Was browsing TBBS and saw this thread... http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=189577 Sad, if true. RIP.
Ironically, I've never seen any B5 except for part of the first season. I had a review thread going here but I gave up on it... Some day I should take the time and try and finish watching the show. http://www.wordforge.net/showthread.php?p=1938256#post1938256
I just read that the reason he left the show, is he was having psychological issues involving paranoia and hallucinations, and he asked to be written out so he could seek treatment. JMS promised to keep it secret until after he died.
Yeah, much respect for JMS for managing it, and he staved off the worst of the "O'Hare was a bad actor, so he was fired" accusations. JMS seems to enjoy putting actors and other staff in tough spots (making a writer who'd just had their first child write the "religious parents let their kid die coz it's God's will" ep, having Delenn's actress face the Minbari civil war scenario when he knew she'd seen the same thing in the Yugoslav conflict) but he seems to have known when to ease back.
That might actually be a good strategy. It harnesses strong feelings within writers and actors to produce better drama.
IIRC the director of 9 & 1/2 weeks basically tormented Kim Basinger throughout the filming to keep her emotional and on edge and wouldn't allow her to interact any with Mickey Rourke during the filming so she wouldn't be at ease around him.
Michael O'Hare was great in both episodes of Law & Order he appeared in post Babylon Five. Especially the one where he portrayed a broken man who had believed that he had started a fire while drunk that killed his young daughter.