but very few gave us such nuanced and expertly developed main and secondary characters as Babylon 5 did. Secondary or supporting characters on television series are often only used as convenient narrative tools (at times, a mere step above ‘red shirts’). Stephen Furst (May 8, 1954 – June 16, 2017) was an American actor. Cotto’s engagement to Lyndisty and appointment to Minbar ended in scandal. for Every Budget, Marvel’s WandaVision Episode 6: MCU Easter Eggs and Reference Guide. Vir was seen as Mollari’s unwitting assistant, and as such, he really represented the basic good person struggling with the moral dilemma forced upon him by his position, which gave Furst plenty of room to develop Vir well beyond the confines of a two-dimensional secondary character. From Captain Jaclyn, head of the B5 Books Team:Stephen Furst died on June 16, 2017 due to complications from diabetes. Furst was a regular in the science fiction series Babylon 5 playing Centauri diplomatic attaché Vir Cotto and as Dr. Elliot Axelrod on St. After all, my associates and I are doing everything we can to help your people reclaim their place in the galaxy. Image Courtesy of Warner Bros. Television All too often, the secondary characters in a show are relegated to mere plot devices with two-dimensional personalities and maybe nothing more than a first name. (c) B5books.com -- Email help@B5books.com But his decision came at a certain price, and he lost part of his innocence in the process. I thought we were past this, centuries ago! I would look up at your lifeless eyes and wave like this. Vir Cotto was the assistant to Centauri Ambassador Londo Mollari. Furst did not appear in the 1993 pilot film Babylon 5 In the Beginning but was a major character in the full show that would follow.. Stephen Furst’s Mainstream Career. Stephen Furst as Centauri Emperor Vir Cotto. Season four was the stage for Vir’s most profound transformation. I find this surprising. Vir did not remain unscathed by the events set in motion by Mollari and the chaos of the war against the Shadows, despite Mollari’s claim to the contrary in The Hour Of The Wolf (season four’s opening episode): Mollari: “Vir! The Narn Regime was quickly revealed as the culprits for the attack. ”. “This is so Flounder,” Bruce Boxleitner said on the commentary track of the same episode about a scene where when Vir downs Mollari’s unfinished drink and immediately passes out. Stephen Furst — best known for playing Vir Cotto in Babylon 5 and Kent "Flounder" Dorfman in Animal House — has died aged 63 following complications with diabetes. Mollari had no difficulty convincing Vir that Centauri Emperor Cartagia was insane and enlisting his help. #StephenFurst helped shape who I am.”. ELSEWHERE, as Dr. Elliot Axlerod. Ambassador Mollari introduces Vir to Michael Garibaldi and the viewers with a simple “this is it” comment and derisive gesture. "You are a TREASURE, Vir!" Stephen Furst-- actor and filmmaker known for playing Flounder in 'Animal House' -- … Cotto opposed Centauri imperialism and used his authority to smuggle Narns to better lives. He played Vir Cotto in all five seasons of Babylon 5 and in the TV-movie Thirdspace. I mean, can’t we reason with him or something,” Vir asked Mollari in season four’s The Summoning. I just finished watching the epic space opera, Babylon 5, for the 4th time. Other not… Official website. Rewatching the episode now, it feels more like a moving farewell to the departed B5 cast members that were at the table: Richard Biggs, Jerry Doyle, and Stephen Furst. David Livingston/Getty Images. AUTOGRAPHED 8"x10" Photo. Furst did indeed bring in some of the same bumbling naivety of his famous Animal House character to Vir’s personality makeup. He was an actor and director, known for National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), Babylon 5 (1993) and The Dream Team (1989). Most of the characters went through deeply transformative personal story arcs; some characters were deeply flawed and had to suffer the consequences of their shortcomings, others had to overcome significant personal issues or events, and some had to face terrible odds despite severe personal limitations. The Technomages are both respected and feared, and seeing how they treat poor Vir when he tries to contact them on behalf of Mollari shows us why. But that selfsame episode of slapstick Vir comedy also gave us our first glimpse of Vir’s hidden backbone. One of Babylon 5’s strengths was the development of the main characters over the course of the series. In many ways, he was a fan, a geek, like us. Most will remember Furst as lovable Kent ‘Flounder’ Dorfman in the 1978 cult classic Animal House, but to sci-fi fans he will be more fondly remembered as Babylon 5’s Vir Cotto. The series’s grandeur was passed by then, as many fans decry the last season as not being the best, but Furst still carried the character beautifully. As sci-fi fans, we like to project ourselves into the world of our heroes. To celebrate his life, below is a preview of the complete Vir Cotto entry from the not-yet-released Babylon 5 Encyclopedia along with a video clip from his last con appearance ever with Peter "Londo" Jurasik. Vir was considered an embarrassment to his family, so the family arranged for him to be assigned to this position as a means of getting him as far away from them as possible.Vir's arrival coincided with an attack on the Centauri agricultural colony of Ragesh 3. He is a Centauri male who was from a family of minor nobility. Vir was Londo's often ignored conscience. Additional TV credits included one … Stephen Furst (born Stephen Nelson Feuerstein; May 8, 1954 – June 16, 2017) was an American actor, director and producer. He was everyman. And yet, in all of this, you, have somehow managed to walk through the corridors of power and not be touched. Vir began his role as assistant to Ambassador Londo Mollari in early 2258. Stephen Furst (born Steven Nelson Feuerstein on May 8, 1955) is an American actor and film and television director. He played Cotto throughout the run of the series, and reprised the role for the TV movie, Thirdspace. I should think you’d be grateful.”, Following a quick repartee, Morden then goes on to ask Vir the same question he’s fond of asking others: “What do you want?” And Vir answers: “I’d like to live just long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike as a warning to the next ten generations that some favours come with too high a price. Vir would go on to help lead the Centauri Republic, first as Emperor Mollari’s right hand, and eventually as Emperor himself. 2: Sex is the dirtiest and most dangerous thing you can possibly do, so ... Stephen Furst has passed away (Friday, June 16th) due to complications Stephen Furst played the role. Vir Cotto was played by Stephen Furst in seasons 1-5. I was wrong. Stephen Furst Flounder from 'Animal House' Dead at 63. Stephen Furst as Vir Cotto in Babylon 5. Stephen Furst (born Stephen Nelson Feuerstein; May 8, 1955) is an American actor and film and television director. Cotto assassinated the Emperor Cartagia on Narn after Londo Mollari’s attempt failed. Stephen Furst as Centauri diplomatic attache Vir Cotto in Season 4 of Babylon 5. And with that one reply, at once both serious and terribly funny, Furst reveals the dual nature of seemingly inane Vir. Clarice: How Does The Show Compare to Hannibal? Vir Cotto could easily have been labelled as Babylon 5’s ‘comic relief’, especially given the manner of his introduction during the series’ first episode, Midnight On The Firing Line, where his entrance could have been heralded as ‘send in the clown’. 1 Biography 2 Career 3 References 4 External links Stephen Furst was born in Norfolk, Virginia. Mollari’s assignment as ambassador was considered a joke by the Centauri government, so the position of his assistant could only be seen even more derisively by the Centauri. Stephen Furst's acting career had barely begun when, in the late 1970s, he was cast as Flounder … Characters are uninteresting if they don’t go through changes. Remember what I said before about ‘there must be another way’? Elsewhere, and later as Vir Cotto on the sci-fi series Babylon 5, which he occasionally directed as well. Almost as if he had a death wish, in a manner uncharacteristic to his meek (at the time) persona, Vir faced off against arguably the most dangerous man in the galaxy: Morden: “You don’t like me, do you Vir? One only has those who wish to use you, and those you wish to use. Vir changes his mind, however, quickly, within the same episode, when he witnessed the Emperor’s bloody hands following G’Kar’s torture: Vir: “Londo! Stephen Furst ‘Vir Cotto,’ RIP, my friend.” Furst is survived by his wife, Lorraine, sons Nathan and Griff, and two grandchildren. Following that defining confrontation with Elric, Furst’s performance continued to cement the importance of secondary characters to the overall B5 story arc. Thanks for taking us along for the ride, Stephen. Cotto’s friendship with Lennier proved useful during the former’s time on Minbar. Despite all of Mollari’s careful plotting, Cartagia’s assassination was not fated to go down as planned. This item is from the estate of a good friend who passed away suddenly in 2013. Furst plays Vir Cotto … Judas and the Black Messiah Ending Shows Horrific Legacy of COINTELPRO, Babylon 5: The Wonder that is Stephen Furst’s Vir Cotto. Vir Cotto was a supporting character featured in the 1994-1998 science fiction television series Babylon 5.Played by actor Stephen Furst, he was introduced in the series' pilot episode, "Midnight on the Firing Line".Although credited in all 110 episodes of the series, the character actually only appeared in … Cotto served as envoy to Minbar before becoming ambassador to the Interstellar Alliance. I give it a viewing every couple of years. While most obituaries highlighted his role as Flounder in the movie Animal House, science fiction fans are more likely to remember him for being on Babylon 5 playing the role of Vir Cotto, diplomatic attaché and later emperor of the Centauri. Elsewhere. Following Cartagia’s death, Vir would go on to represent the Centauri Republic as ambassador to Babylon 5 during season five. Vir threw in with Mollari’s plan to get rid of the Emperor. He was a regular in the science fiction series Babylon 5 playing Centauri diplomatic attaché Vir Cotto and as Dr. Elliot Axelrod on St. Stephen Furst (born Steven Nelson Feuerstein on 8 May 1954) is an American actor and film and television director. Stephen Furst as Centauri Emperor Vir Cotto. “I work for Ambassador Mollari,” Vir answers. “He will always be Flounder,” Jerry Doyle said of Furst on the DVD commentary track of season two episode The Geometry Of Shadows, a sentiment that was echoed by Claudia Christian and Bruce Boxleitner. This is the episode when we are introduced to the Technomages, a cabal-like group of mystics who use science to create the appearance of magic. We salute a much-loved Babylon 5 character, played by the much-missed Stephen Furst... A little less than a year ago, in the wake of Jerry Doyle’s passing, Babylon 5 creator J.M. Stephen Furst (8 May 1954 - 16 June 2017) was an American actor and director. “After a while, nothing bothers you.”. 1; 6/17/2017 3:27 PM PT EXCLUSIVE. Cotto’s dream of seeing Morden’s head atop a pike was realized as the Shadow War ended. Some fans may see themselves as Sheridan, Ivanova, or Marcus, and while Vir may not come to mind immediately as anyone’s favorite, he is still just like us: an ordinary person thrust into extraordinary events, and no other B5 character – except maybe for Sheridan who actually dies and comes back to life – goes through a more complex and profound metamorphosis odyssey over the course of the series. Vir first appears in the episode "Midnight on the Firing Line" as an assistant to Ambassador Londo Mollari. Elsewhere. He reached the highest position in Centauri society despite his defiance of its most basic principles. Vir Cotto. In 1994, Furst booked the part of Vir Cotto on sci-fi series Babylon 5, which ran for five seasons through 1998. [1] Furst was a regular in the science fiction series Babylon 5 playing Centauri diplomatic attaché Vir Cotto and as Dr. Elliot Axelrod on St. Furst had other professional commitments, but Straczynski turned that situation to the advantage of the B5 storyline by having Mollari reassign Vir as ambassadorial liaison to the Minbari. Stephen starred in the highly acclaimed medical drama show, ST.