He was an incredible actor, and also, a good man. Loved him as Odo, and I also loved him in his appearances in Warehouse 13. Rest in Peace.
René Auberjonois has died
- Thread starter F. King Daniel
- Start date
Heartbreaking to witness this cruel passage of time...R.I.P. René.
The culture I was born into has strong beliefs about rebirth. Sometimes, I wish -for some special cases- it should be truth.
I would like to thank Mr. Auberjonois for everything that he gave me. I will always remember him for his professional and very kind attitude for the Trek people, as I could observe at Con.
I want to express my heartfelt sympathy for his family and all of us.
I would like to thank Mr. Auberjonois for everything that he gave me. I will always remember him for his professional and very kind attitude for the Trek people, as I could observe at Con.
I want to express my heartfelt sympathy for his family and all of us.
Nana Visitor wrote a sweet and beautiful farewell to René for Variety today:
René came into my life the way he did for so many others; I loved his performance on “Benson” and looked for him in movies and TV ever after. As a young actor, I could see every inch of him was trained to tell stories: His body, face and voice moved with ease and authority. I wanted to be like that. I would watch other actors I admired in those early days and play the game of “Who would you want to sit next to at dinner if you got the chance?” and René was always on that list.
After working with him on “Deep Space Nine” for seven years of long days and nights, and then 20 years of doing “Star Trek” conventions around the world with him, I was lucky enough to spend many dinners with him. And he was even more fascinating as a friend than I could have imagined. His stories about the work he had done and the people he had crossed paths with had lots of lessons in them and always came from a humble human perspective. When we acted together, I always had the feeling that I was playing tennis with a better player than me and felt him stretch me. I wanted to bring even more than I felt I had to the scene, because I didn’t want to waste his time.
When I visited him, a few weeks before his death, we knew it might be the last time and he gave me a present. He said, “Nana, you are one of those actors who act from their souls”. That was exactly what I loved about him. Even though his face was completely hidden by a latex mask on “Star Trek,” you could see his soul. And with the speed of the animated Genie in the “Aladdin” movies, he could go from fury to complete self deprecation to kitten sweetness to clown. When he was fed up after maybe 14 hours of being in the makeup that prevented him from being able to eat or drink in a normal way, he could have the ominous energy of a volcano about to erupt, and I would steel myself for what could come. And then suddenly he would pull out pictures of his wife Judith and his children Tessa and Remy. He would look at them as if he had never seen this modern wonder of preserving images before and offer them to me and say, ”Aren’t they just beautiful?” and I would say they were, and he would smile inside his mask like a contented child. As the writer Jon Kabat Zinn puts it in “The Full Catastrophe,” he lived the entire human experience without whitewashing the hard bits, while joyfully digging in to the good. When he laughed, it was with every bit of him, and he laughed a lot.
René had many, many friends, and I know we will all miss so much now. We will miss his mastery of being in front of an audience and entertaining them, his deep empathy for when a child goes astray, his passion for a perfect pastry that made only that pastry exist in that moment.
We will miss his enormous talent for being human, and the way he could tell stories about that experience.
After working with him on “Deep Space Nine” for seven years of long days and nights, and then 20 years of doing “Star Trek” conventions around the world with him, I was lucky enough to spend many dinners with him. And he was even more fascinating as a friend than I could have imagined. His stories about the work he had done and the people he had crossed paths with had lots of lessons in them and always came from a humble human perspective. When we acted together, I always had the feeling that I was playing tennis with a better player than me and felt him stretch me. I wanted to bring even more than I felt I had to the scene, because I didn’t want to waste his time.
When I visited him, a few weeks before his death, we knew it might be the last time and he gave me a present. He said, “Nana, you are one of those actors who act from their souls”. That was exactly what I loved about him. Even though his face was completely hidden by a latex mask on “Star Trek,” you could see his soul. And with the speed of the animated Genie in the “Aladdin” movies, he could go from fury to complete self deprecation to kitten sweetness to clown. When he was fed up after maybe 14 hours of being in the makeup that prevented him from being able to eat or drink in a normal way, he could have the ominous energy of a volcano about to erupt, and I would steel myself for what could come. And then suddenly he would pull out pictures of his wife Judith and his children Tessa and Remy. He would look at them as if he had never seen this modern wonder of preserving images before and offer them to me and say, ”Aren’t they just beautiful?” and I would say they were, and he would smile inside his mask like a contented child. As the writer Jon Kabat Zinn puts it in “The Full Catastrophe,” he lived the entire human experience without whitewashing the hard bits, while joyfully digging in to the good. When he laughed, it was with every bit of him, and he laughed a lot.
René had many, many friends, and I know we will all miss so much now. We will miss his mastery of being in front of an audience and entertaining them, his deep empathy for when a child goes astray, his passion for a perfect pastry that made only that pastry exist in that moment.
We will miss his enormous talent for being human, and the way he could tell stories about that experience.
Magnificent as Odo
RIP Rene
RIP Rene
I was out having dinner when I read the headline on my phone. I literally said out loud, "Oh no! This is horrible...". Mr. Auberjonois was an amazing actor, and as a fan of various forms of media outside Star Trek, I remember how he nailed other roles he played so well, be they minor roles like Doctor Burton from "Batman Forever", or important NPC characters in video games such as Mister House in "Fallout: New Vegas". He was perfectly cast as Odo, because as any great actor should be, he was a chameleon who could do such a wide variety of roles. Even within Star Trek lore, playing Colonel West in Star Trek VI, which is such a departure from everyone's favorite shapeshifter.
As an aside, it feels so strange to hear of his passing. If you were to ask me which main Star Trek castmember was going to leave us next, Mr. Auberjonois would have been at or near the bottom of my list. Then again, Aron Eisenberg was at the bottom of my list too. So sad, in any case.
As an aside, it feels so strange to hear of his passing. If you were to ask me which main Star Trek castmember was going to leave us next, Mr. Auberjonois would have been at or near the bottom of my list. Then again, Aron Eisenberg was at the bottom of my list too. So sad, in any case.
A wonderful, moving tribute from the actress who played Odo's soulmate in DS9 and one of his closest friends in real life
.
I saw the news this morning, and was shocked by it. In fact, I was kind of hoping that we might see Odo in the new Picard series, but now that will never be.
Anyways, after lurking for years, I finally decided to join in order to express my condolences upon René's passing.
Anyways, after lurking for years, I finally decided to join in order to express my condolences upon René's passing.
Sad day yesterday. Odo/Kira is the best romantic relationship in Trek history, and it is not even close.
Rene will be missed.
Rene will be missed.
I usually never visit this part of the forum. I don't think I have much to contribute here. But I came here looking for this thread, as I had to say this.
I had the immense great fortune of meeting Rene Auberjonois during his last visit to the Star Trek convention in Denver. I got into his autograph line just so I could meet him, and chat for a minute or two. I asked him the question he got so often, did he get offered the role of Father Mulcahy on the series M*A*S*H after playing 'Dago Red' Mulcahy in the feature film. He told me yes, they all did, and he refused because it would have become his life.
I mulled over what that might mean, and came to the conclusion that he didn't mean he wouldn't ever play anyone else. It meant that the M*A*S*H fandom would never allow it. William Christopher, the actor that ultimately played the character on the series (the actor from the pilot didn't keep the role), had a fruitful career after the show ended, but mainly on stage. This was because of the many guest roles he had on other shows, M*A*S*H fans would complain, both to him and to the producers of the other shows, that he had been miscast. He needed to only play Father Mulcahy, according to them. William Christopher's turn on Murder She Wrote, as that episode's killer, was very poorly received, for instance. A round of "How dare they?" and "How dare you?" letters all around was sent.
I often thought about how I would like to tell Rene how I had come to understand his answer. It saddens me I will now never get the chance. But I will always take quiet pride in knowing I had gotten the chance to ask him personally, and gotten his answer directly.
If you get that chance to meet someone you respect and admire, don't ever pass it up. It may never come again.
I had the immense great fortune of meeting Rene Auberjonois during his last visit to the Star Trek convention in Denver. I got into his autograph line just so I could meet him, and chat for a minute or two. I asked him the question he got so often, did he get offered the role of Father Mulcahy on the series M*A*S*H after playing 'Dago Red' Mulcahy in the feature film. He told me yes, they all did, and he refused because it would have become his life.
I mulled over what that might mean, and came to the conclusion that he didn't mean he wouldn't ever play anyone else. It meant that the M*A*S*H fandom would never allow it. William Christopher, the actor that ultimately played the character on the series (the actor from the pilot didn't keep the role), had a fruitful career after the show ended, but mainly on stage. This was because of the many guest roles he had on other shows, M*A*S*H fans would complain, both to him and to the producers of the other shows, that he had been miscast. He needed to only play Father Mulcahy, according to them. William Christopher's turn on Murder She Wrote, as that episode's killer, was very poorly received, for instance. A round of "How dare they?" and "How dare you?" letters all around was sent.
I often thought about how I would like to tell Rene how I had come to understand his answer. It saddens me I will now never get the chance. But I will always take quiet pride in knowing I had gotten the chance to ask him personally, and gotten his answer directly.
If you get that chance to meet someone you respect and admire, don't ever pass it up. It may never come again.
Yeah, I wish I could -- was a borrowed photo. Really sad to hear of his untimely passing.
Very sad, Rene was one of the finest actors in Trek history and from all accounts a true gentleman off camera as well.
RIP Constable, you will be very missed.
RIP Constable, you will be very missed.
Damn.
It's the dilemma all actors are facing in their career. I think Shatner, Nimoy, and Stewart have all struggled not being type-casted after finished playing their iconic characters in the TV series. Sir Pat refused to be recasted as Picard for more than a decade after 'Nemesis.' Only after he completed his run playing Professor X in the X-Men series that he decided to return playing our favorite Trek Captain again.
Rene was already an established character actor with long resumes from M*A*S*H, Benson, and numerous other series and movies by the time he was approached to play Odo in DS9, so I guess by this time he didn't have to worry much about being type-casted despite his other roles. I'm glad he did it, I cannot think of any other actors who can chanelled Odo's character and all the troubles and dilemmas faced by a shape-shifting creature other than Odo.
Make your reservation to the next sci-fi and convention as soon as you can. Be sure to have their autograph signed and take selfies w/them if they allowed it. Don't wait until your favorite Trek cast member is no longer around. It's esp true for the iconic cast members like Shatner and Sir Pat, but also for any other cast members, including supporting casts.
He is now at peace and forever joined to the Great Link!
It’s been a tough few years, Genesis Planet, Divine Treasury and now the Great Link, where can we find these places when we need them? They will all be missed!
RIP Rene
It’s been a tough few years, Genesis Planet, Divine Treasury and now the Great Link, where can we find these places when we need them? They will all be missed!
RIP Rene
Yes we will.
I just rewatched "What we leave behind" the other day and remembered that line he gave where he mentioned how happy he was that the Odo character means his obituary won't just say "actor who played Clayton Endicott III in the T.V show Benson."
Just saw in on his wiki page that he was also in the 1976 King Kong remake. I'm going to be checking that one out again soon.
Yes we will.
I just rewatched "What we leave behind" the other day and remembered that line he gave where he mentioned how happy he was that the Odo character means his obituary won't just say "actor who played Clayton Endicott III in the T.V show Benson."
Headline of Rene's New York Times obituary:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/08/obituaries/rene-auberjonois-dead.html
