Actor René Auberjonois, known for his roles on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Boston Legal, died on Sunday at age 79.
His son, Remy Auberjonois, confirmed to EW that the actor died today of lung cancer. Associated Press first reported the news.
Auberjonois was famous for playing Odo, a Changeling and chief of security for the titular space station in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He played the character for 173 episodes from 1993-99.
The actor also held significant roles on series like the dramedy Boston Legal, on which he played lawyer Paul Lewiston from 2004-08, and the sitcom Benson, portraying the snooty Clayton Endicott III from 1980-86.
He WAS A. X. L. Pendergast!
Tuff act to follow. The last effort I heard was in Old Bones (Nora Kelly) Preston/Child and the narrator (Cynthia Farrell) had no inkling of the suave southern charm which Auberjonois infused into his characterization of the FBI loose cannon. The latest Pendergast novel Crooked River is due in Feb 2020 and I will no doubt miss him more then than now.
That’s really unfortunate. I always particularly liked him, no matter what he was in, even when he was just doing voices. All the way from MASH to Ben 10, I can’t think of anything which wasn’t improved by him being in it.
I didn’t really pay him much mind in his earlier works. But when he became Odo on Star Trek DS9, everything changed. I really feel that role was his breakout moment, where his acting talent was tested in so many ways. He never faltered. His prosthetic face became a serious challenge. Unlike all the other aliens with modified facial features, his was this “smoothed over” look that extended all the way up to his lips. The constraint on facial feature expression range was significant. But he managed to make it work. All that latex lacquered over your face day in and day out must feel so suffocating. Anyway, not to belabor his one role… Rene was very talented and I will make a point of revisiting his other work.
