Biography
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Air Force veteran and international athlete Cliff Simon stood out with his distinctive presence. A seasoned actor residing in Los Angeles since 2000, he fulfilled his dream of becoming a U.S. citizen. Cliff was also the author of the book 'Paris Nights: My Year at the Moulin Rouge.'
From a young age, Cliff aimed to be the first South African swimmer to win Olympic gold. His mother, a swim instructor, introduced him to the pool before he could walk and instilled the confidence he needed to pursue this goal. By six, he showed promise as a gymnast. At 15, Cliff competed nationally in both swimming and gymnastics, but to advance, he had to focus entirely on one sport and chose swimming.
During political unrest in South Africa when he was 15, his family moved to the United Kingdom. There, Cliff completed his education and was selected for the British international swimming team. He participated in Olympic trials and qualified for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. He received scholarship offers from the University of Houston and Southern Methodist University in Texas to train with the elite Mustang swim team, potentially leading to competing in the 1984 Olympics.
However, after enduring early morning ice scraping before training and spending over six hours daily in the pool for three years, Cliff felt exhausted and socially isolated. Midway through a session, he left the pool, told his coach he was quitting, and returned to sunny South Africa. There, he joined the Air Force, continued swimming, and earned the Victor Ludorum, the Air Force’s highest athletic honor. After completing his two-year service in 1982, Cliff packed his belongings into a single suitcase and headed to the coast in an old Fiat convertible.
He secured a job teaching windsurfing and water-skiing at a resort hotel. By chance, a stage show was being produced at the resort, and a performer informed Cliff that the choreographer was seeking a gymnast. Cliff sensed this was the start of his stage career. Over time, he performed worldwide as a dancer and acrobat, achieving his dream role as a principal performer at the iconic Moulin Rouge in Paris in 1989.
Upon returning to South Africa, Cliff pursued stage acting. While studying drama, he signed with a modeling agency and found success in runway, print, and television commercials. Recognized as a prominent model, he was invited to enter the Mr. South Africa talent and action man competition, which he won in 1992. This victory led to an audition for the popular TV series Egoli - Place of Gold. After a three-month guest appearance, he secured a permanent lead role, becoming a household name during his six-year tenure. Frustrated by violent crime in Johannesburg, Cliff and his wife decided to immigrate to the U.S. for a better quality of life and to further his acting career.
Cliff quickly landed a guest role alongside Don Johnson on the hit series Nash Bridges. Soon after, he earned a recurring guest role as Ba'al on Stargate SG-1. His captivating portrayal of the charming villain with a sharp sense of humor made him a fan favorite, and his character appeared for five seasons.
In 2007, Cliff reprised his role as Ba'al in the Stargate SG-1 film Continuum, released in 2008. He received a nomination for Best Guest Star at the Best of TV Awards Canada in 2014 for his role on Castle. Cliff appeared in numerous network TV series and films, with several projects underway. His short film The Long Dig was set for release in August 2018. He also appeared in Almythea 2: Rise of the Astra and Land of the Free. His film Project Eden Vol. 1, which won the Best Vision Award at the Boston Film Festival, had a U.S. theatrical release in January 2018.
In 2020, Cliff hosted and executive produced Into the Unknown, a paranormal investigative adventure show premiering on the Travel Channel, which had already aired its first season in Europe on the History Channel under the title Uncharted Mysteries. The series perfectly matched Cliff’s interests.
When not working, Cliff enjoyed kiteboarding alongside dolphins off Malibu beaches or surfing waves, leading a peaceful life.
Cliff Simon passed away while kiteboarding on March 9, 2021, in Topanga, California.
