Actor Obi Ndefo has passed away at the age of 51, five years after a hit-and-run accident changed his life.

The news was announced this weekend on Facebook by his sister. She followed up with a series of Twitter posts stating that the actor passed away at a Los Angeles area hospital on Wednesday due to heart complications from orthorexia, an eating disorder.

A graduate of Yale University’s drama school, Ndefo played the recurring role of Rak’nor on Stargate SG-1 over the span of six seasons. The young Jaffa was introduced in the fourth season episode “The Serpent’s Venom,” betraying Teal’c to the Goa’uld before finally being won over by his courage and helping him to escape. Rak’nor went on to become a leader in the Free Jaffa resistance movement, and Ndefo put in a total of six guest appearances.

His television credits also include Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (where he played a Klingon) and Voyager (as the Protector in the memorable episode “Blink of an Eye”), 3rd Rock from the Sun, Angel, NYPD Blue, and The West Wing. He played the recurring role of Bodie Wells on Dawson’s Creek, and following his accident in 2019 returned to acting with an appearance on NCIS: Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Times

His final listed credit is Dream Big, a documentary project that he directed, co-wrote, and appeared in for the non-profit Arts Alliance for Humanity and the Santa Monica Playhouse.

Ndefo was struck by a drunk driver outside of a grocery store in 2019, and miraculously survived but lost both his legs from the knee down. He talked about the incident with the Los Angeles Times in 2020, saying, “This is just so horrendous what happened to me, why would I compound this by feeling bad about it? … I don’t have time for negativity. There are people counting on me, and I feel like I can really benefit the world from continuing to carry out my message and my art and my art form.”

In addition to his acting work Ndefo was a yoga instructor, and devoted himself to his physical and mental recovery. He was a raw vegan for more than 10 years, and spoke about his passion for yoga and nutrition in a 2021 YouTube video.

Donations in Obi Ndefo’s name are encouraged to the National Eating Disorders Association to further research on autoimmunity in eating disorders. The NEDA describes orthorexia as “an obsession with proper or ‘healthful’ eating,” which can lead to malnutrition and other negative health outcomes.

Our hearts go out to Obi’s family and loved ones, with gratitude for his life and his work.