René Murat Auberjonois (; June 1, 1940 – December 8, 2019) was an American actor and director. He was best known for portraying Odo on ''

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (abbreviated as ''DS9'') is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from ...

'' (1993–1999). He first achieved fame as a stage actor, winning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 1970 for his portrayal of Sebastian Baye opposite

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

in the

André Previn André George Previn (; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. His career had three major genres: Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. In each he achieved ...

Alan Jay Lerner Alan Jay Lerner (August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986) was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, and later Burton Lane, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre b ...

musical '' Coco''. He went on to earn three more Tony nominations for performances in

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received mo ...

's '' The Good Doctor'' (1973),

Roger Miller Roger Dean Miller Sr. (January 2, 1936 – October 25, 1992) was an American singer-songwriter, widely known for his honky-tonk-influenced novelty songs and his chart-topping country and pop hits " King of the Road", " Dang Me", and "Eng ...

's '' Big River'' (1985), and

Cy Coleman Cy Coleman (born Seymour Kaufman; June 14, 1929 – November 18, 2004) was an American composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist. Life and career Coleman was born Seymour Kaufman in New York City, United States, to Eastern European Jewish parents ...

's '' City of Angels'' (1989); he won a

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...

for ''Big River''. A screen actor with more than 200 credits, Auberjonois was most famous for portraying characters in the main casts of several long-running television series, including Clayton Endicott III on '' Benson'' (1979–1986), for which he was an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

nominee, and Paul Lewiston on ''

Boston Legal ''Boston Legal'' is an American legal drama and comedy drama television series created by former lawyer and Boston native David E. Kelley, produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC. The series aired from October 3, 200 ...

'' (2004–2008). In films, Auberjonois portrayed Father Mulcahy in the film version of '' M*A*S*H'' (1970); the expedition scientist Roy Bagley in ''

King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...

'' (1976); Chef Louis in ''

The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a ...

'' (1989), in which he sang " Les Poissons"; and Reverend Oliver in '' The Patriot'' (2000). In the American animated musical comedy film ''

Cats Don't Dance ''Cats Don't Dance'' is a 1997 American animated musical comedy-drama film directed by Mark Dindal (in his feature directorial debut). It is the only fully animated feature produced by Turner Feature Animation, which was merged during the post-p ...

'' (1997), Auberjonois voiced Flanagan. Auberjonois performed as a voice actor in a number of popular video games. He provided the voice of Janos Audron in the ''

Legacy of Kain ''Legacy of Kain'' is a series of dark fantasy action-adventure video games primarily developed by Crystal Dynamics and formerly published by Eidos Interactive, then Square Enix Europe after 2009. The first title, '' Blood Omen: Legacy of Kai ...

'' series (2001–2003); the enigmatic Mr. House in '' Fallout: New Vegas'' (2010); Karl Schafer in the '' Uncharted'' video game series; and Odo in '' Star Trek Online'' (2018 expansion).

Early life

Auberjonois was born June 1, 1940, in New York City. His father, Swiss-born Fernand Auberjonois, was a Cold War-era foreign correspondent and Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer. Auberjonois' mother, Laure Louise Napoléone Eugénie Caroline Murat, was a great-great-granddaughter of

Joachim Murat Joachim Murat ( , also , ; it, Gioacchino Murati; 25 March 1767 – 13 October 1815) was a French military commander and statesman who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. Under the French Empire he received the ...

(one of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

marshals Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...

and

King of Naples The following is a list of rulers of the Kingdom of Naples, from its first separation from the Kingdom of Sicily to its merger with the same into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Kingdom of Naples (1282–1501) House of Anjou In 1382, the Kin ...

during the

First French Empire The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental E ...

), and his wife—Napoleon's youngest sister—

Caroline Bonaparte Carolina Maria Annunziata Bonaparte Murat Macdonald (French: ''Caroline Marie Annonciade Bonaparte''; 25 March 1782 – 18 May 1839), better known as Caroline Bonaparte, was an Imperial French princess; the seventh child and third daughter of Ca ...

. Auberjonois had a sister and a brother, and two half-sisters from his mother's first marriage. Auberjonois wrote that his French family name, an uncommon one in the United States, means "

armorer Historically, an armourer is a person who makes personal armour, especially plate armour. In modern terms, an armourer is a member of a military or police force who works in an armoury and maintains and repairs small arms and weapons systems, ...

." Auberjonois' grandfather, also René Auberjonois, was a Swiss post-Impressionist painter. His maternal grandmother, Hélène Macdonald Stallo, was an American from

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, Ohio; his maternal grandfather's mother was a Russian noblewoman, Eudoxia Michailovna Somova, and his maternal grandfather's paternal grandmother, Caroline Georgina Fraser, who was the wife of

Prince Napoleon Lucien Charles Murat Lucien Charles Joseph Napoléon, Prince Français, Prince of Naples, 2nd Prince de Pontecorvo, 3rd Prince Murat (16 May 1803 – 10 April 1878) was a French politician, and the sovereign Prince of Pontecorvo between 1812 and May 1815. Early life ...

, was an American from Charleston, South Carolina. Auberjonois' family moved to Paris after World War II. After a few years in France, the family moved back to the United States and joined the South Mountain Road artists' colony in

Rockland County, New York Rockland County is the southernmost county on the west side of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. It is about from the Bronx at their closest points. The county's population, as of t ...

, whose residents included

Burgess Meredith Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed theater, film, and television. Active for more than six decades, Meredith has been called "a virtuosic actor" and "on ...

, John Houseman, and Lotte Lenya. The Auberjonois family also lived for a time in London, where Auberjonois completed high school while studying theatre. To complete his education, he attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the College of Fine Arts in 1962.

Career

Theatre

After college, Auberjonois worked with several different theatre companies, beginning at the prestigious

Arena Stage Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest, Washington, D.C. Established in 1950, it was the first racially integrated theater in Washington, D.C. and its founders helped start the U.S. regional theater movement. It is ...

in Washington, D.C., and then he traveled between Los Angeles, California, and New York, working in numerous theatre productions. He helped found the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music Repertory Company in New York City. He was a member of the

Peninsula Players Peninsula Players is a summer theater located in Fish Creek, Wisconsin. Founded in 1935 by Richard and Caroline Fisher, it is known as "America's Oldest Professional Resident Summer Theatre." History The Players was founded in 1935 by the br ...

summer theater program during the 1962 season. In 1968, Auberjonois landed a role on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, and appeared in three plays that season: as Fool to Lee J. Cobb's ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...

'' (the longest running production of the play in Broadway history), as Ned in ''

A Cry of Players ''A Cry of Players'' is a drama by William Gibson, first performed in 1968, that portrays the young adult life of William Shakespeare. The title comes from ''Hamlet'', spoken by the aforementioned, Act 3, Scene 2: "Would not this, sir, and a fore ...

'' (which played in repertory with King Lear), opposite

Frank Langella Frank A. Langella Jr. (; born January 1, 1938) is an American stage and film actor. He has won four Tony Awards: two for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his performance as Richard Nixon in Peter Morgan's '' Frost/Nixon'' and as André in Flor ...

, and as Marco in ''Fire!'' In 1969, he earned a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

for his performance as Sebastian Baye alongside

in '' Coco''. He received Tony nominations for his roles in

's '' The Good Doctor'' (1973) opposite

Christopher Plummer Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer (December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021) was a Canadian actor. His career spanned seven decades, gaining him recognition for his performances in film, stage, and television. He received multiple accolades, inc ...

; as the Duke in '' Big River'' (1984), winning a

; and, memorably, as Buddy Fidler/Irwin S. Irving in '' City of Angels'' (1989), written by

Larry Gelbart Larry Simon Gelbart (February 25, 1928 – September 11, 2009) was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter, director and author, most famous as a creator and producer of the television series ''M*A*S*H'', and as co-writer of the B ...

and

. Auberjonois' other

appearances included Malvolio in ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...

'' (1972); Scapin in ''Tricks'' (1973); Mr. Samsa in '' Metamorphosis'' (1989); Professor Abronsius in '' Dance of the Vampires'', the English-language version of

Jim Steinman James Richard Steinman (November 1, 1947 – April 19, 2021) was an American composer, lyricist and record producer. He also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer. His work included songs in the adult contemporary, rock, dance, pop, mus ...

's musical adaptation of ''Tanz der Vampire''; and Jethro Crouch in '' Sly Fox'' (2004), for which he was nominated for Outstanding Featured Actor In A Play, an Outer Critics Circle Award. Auberjonois appeared many times at the Mark Taper Forum, notably as

Malvolio Malvolio is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's comedy ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will''. His name means "ill will" in Italian, referencing his disagreeable nature. He is the vain, pompous, authoritarian steward of Olivia's househo ...

in ''Twelfth Night'' and as Stanislavski in ''Chekhov in Yalta''. As a member of the Second Drama Quartet, he toured with

Ed Asner Eddie Asner (; November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He is best remembered for portraying Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' a ...

Dianne Wiest Dianne Evelyn Wiest (; born March 28, 1948) is an American actress. She has won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress for 1986’s '' Hannah and Her Sisters'' and 1994’s ''Bullets over Broadway'' (both of which were directed by Wood ...

, and

Harris Yulin Harris Yulin (born November 5, 1937) is an American actor who has appeared in over a hundred film and television series roles, such as '' Scarface'' (1983), ''Ghostbusters II'' (1989), '' Clear and Present Danger'' (1994), '' Looking for Richard' ...

. He appeared in the Tom Stoppard and

work, ''Every Good Boy Deserves Favor'', at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is oper ...

in New York. He directed many theatrical productions, and starred in the Washington, D.C. production of '' 12 Angry Men'' (2004), where he portrayed "Juror #5" to

Roy Scheider Roy Richard Scheider (; November 10, 1932 – February 10, 2008) was an American actor and amateur boxer. Described by AllMovie as "one of the most unique and distinguished of all Hollywood actors", he gained fame for his leading and supporting ...

's "#8" and

Robert Prosky Robert Prosky (born Robert Joseph Porzuczek, December 13, 1930 – December 8, 2008) was an American actor. He became a well-known supporting actor in the 1980s with his roles in '' Thief'' (1981), ''Christine'' (1983), ''The Natural'' (1984), an ...

's "#3". He made his debut at the

Shakespeare Theatre Company The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. The theatre company focuses primarily on plays from the Shakespeare canon, but its seasons include works by other classic playwrights such as Euripides, ...

in Washington, D.C. in 2008 as the titular character in

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...

's '' The Imaginary Invalid''. He was on the advisory board of Sci-Fest LA, the first annual Los Angeles Science Fiction One-Act Play Festival, held in May 2014. In 2018, Auberjonois was inducted into the

American Theater Hall of Fame The American Theater Hall of Fame in New York City was founded in 1972. Earl Blackwell was the first head of the organization's Executive Committee. In an announcement in 1972, he said that the new ''Theater Hall of Fame'' would be located in the ...

Films

Auberjonois played Father Mulcahy in the original film version of '' M*A*S*H''. His subsequent film roles included the gangster Tony in '' Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach'' (1988), and Reverend Oliver in '' The Patriot'' (2000). He made

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...

s in a number of films, including: Dr. Burton, a mental asylum doctor patterned after

Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), '' Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), '' The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993 ...

, in ''

Batman Forever ''Batman Forever'' (on-screen title is simply ''Forever'') is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton, based on the DC Comics character Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The third installment o ...

'' (1995), and a bird expert who gradually transforms into a bird in Robert Altman's 1970 film ''

Brewster McCloud ''Brewster McCloud'' is a 1970 American black comedy film directed by Robert Altman. The film follows a young recluse (Bud Cort, as the title character) who lives in a fallout shelter of the Houston Astrodome, where he is building a pair of wing ...

''. He appeared as Colonel West in the 1991 '' Star Trek'' film '' Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country''. His other notable film appearances include; '' McCabe & Mrs. Miller'' (1971), ''

Images An image is a visual representation of something. It can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or somehow otherwise feed into the visual system to convey information. An image can be an artifact, such as a photograph or other two-dimensiona ...

''(1972), '' Pete 'n' Tillie'' (1972), '' The Hindenburg'' (1975), ''

'' (1976), '' The Big Bus'' (1976), ''

Eyes of Laura Mars ''Eyes of Laura Mars'' is a 1978 American neo noir mystery-thriller film starring Faye Dunaway and Tommy Lee Jones and directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay was adapted (in collaboration with David Zelag Goodman) from a spec script titled ' ...

'' (1978), '' Where the Buffalo Roam'' (1980), ''

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People * Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) * Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California ...

'' (1987), '' My Best Friend Is a Vampire'' (1987), ''The Feud'' (1989), ''

Inspector Gadget ''Inspector Gadget'' is a media franchise that began in 1983 with the DIC Entertainment animated television series '' Inspector Gadget''. Since the original series, there have been many spin-offs based on the show, including additional animated ...

'' (1999), and ''

Eulogy A eulogy (from , ''eulogia'', Classical Greek, ''eu'' for "well" or "true", ''logia'' for "words" or "text", together for "praise") is a speech or writing in praise of a person or persons, especially one who recently died or retired, or as ...

'' (2004). Auberjonois portrayed the character of Straight Hollander in the 1993 Miramax film '' The Ballad of Little Jo''. He voiced Professor Genius in '' Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland'', Louis the Chef in the 1st and

2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Second of arc, an angular measurement unit, ...

''Little Mermaid'' films, Flanagan in ''

'', the Butler in '' Joseph: King of Dreams'', and the concierge in '' Planes: Fire & Rescue''. In 2019, Auberjonois portrayed the title role in ''

Raising Buchanan ''Raising Buchanan'' is a 2019 American comedy film produced by Amanda Melby, Joe Gruberman, Chadwick Struck and Cathy Shim, written and directed by Bruce Dellis. The film stars René Auberjonois in the role of the title character, James Buchana ...

'' as mediocre U.S. president James Buchanan.

Television

Shimerman, Visitor and Auberjonois by Beth Madison, 2

In addition to having been a regular actor on three television shows ('' Benson'', a situation comedy; ''

'' in science fiction; and ''

'', a

legal Law is a set of rules that are created and are law enforcement, enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. ...

comedy drama), Auberjonois guest starred on many television series, including; '' Nash Bridges'', ''

Ellery Queen Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1929 by American crime fiction writers Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee and the name of their main fictional character, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve ...

'', ''

Family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

'', ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into s ...

'', ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investiga ...

'', '' Charlie's Angels'', '' Starsky & Hutch'', ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

'', ''

Harry O ''Harry O'', sometimes spelled ''Harry-O'', is an American Detective fiction, private detective series that aired for two seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1974 to 1976. The series starred David Janssen, and Jerry Thorpe was exec ...

'', ''

The Jeffersons ''The Jeffersons'' is an American sitcom television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. ''The Jeffersons'' is one of the longest-running sitcoms in history, ...

'', '' The Outer Limits'', ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone ...

'', ''

Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset life ...

'', '' Matlock'', '' Murder, She Wrote'', ''

The Bionic Woman ''The Bionic Woman'' is an American science fiction action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel ''Cyborg'' by Martin Caidin, starring Lindsay Wagner that aired from January 14, 1976, to May 13, 1978. ' ...

'', ''

Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub ...

'', '' Judging Amy'', '' Chicago Hope'', ''

The Bob Newhart Show ''The Bob Newhart Show'' is an American sitcom television series produced by MTM Enterprises that aired on CBS from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978, with a total of 142 half-hour episodes over six seasons. Comedian Bob Newhart portrays a p ...

'', ''

Star Trek: Enterprise ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...

'', ''

Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, ...

'', '' Warehouse 13'', ''

Archer Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...

'', '' L.A. Law'', ''

The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy in ...

'' (for which he received an Emmy nomination, playing a different character than the one he played on ''The Practice'' spinoff ''Boston Legal''), '' Saving Grace'', ''

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' is an American sitcom created by Rob McElhenney and developed by McElhenney and Glenn Howerton that premiered on August 4, 2005 on FX and later FXX beginning with the ninth season in 2013. It stars Char ...

'', ''

Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was revived in 2022. It ...

'', '' NCIS'', ''

The Good Wife ''The Good Wife'' is an American legal and political drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in l ...

'', '' The Librarians'', and '' Madam Secretary''. His television movie credits include '' The Rhinemann Exchange'', '' The Dark Secret of Harvest Home'', Disney's ''

Geppetto Geppetto ( , ), also known as Mister Geppetto, is an Italian fictional character in the 1883 novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' by Carlo Collodi. Geppetto is an elderly, impoverished woodcarver and the creator (and thus 'father') of Pinocch ...

'',

Gore Vidal Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his epigrammatic wit, erudition, and patrician manner. Vidal was bisexual, and in his novels and e ...

's ''Billy The Kid'', the remake of ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'', and the ''Sally Hemings: An American Scandal'' (2000) miniseries. He portrayed the character Fortunato in an episode of ''

American Masters ''American Masters'' is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and those who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the ...

'' entitled "Edgar Allan Poe: Terror of the Soul" (1995). He received a third Emmy Award nomination for his performance in ABC's ''The Legend of Sleepy Hollow''. He played NASA scientist Dr. Felix Blackwell in the episode "Phoenix" on '' NCIS''. Auberjonois voiced animated roles, including characters on ''

Snorks ''Snorks'' is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera and ran for a total of four seasons (consisting of 65 episodes) on NBC from September 15, 1984, to May 13, 1989. The program continued to be available in syndication from 1987 ...

'', '' Batman: The Animated Series'', Leonard McLeish on ''

Pound Puppies Pound Puppies is a toy line that was created by Tonka in the 1980s. It later inspired an animated TV special, two animated TV series, and a feature film. Shipments of the toys over five years generated sales of $300 million in 35 countries. Toy ...

'' (2010), ''

Avatar: The Last Airbender ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'' (abbreviated as ''ATLA''), also known as ''Avatar: The Legend of Aang'' in some regions or simply ''Avatar'', is an American anime-influenced animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and ...

'', Master Fung in the first episodes of ''

Xiaolin Showdown ''Xiaolin Showdown'' is an American animated television series that aired on Kids' WB and was created by Christy Hui. Set in a world where martial arts battles and Eastern magic are commonplace, the series follows Omi, Raimundo, Kimiko, and Cl ...

'' (before being replaced by

Maurice LaMarche Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...

), Azmuth on '' Ben 10: Omniverse'', Renard Dumont on '' The Legend of Tarzan'', ''

Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is a 2004–2006 American superhero animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe ...

'', ''

Max Steel Max Steel is a line of action figures produced and owned by the toy company Mattel since 1999. The original figures based on the first TV series were similar to the original 12-inch G.I. Joe toys, consisting almost entirely of different versi ...

'', ''

Fantastic Max ''Fantastic Max'' is an animated cartoon series, originally aired from 1988 to 1990 created by Hanna-Barbera Productions, Kalisto Ltd., Booker PLC and Tanaka Promotion Co. and in association with S4C. It centers on a boy named Maxwell "Fantastic ...

'', '' Challenge of the GoBots'' (as the treacherous "Dr. Braxis"), ''

'', '' Young Justice'', ''

Random! Cartoons ''Random! Cartoons'' is an American animated anthology series that aired on Nicktoons. Much like '' Oh Yeah! Cartoons'', it was created by Fred Seibert and produced by Frederator Incorporated and Nickelodeon Animation Studio. It premiered on De ...

'', and '' Avengers Assemble''. He lent his voice talents to the 2001 Public Broadcasting System (PBS) ''

American Experience ''American Experience'' is a television program airing on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States. The program airs documentaries, many of which have won awards, about important or interesting events and people in American his ...

'' documentary "Woodrow Wilson" as the title character, along with the 2003 PBS historical documentary '' Kingdom of David: The Saga of the Israelites''. Auberjonois directed television shows, including ''

Marblehead Manor ''Marblehead Manor'' is an American sitcom that originally aired in first-run syndication from September 19, 1987 to May 28, 1988. It starred Paxton Whitehead, Phil Morris, Linda Thorson, Bob Fraser and Michael Richards. The series was a Dame ...

'', and various episodes of ''Deep Space Nine''.

Voice acting

Auberjonois was active in radio drama. He read "The Stunt" by Mordechai Strigler for the

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

(NPR) series ''Jewish Stories From the Old World to the New'', and he recorded novels on tape. On PRI, he was featured numerous times on '' Selected Shorts'', reading works of dramatic fiction. His voice was heard in Disney's ''

'' (receiving alphabetical top billing as Louis the Chef and singing "Les Poissons"), and as The Skull in ''

The Last Unicorn ''The Last Unicorn'' is a fantasy novel by American author Peter S. Beagle and published in 1968, by Viking Press in the U.S. and The Bodley Head in the U.K. It follows the tale of a unicorn, who believes she is the last of her kind in the wor ...

''. He did voice work on the ''Challenge of the GoBots'' series in 1980s as Dr. Braxis, He was the voice of Peter Parker on the 1972

Buddah Records Buddah Records (later known as Buddha Records) was an American record label founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's foun ...

Spider-Man LP "From Beyond the Grave" (BDS 5119), a radio-style narrative replete with sound effects and rock and roll song interludes provided by "The Webspinners", in which the characters of The Vulture,

The Lizard The Lizard ( kw, An Lysardh) is a peninsula in southern Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The most southerly point of the British mainland is near Lizard Point at SW 701115; Lizard village, also known as The Lizard, is the most southerl ...

Green Goblin The Green Goblin is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and best-known incarnation Norman Osborn, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, is generally regarded as one of the a ...

, The Kingpin,

Aunt May Maybelle "May" Parker-Jameson (née Reilly), commonly known as Aunt May, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. Making her first full appeara ...

and Doctor Strange appeared. In 1984–1985, he lent his voice to DeSaad, an associate of the villainous Darkseid on the animated series ''

Super Friends ''Super Friends'' is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of ...

''. From 1986 to 1987, he voiced Alvinar in the cartoons series ''

Wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...

''. He also provided the voice of Professor Genius in '' Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland''. He provided the voice for Janos Audron, an ancient vampire in the ''

'' video game series; he was in ''

Soul Reaver 2 ''Soul Reaver 2'' is a 2001 action-adventure video game developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Eidos Interactive. It is a sequel to '' Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver'' and the third game in the '' Legacy of Kain'' series. Originally devel ...

'', ''

Blood Omen 2 ''Blood Omen 2'' is an action-adventure video game developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Eidos Interactive for PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows and GameCube. It is the fourth title in the '' Legacy of Kain'' series and is the sequ ...

'', and '' Legacy of Kain: Defiance''. He provided the voice of Angler in the '' Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'' video game. He voice-played General Zod in the Joseph Ruby-Kenneth Spears animated '' Superman'' series episode titled "The Hunter". Auberjonois provided minor character voices for ''

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...

'', reprising his role as Desaad, and parts such as 2003's "In Blackest Night," as Kanjar-Ro, a pirate testifying in the trial of the

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...

, and as a fellow member of the Green Lantern Corps in other episodes. In 2003, he provided the voice of Natori in the English dubbed version of semi-sequel to the

Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Japanese animated feature films, and is widel ...

film ''

Whisper of the Heart is a 1995 Japanese Anime, animated romantic drama film directed by Yoshifumi Kondō and written by Hayao Miyazaki based on the #Background, 1989 manga of the same name by Aoi Hiiragi. It was animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon T ...

'', ''

The Cat Returns is a 2002 Japanese animated fantasy film directed by Hiroyuki Morita, produced by Toshio Suzuki and Nozomu Takahashi, written by Reiko Yoshida, based on the manga '' The Cat Returns'' by Aoi Hiiragi, with music by Yuji Nomi, animated by Stud ...

''. He reprised an animated version of his character Odo from ''

'' in a cutaway joke in '' Family Guy''s '' Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story''. The cutaway featured a more humanoid-faced Odo threatening Stewie's alleged cousin Quark Griffin. Auberjonois also lent his voice to '' Skylanders: SuperChargers''. In 2011, he voiced villain Mark Desmond in Cartoon Network's '' Young Justice''. He was also the voice of Leonard McLeish in the ''

'' series, Pepé Le Pew in 2011 on ''

The Looney Tunes Show ''The Looney Tunes Show'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Warner Bros. Animation that ran from May 3, 2011, through November 2, 2013, on Cartoon Network. The series consists of two seasons, each containing 26 episodes, and features ch ...

'', Azmuth in ''Ben 10: Omniverse'', and Ebony Maw in '' Avengers Assemble''.

Video games

One of Auberjonois' earliest forays into video game voice acting was the role of Janos Audron in ''

''; he continued to voice the character in subsequent releases in the ''

'' series. According to a behind-the-scenes featurette in ''Soul Reaver 2'', showing candid discussions among the voice actors during recording, he was surprised at the quality of the writing, asking, "This is for a video game?!" when the purpose of the recordings was brought to light. Auberjonois provided the voice of Karl Schäfer, the honourable German explorer in the video game '' Uncharted 2: Among Thieves'', and Mr. House, the reclusive New Vegas casino owner in the 2010 video game '' Fallout: New Vegas''. He also voiced Dr. Ignatio Mobius in '' Command & Conquer: Renegade''. He reprised his role as Odo in the game '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Fallen''. In June, 2018 he reprised his role as Odo in the

massively multiplayer online role-playing game A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game. As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...

'' Star Trek Online''.

Personal life

Auberjonois was married to his wife Judith Mihalyi from 1963 until his death in 2019. They had two children, Tessa and Remy.

Illness and death

In an interview with '' Compassion & Choices Magazine'', Judith Auberjonois revealed that René underwent chemotherapy for lung cancer in 2018. It was discovered in 2019 that the cancer had spread to his brain. Due to the potential for serious cognitive side effects, Auberjonois chose not to pursue the whole-brain radiation treatment suggested by his doctors. As a resident of California, Auberjonois decided to seek medical aid in dying under the

California End of Life Option Act California End of Life Option Act is a law enacted in June 2016 by the California State Legislature which allows terminally ill adult residents in the state of California to access medical aid in dying by self-administering lethal drugs, provided ...

. On December 6, 2019, he spent his final hours with his family at his home in Los Angeles reminiscing over photos and listening to music. He then took the medication prescribed for assisted suicide and died at the age of 79. The California End of Life Option Act stipulates that death certificates should list the underlying terminal illness as the cause of death, rather than the use of life-ending medications. His cause of death was given as metastatic lung cancer.

Filmography

Live-action

Animation

Video games

''Deep Space Nine'' directorial credits

Book narrations

Auberjonois' voice talents also included book narrations.

The ''Pendergast'' novels

* '' The Cabinet of Curiosities'' (2002) * ''

Still Life with Crows ''Still Life with Crows'' is a thriller novel by American authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, released on July 1, 2003 by Grand Central Publishing. It is the fourth novel (behind ''Relic'' (1995), ''Reliquary'' (1997) and ''The Cabinet of C ...

'' (2003) * ''Diogenes Trilogy'' ** '' Brimstone'' (2004) ** '' Dance of Death'' (2005) ** '' The Book of the Dead'' (2006) * '' The Wheel of Darkness'' (2007) * '' Cemetery Dance'' (2009) * ''Helen Trilogy'' ** ''

Fever Dream Fever Dream(s) may refer to: Film and television * ''Fever Dream'', a 1979 film by Chick Strand * ''Fever Dream'' (film), an adaptation of Samanta Schweblin's novel (see below) * Fever Dreams (company), a film-development division of the Americ ...

'' (2010) ** '' Cold Vengeance'' (2011) ** '' Two Graves'' (2012) * '' White Fire'' (2013) * ''

Blue Labyrinth ''Blue Labyrinth'' is a thriller novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The book was released on November 11, 2014, by Grand Central Publishing. This is the fourteenth book in the Special Agent Pendergast series. Plot —Review by ''Kirku ...

'' (2014) * '' Crimson Shore'' (2015) * '' The Obsidian Chamber'' (2016) * '' City of Endless Night'' (2018) * '' Verses for the Dead'' (2018)

Other books

References

External links

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Auberjonois, Rene 1940 births 2019 suicides 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male television actors American male video game actors American male voice actors American people of Corsican descent American people of French descent American people of Russian descent American people of Swiss descent American television directors Audiobook narrators Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts alumni Deaths by euthanasia Deaths from lung cancer in California Drama Desk Award winners House of Bonaparte Male actors from New York City Murat People from Boonville, California People from Rockland County, New York Tony Award winners