Michael Keating, ‘Blake’s 7’ star and sci-fi icon, dies at 79
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A Legacy of Cautious Rebellion
The science fiction community is mourning the loss of Michael Keating, the actor whose portrayal of the lovable thief Vila Restal made him a staple of British television. Keating passed away at the age of 79, leaving behind a career that spanned over five decades and cemented his place in the pantheon of cult TV.
While many actors are remembered for a single role, for Keating, Vila Restal was more than just a character—he was a cultural touchstone. Appearing in all 52 episodes of the BBC’s Blake’s 7 between 1978 and 1981, Keating was the only cast member to remain for the entirety of the series’ television run. His depiction of the self-declared coward was a masterclass in nuance; where others saw a comic relief character, Keating found a man who was simply “cautious.” He imbued Vila with a warmth and honesty that made him the emotional anchor of the crew aboard the spaceship Liberator.
The impact of Keating’s performance was not lost on the show’s creators. According to Peter Anghelides, a producer at Big Finish, there was a period during the planning of the second series when creator Terry Nation considered whether Vila was a “borderline case” for being dropped from the regular cast. It was only after the production team recognized the overwhelming popularity of the character—driven largely by Keating’s adroit acting—that Vila’s place on the ship was secured.
From the West End to the Recording Booth
Before becoming a fixture of sci-fi, Keating built a rigorous foundation in classical theatre. Starting his professional journey in 1966 at the Nottingham Playhouse under John Neville, he spent years honing his craft at the Library Theatre in Manchester and the Lyric Theatre in Belfast. This versatility allowed him to transition seamlessly between the avant-garde and the mainstream, including prestigious stints with the Old Vic and the National Theatre.
In 1985, he stepped into the West End spotlight at the Phoenix Theatre, creating the role of Marty in Alan Bleasdale’s Are You Lonesome Tonight, a play centered on the life of Elvis Presley. This range continued well into his later years, most notably in his turn as the Reverend George Stevens in EastEnders, where he appeared in 54 episodes between 2005 and 2017.
The Audio Renaissance with Big Finish
In the latter part of his career, Keating found a second home in the world of audio drama. His relationship with Big Finish allowed him to revisit his most famous role and explore new sonic landscapes. After first guest-starring in the Eighth Doctor range of Doctor Who in 2004’s The Twilight Kingdom, he officially reprised the role of Vila in 2012 with The Turing Test.
Working in audio required a different set of tools, but Keating brought the same precision to the microphone that he had to the screen. He spent the following decade reuniting with former on-screen colleagues, including Paul Darrow and Gareth Thomas, effectively extending the life of Blake’s 7 long after the TV series’ devastating final episode.
Colleagues remember him not just for his timing, but for his temperament. Anghelides recalls Keating’s “cheery presence” in the studio and his ability to weave real-life jokes into the scripts, such as the naming of a planet after director Vere Lorrimer. Even when discussing the bleak survivalist themes of later scripts, Keating remained in character, imagining Vila surviving in a low-tech world as long as he could “build a little hut” and “meet a young lady.”
Keating’s final contribution to the Big Finish library was The Terra Nostra, released in January 2022. Outside of the studio, he was known as a voracious reader and a keen rambler—a man who enjoyed the quiet of the outdoors as much as the roar of a studio audience.