(CNN) Actor René Auberjonois died on Sunday, his son, Remy Auberjonois told CNN. He was 79.

The cause of death was metastatic lung cancer, his son said.

Auberjonois was known for his myriad television roles on shows like "Benson," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Boston Legal." But he acted in theater and film, notably as Army chaplain Father John Mulcahy in Robert Altman's 1970 "M*A*S*H."

Rene Auberjonois, center, is backstage at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in New York with actor John Ritter after a performance of the musical, "Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

Born in New York on June 1, 1940, Auberjonois won a Tony Award in 1970 for his role in "Coco," a Broadway musical about Coco Chanel designer that starred Katharine Hepburn. He was nominated in 1975, 1985 and 1990 for his roles in "The Good Doctor," "Big River" and "City of Angels," respectively.

He was nominated for an Emmy twice . The first nomination was in 1984 as outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for his role as Clayton Endicott III, the hardworking yet pompous governor's chief of staff he portrayed for seven seasons on "Benson."

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