Veteran actor and singer René Auberjonois has died of metastatic lung cancer at his Los Angeles home on Dec. 8. Auberjonois' son Rèmy-Luc confirmed the news to The Associate Press on Sunday. He was 79.
Auberjonois was a well-respected and admired actor, having worked in the industry for over four decades. After studying theatre at Carnegie-Mellon University, Auberjonois performed with various theatre companies before landing his first Broadway role in 1968. His career quickly took off, the actor winning a Tony the next year for his role in as Sebastian Baye in Coco, opposite Katharine Hepburn.
Auberjonois began his film career in 1970, playing Father Mulcahy in the original M*A*S*H movie. But he was most well known for his television work, in particular his roles as Benson's snobby chief of staff Clayton Endicott III, Boston Legal's serious senior partner Paul Lewison, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Changeling security chief Odo.
The prolific actor also branched out into voice acting, narrating audiobooks and voicing several animated characters. Notable roles included The Speaking Skull in The Last Unicorn and Chef Louis in The Little Mermaid, with Auberjonois originating the now-classic Disney song 'Les Poissons.' He further lent his voice to video games, playing Karl Schäfer in the Uncharted series and reprising his role as Odo in several Star Trek games.
In addition to his acting work, Auberjonois was also a regular supporter of Doctors Without Borders, donating the proceeds of autographs sold to the charity.
Auberjonois is survived by his wife Judith, his children Rèmy-Luc and Tessa, and three grandchildren, as well as his two sisters.
Colleagues, including some of Star Trek's biggest stars, as well as friends and fans have taken to Twitter to pay tribute to the beloved actor.
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The last post from Auberjonois' official Twitter prior to his death was a quote from writer Marjane Satrapi: "Life is too short to be lived badly." Rest in peace, René.
Topics Celebrities
