His career spans decades of film and television, but Stargate fans will always remember Maury Chaykin as the brilliant and manipulative Goa’uld Nerus on Stargate SG-1. CBC News is reporting that Chaykin has passed away, at the age of 61. (His cause of death has not been reported.)

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1949, Chaykin studied drama in New York and moved to Toronto after college. There he entered the Canadian theater scene in the mid-1970s, and also found work in front of the camera. He appeared in such films as My Cousin Vinny, Iron Eagle II, and Dances With Wolves.

On television, Chaykin played the title character in the Nero Wolfe mystery series. His many credits also include La Femme Nikita, Due South, CSI, Boston Legal, and Entourage. Most recently, he appeared in the recurring role of Sam Belcher in the series Less Than Kind.

Chaykin’s first appearance on Stargate came in the ninth season episode “Beachhead,” when Nerus deceived General Hank Landry and Stargate Command to help give the Ori an upper hand. He became a prisoner on Earth (doing most of his scenes opposite Beau Bridges), and was eventually set loose and returned to the former System Lord Baal (Cliff Simon) in the episode “Off the Grid.”

Maury Chaykin is survived by his wife, actress Susannah Hoffmann, and their daughter. Our thoughts and prayers are with them in this difficult time.

(Thanks to Sheena for passing along the news)