LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – Actor René Auberjonois, best known for his roles in television shows including “Benson,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “Boston Legal,” passed away Sunday (Dec. 8) after a battle with metastatic lung cancer. He was 79.
His death was confirmed by his son Remy Auberjonois.
In a statement, Remy called his father a “proud progressive and consummate professional and craftsman.” He praised the work his father did for Doctors Without Borders, and added, “He was married to my mother for 56 years. He was a dedicated father and grandfather and he had a fantastic sense of humor.”
Auberjonois was born in New York on June 1, 1940. He won a Tony Award in 1970 for his role in “Coco,” a Broadway musical about Coco Chanel designer that starred Katharine Hepburn. He portrayed Clayton Endicott III, the governor’s chief of staff on long-running US sitcom “Benson” in the late 1980s, and developed a cult following among sci-fi fans in the 1990s for his role as Odo, on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” Additionally, Auberjonois was known for his role as Army chaplain Father John Mulcahy in Robert Altman’s 1970 film “M*A*S*H,” and also lent his voice to a number of animated roles including Chef Louis in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.”
