Conducting led to acting career for Rene Auberjonois, who has died at 79

Beloved stage and screen actor René Auberjonois, who died Sunday at 79, actually got his start in acting thanks to a brief stint as a guest conductor. But not in the way you might think.

"The Auberjonois family moved to Paris shortly after World War II," the actor's official bio notes, "and it was there that René made an important career decision at the age of 6. When his school put on a musical performance for the parents, little René was given the honor of conducting his classmates in a rendition of 'Do You Know the Muffin Man?' When the performance was over, René took a bow, and, knowing that he was not the real conductor, imagined that he had been acting. He decided then and there that he wanted to be an actor."

He would go on to originate the role of Father John Mulcahy in the film M*A*S*H and co-star in the popular TV series Benson and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He also starred in many theatrical productions, including winning a Tony for his lead role in the musical Coco.

And it all started with a youthful adventure on the concert podium.

RIP, René Auberjonois.