In 1978, the actor who was known at that time as Michael Douglas' replacement on The Streets of San Francisco signed on for a starring role in an epic series that would change his life. 


That series was Battlestar Galactica, a cult-following science fiction program that he continues to be involved with after almost 30 years later.

Co-starring the late Lorne Greene (Bonanza) and Dirk Benedict (The A-Team), actor Richard Hatch played the role of Apollo, captain of the fighter squadron for the enormous Galactica, the only surviving battlestar that's leading an entire civilization in their search for the planet Earth. The costly series premiered on ABC to colossal ratings, but was only able to survive one season before it was cancelled. 

Even though Galactica was a short-lived series, Hatch's association with the Universal Studios production never seemed to disappear. For years, Hatch has been a leading campaigner for a revival version. He mortgaged his house to produce an industry trailer in the hopes that the powers-to-be would get behind a new Battlestar Galactica project. He rallied fans to send emails and letters to give the series another chance. He penned several books that continue the adventures of the rag-tag fugitive fleet. With all his diligent work, Hatch's goals for a continuation series, miniseries, or made-for-TV movie with the original cast never materialized.

Ultimately, Universal decided to do a new Battlestar project, but, unfortunately, without the direct involvement of Hatch and the show's creator Glen Larson (Knight Rider, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century). Hatch had to watch from the sideline as Universal gave several high-profiled producers the fortune to produce a new version. Eventually, writer and producer Ronald D. Moore (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) got the green-light for a new miniseries. 

As fans and Hatch hoped for a continuation series, Moore and the SciFi Channel decided to do a "re-imagination:" taking the original plot and adding a fresh spin and style with a new younger cast. Hatch was disappointed.

But Hatch's story didn't end there. When the series went into a weekly run, Moore asked Hatch to participate in the form of a recurring guest role as Tom Zarek, a political prisoner with his own mysterious agenda. Although still somewhat heart-broken over the parent series versus the new "re-imagine" version, Hatch agreed to the powerful guest role.

In February of 2005, a contented Hatch talked to the Sidewalks camera, when the show covered WonderCon, a well-received comic and fantasy convention. In the exclusive interview, Hatch talked about Galactica and his role on the new and popular SciFi Channel program. He also mentioned about his own personal science fiction project that he's producing and starring in, The Great War of Magellan, which recently went to press as a comic book.

The Richard Hatch video can be viewed using the Real Video Player.

Photos credit: Battlestar Galactica photos ©NBC Universal, Universal Pictures, and SciFi Channel; Richard Hatch at WonderCon by Sidewalks' Richard R. Lee

Beyond Battlestar Galactica, Richard Hatch was in All My Children, The Streets of San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and in movies, such as "The Ghost" and  "Deadman Curve."

Hatch has appeared in plays and musicals, including P.S., Your Cat is Dead, and, recently, Pepper Street and The Name Game.

Hatch also lectures and conducts workshops around the world on self-expression, communication, and acting. 

Sidewalks
Video Interview


56K | 256K

(need RealVideo to view)

Battlestar Galactica
Richard Hatch's produced site

Richard Hatch
Official Website

SciFi: Battlestar Galactica
SciFi Channel's official site