Perhaps best known for his role in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ as the chaos-loving Ethan Rayne, actor Robin Sachs has passed away. Little is known about the cause of death, but his website proclaimed it to be sudden and unexpected. The voice of ruthless bounty hunter Zaeed Massani in the ‘Mass Effect’ series as well as various characters on ‘Babylon 5,’ Sachs’ love of science fiction was obvious through the roles he chose. Sachs was no stranger to being buried under pounds of makeup and even die-hard fans of 1999’s tongue-in-cheek ‘Galaxy Quest’ might not recognize him as the evil Sarris without his insectoid-reptilian getup.
Born in London to actor parents, Sachs moved through the system doing live theater, appearing in many classic works on London’s West End. In the early ‘90s, Sachs was offered a one-time role in the series ‘Jake and the Fatman,’ and he jumped at the chance to work in America, building an enviable career in Los Angeles until his untimely passing.
The roles of Ethan Rayne in ‘Buffy’ and Zaeed Massani in ‘Mass Effect’ were especially intriguing, as they were both humans in a world with much more powerful beings. A non-demon, non-supernatural antagonist in ‘Buffy’ was practically unheard of, and characters without biotic powers (think: Alien Magic) in the ‘Mass Effect’ universe were comparatively run-of-the-mill amidst more-talented alien species. But Robin Sachs’ extraordinary ability to inject personality and mischievous charm into the characters he played helped make them some of the more memorable and loved roles in science fiction.
While we at ScienceFiction.com mourn the passing of such a talented individual, we want to join his fans at robinsachs.com in raising a glass to celebrate a life that brought personality and heart to characters that will live on in science fiction history. Our hearts go out to Robin Sachs’ family and friends for a life cut all too short.
