Canadian actor Michael Hogan is recovering from a “life changing” brain injury he sustained in February, according to his wife, Susan Hogan, and their friend, actress Shari Ulrich.
Ulrich organized a GoFundMe, created on Monday with a goal to cover the costs of Hogan’s long-term care, medical bills, physiotherapy and other unforeseen bills. As of press time, the fundraiser has raised more than $140,000 of the $150,000 goal.
Hogan, 71, originally from Kirkland Lake, Ont. and best known for playing the gruff but loyal Colonel Saul Tigh in the sci-fi series “Battlestar Galactica,” was at a dinner in Vancouver after participating at a fan convention, when he fell and hit his head.
According to his wife, Hogan “suffered a brain bleed and had to undergo emergency surgery the next morning, but was still left with health issues.”
Former castmates of Hogan rallied to show their support, including “Battlestar Galactica” alum and fellow Canadian Tricia Helfer, who played the Cylon Number Six on the series.
Actress Katee Sackhoff, another BSG alum who played fighter pilot Kara “Starbuck” Thrace, took to Instagram to show her support. “This man and his family are so incredibly special. They have touched the lives of so many,” she wrote.
According to Susan, the injury left Hogan “with complete paralysis on his left side, memory loss, cognitive impairment and an inability to swallow.”
The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Canada in March made treatment even more difficult, “with visits by family being restricted then denied and no care team (physiotherapist, OT, speech therapist, etc. ) allowed in.
“Needless to say, this life changing injury has sent a tsunami of heartbreak through the family. And with recovery relying heavily on contact with family as critical members of the health care team, the agony of separation is indescribable.”
Although progress has been made regarding his recovery — Hogan has apparently regained his speech and is “largely coherent and cognizant” — he still can’t stand and uses a feeding tube.
“Though it is hard to imagine, I think it’s fair to say it is unlikely Michael will be able to work again,” writes Ulrich.
Hogan currently resides on Bowen Island, B.C. with his wife. The couple have four children together. The actor got his start in plays at the Shaw Festival in Ontario, where his wife, then going by Susan King, worked. His first theatre experience didn’t make him fall in love with acting, however.
“I landed a major role at the Shaw Festival, in O’Flaherty V.C. But it wasn’t really that great an experience,” he told the AV Club in 2009. “I was a prospector’s son from Northern Ontario, and at the Shaw Festival, I played these upper-crust British folks.” But Hogan refused to quit, and his career has spanned decades working in theatre, film and television, including “The Man in the High Castle,” “Fargo” and “12 Monkeys.”
Never one to sit idle, Hogan always had a project (or more likely, several) on the go.
“I’m an old man, and there’s always parts for old bald guys,” Hogan told The AV Club in 2009, when asked what was next for the actor. “I’m in an interesting position where I’m in the twilight of my career.”
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