“The great Michael Kopsa, my dear friend and the father of my child, Nora, passed away Oct 23 2022 of a brain tumour,” his former wife, Lucia Frangione, announced Tuesday on Twitter
Michael Kopsa, a Canadian actor and voice-over artist who appeared on television in The X-Files, Smallville, and Stargate SG-1 as well as the film Fantastic Four, has died. He was 66.
His former wife, Lucia Frangione, shared the news Tuesday via Twitter, announcing the late actor died of a brain tumor on Sunday.
“The great Michael Kopsa, my dear friend and the father of my child, Nora, passed away Oct 23 2022 of a brain tumour,” she wrote. “He was an incredible stage and screen actor, voice actor, carpenter, musician and painter. Most importantly, he was a loving and richly present father.”
The great Michael Kopsa, my dear friend and the father of my child, Nora, passed away Oct 23 2022 of a brain tumour. He was an incredible stage and screen actor, voice actor, carpenter, musician and painter. Most importantly, he was a loving and richly present father. pic.twitter.com/R5Q6s3QjGh
— Lucia FRANgione (@FrangioneLucia) October 25, 2022
Kopsa’s representative did not have an immediate response when reached by PEOPLE.
Born on Jan. 22, 1956, in Toronto, Kopsa later moved to the United States to study acting at the Circle in the Square Theatre School, spending four years in New York until 1984. He then moved back to Canada to finish an arts and science degree at the University of Toronto, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Kopsa was known for his numerous TV credits filmed in Vancouver or Toronto, including Fringe, The Net, Dead Zone and The Sentinel. He also appeared as General Kerrigan on Stargate SG-1 and Rick Culver in The X-Files.
He was a familiar face in Hallmark movies, including Valentine in the Vineyard, Marrying Father Christmas, Love in Winterland and It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas, among others.
On Hallmark Channel’s official Instagram, the network remembered Kopsa in a post, writing: “A friend and colleague to many, today we honor the legacy of Michael Kopska. Always in our hearts ❤️.”
Kopsa landed his first feature film role in 1985’s Timing before booking a slew of other movie gigs like Fantastic Four, Apollo 18, Love Happens and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
As a voice actor, he worked on Mobile Suit Gundam, the Galaxy Angel anime series, Ninjago, Alien Racers and Princess Castle.
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