Remembering Barbara March

By Reggie's Take on August 13, 2019

Barbara March, film and television actress best known for her reoccurring role in the Star Trek franchise has passed away at the age of 65.

Barbara March was born in Toronto, Canada on October 9, 1953 and attended the University of Windsor where she was classically trained as an actress. March’s name may not be familiar to everyone, but if you are a fan of Star Trek The Next Generation, her role as “Lursa” one of the Duras sisters should be very familiar.

Star Trek: Generations / Paramount / 1994

Together with her Klingon sister B’Etor, played by Gwynyth Walsh, they caused problems for the Federation and Captain Picard in episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Redemption” – part I and II, “Firstborn” and starred in the feature film Star Trek: Generations. Lursa and B’Etor also made an appearance on the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “Past Prologue”.

In a 1994 interview for the official Star Trek Generations magazine, Barbara talked about her role as Lursa and Gwynyth Walsh’s B’Etor.

“It’s amazing, we were really surprised by how popular Lursa and B’Etor are. I think it’s because, in one sense, these women have a great deal of power. They’re very emotional, almost a bad Laurel and Hardy team. They’re rebellious, strong, and can kick butt, and there just aren’t that many female characters on television who control things like the Duras sisters try to do. I think all of these aspects, and the chemistry between Gwynyth and I, have helped the characters really catch on. It was wonderful to create a character on Star Trek because she wasn’t a stereotypical cardboard cutout.”

Barbara’s husband Alan Scarfe confirmed on Facebook that she passed away on August 11 by posting the following.

“My beloved Barbara, my partner in all things for more than forty years, passed through eternity’s gate yesterday evening after a cruel battle with cancer. She was wise and compassionate and beautiful and her brilliance, kindness and perspicacity touched many.

Her stage performances as the Duchess of Malfi at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Isabella in Measure for Measure at Canada’s Stratford Festival, Desdemona, Titania, Lady Macbeth, Ruth in The Homecoming and Rowena in The Gayden Chronicles were without equal and a vast audience will continue to marvel at her portrayal of Lursa of the House of Duras on Star Trek.
She was also an accomplished author, artist and poet. Her screen adaptation of her novella The Copper People will soon, I hope, be produced, as will her plays, The Razing of Charlotte Bronte (also available in Italian in a fine translation by Chandani Alesiani) and a comic satire, Pinteresque.

She was a fountain of original ideas and possessed a unique depth of understanding. Tosia and Rick and Jon and I and all her family and friends will miss her terribly. But now, I know, she is truly free to dance.”

Barbara is survived by her husband Alan and children Jon and Tosia.