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File:Rene Auberjonois.jpg
Full Name: Rene Murat Auberjonois
Principal Character: Odo
Born: June 1st, 1940
Place: New York City, New York
File:Odo.jpg

Rene Auberjonois is the actor best known to Star Trek fans for portraying Constable Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He has also directed many episodes of the series. Rene also appeared as Col. West in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, although his scenes were initially cut for the film's theatrical release. He also made guest appearances as Ezral in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Oasis".

Film & Television Work

Benson

Rene first gained fame on television for his Emmy-nominated role as the snooty Clayton Endicott III on the series Benson. Co-starring on this series was actor Ethan Phillips (Neelix of Star Trek: Voyager).

Altman, Schuck and Kellerman

He has also become a highly-recognizable face in motion pictures. Early in his film career, Auberjonois, along with his Star Trek VI co-star John Schuck and one-time TOS actress Sally Kellerman, was a member of an informal acting troupe spearheaded by director Robert Altman. One of Rene's earliest film roles was Father John Patrick Francis "Dago Red" Mulcahy in Altman's original 1970 classic M*A*S*H. That same year, Auberjonois appeared in Altman's film Brewster McCloud. Schuck and Kellerman also co-starred in both of these films, while William Windom (Commodore Matt Decker in TOS: "The Doomsday Machine") had a role in the latter.

Auberjonois and Schuck would go on to co-star together in Altman's McCabe & Mrs. Miller in 1971, while Auberjonois himself would star in Altman's Images the following year. Auberjonois and Kellerman would go on to co-star together in 1976's The Big Bus, along with Vic Tayback. This film, however, was not directed by Robert Altman.

Auberjonois and John Schuck also co-starred together in the 1971 made-for-TV movie Once Upon a Dead Man, although it, too, was not directed by Robert Altman.

Other notable works

Auberjonois also had a role in the 1975 disaster The Hindenburg. This film was directed by Robert Wise, who would go on to direct Star Trek: The Motion Picture. (Rex Holman also appeared in this film.)

His many other feature film credits include Pete 'n' Tillie (1972, with Whit Bissell), King Kong (1976, with Joe Piscopo), The Eyes of Laura Mars (1978, with Brad Dourif), Walker (1987, with Keith Szarabajka and Biff Yeager), Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach (1988, with David Graf and Matt McCoy), My Best Friend Is a Vampire (1988, with David Warner), The Ballad of Little Jo (1993), Batman Forever (1995), and Inspector Gadget (1999, with Andy Dick). He recently played Reverend Oliver in the 2000 American Revolution epic The Patriot. Leon Rippy also had a role in this film.

Auberjonois appeared in ABC's made-for-TV movie Geppetto, which aired in 2000. Also featured in this movie were Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Brent Spiner and Star Trek: Voyager actress Scarlett Pomers. In 2004, Rene had a role in the film Eulogy, which starred TNG guest actress Famke Janssen. Sherman Howard also had a role in this film.

In 2001, he guest-starred in two episodes of Frasier, playing Kelsey Grammer's character's mentor from Harvard, Dr. William Tewksbury. He appeared in the episodes "Frasier's Edge" and "The Wizard and Roz."

Voice-over work

Rene has also become well versed as a voice actor, with perhaps his most famous voice-over work being Walt Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989), in which he voiced the French chef, Louis. DS9 guest actors Kenneth Mars and Hamilton Camp also lent their voices to this film. Auberjonois also voiced for the animated films Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1992, with Michael Bell) and Cats Don't Dance (1997). Star Trek: Enterprise star Scott Bakula and Star Trek: Voyager guest star John Rhys-Davies also supplied voices in the latter film. Auberjonois has also lent his voice to such animated TV shows as The Snorks, DuckTales, The Pirates of Dark Water, Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League. He reprised his role of Odo in Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story!, based on the hit animated FOX series Family Guy (created by Seth MacFarlane). Rene supplied the voice of Odo in a scene which parodized Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Current projects

Rene currently stars alongside TOS actor William Shatner in the hit ABC series Boston Legal. He is also voicing the character known as Mr. Sneaps in Geppetto's Secret. Armin Shimerman, DS9's Quark, also voices a character in that production. Auberjonois will also reprise his 1982 role in the The Last Unicorn animated series, in a live action movie planned for 2006.

Appearances as Odo

Additional Appearances

Additional characters performed by Rene Auberjonois
Odo, possessed by the spirit of Curzon Dax.
Colonel West Odo (mirror) Curzon Dax
Star Trek VI:
The Undiscovered Country
DS9:
"Crossover"
DS9:
"Facets"
Douglas Pabst, a 20th century Human.
Ezral, the Chief Engineer of a Kantare starship.
Douglas Pabst Ezral
DS9:
"Far Beyond the Stars"
ENT:
"Oasis"

Additional Voice Credits

Directoral Credits

Trivia

His mother was Princess Laure of Murat, who was descended from Joachim Murat, one of Napoleon Bonaparte's generals, and Caroline Bonaparte, Napoleon's sister.

Rene lent his voice to an animated series called Wildfire, which revolved around a horse. His DS9 co-star, Nana Visitor, currently stars in a TV series called Wildfire -- which is also about a horse.

Auberjonois received his second Emmy nomination for a guest starring role in the series The Practice. Boston Legal, in which Auberjonois now stars, is an off-shoot of that program, although he does not play the same character.

Auberjonois will not be the first actor to parodize his own Star Trek role. The entire cast of the original series, with the exception of James Doohan and DeForest Kelley, voiced themselves in a popular episode of FOX TV's Futurama; Voyager actress Jeri Ryan voiced an alarm clock version of Seven of Nine in an episode of Dilbert; and TNG actors Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes parodied Captain Picard and Commander Riker in an episode of Family Guy.

External Links

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