John Colicos, a Canadian-born actor who appeared on stages in Canada, London and New York, died March 6 in his native Toronto, reported the New York Times. He was 71.

Colicos was only 22 when he played the title role in King Lear at London's Old Vic, making him the youngest actor to tackle that classic part. After joining the Stratford Festival in Canada, he again played the mad king, in 1964. Other stage roles included that of Winston Churchill in Rolf Hochhuth's Soldiers, which ran both in London and New York.

Aided by a face that looked older than its years, Colicos often played authoritative or commanding characters, including the nefarious Nikos Cassadine, a villain on the soap "General Hospital," during the program's early '80s heyday; and Count Balter on the '70s television series "Battlestar Gallactica." He returned to the later role in the 1999 movie "Battlestar Gallactica: The Second Coming."

Colicos also played a recurring role in "Star Trek" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," and holds a special place in the hearts of that sci-fi show's rabid fans by having been "Kor," the first Klingon ever depicted on the series.

He is survived by his wife and two sons. --By Robert Simonson