Actor Brock Peters, who played two major roles in the Star Trek universe - the controversial Admiral Cartwright in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and Joseph Sisko, father of Captain Benjamin Sisko, in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - has died of pancreatic cancer at age 78.

The Associated Press (via MSNBC) reported that Peters had died earlier today in his home in Los Angeles. His longtime companion Marilyn Darby said that he had died "peacefully in bed, surrounded by family." A widower, Peters is survived by a daughter, Lise Jo Peters.

Peters was well known for his performance as Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of rape in the Oscar-winning To Kill a Mockingbird which starred Gregory Peck. He was also noted for his appearance in the production of Porgy and Bess in 1959 which starred Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge and Sammy Davis Jr.. Peters also had a role in the classic science fiction film Soylent Green.

In his two Star Trek movies, Peters played a Starfleet admiral whose disapproval of a Klingon peace treaty led him to take controversial action. In his episodes of Deep Space Nine, he played the father and confidant of Benjamin Sisko and appeared as a 20th century preacher during the episode "Far Beyond the Stars." He had also appeared in an installment of the original Battlestar Galactica.

Among Peters' accolades were a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild and a Tony Award nomination for a Broadway production of Lost in the Stars. Last May, Peters was a guest when To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee was honoured by the Los Angeles Public Library. One of his last roles was performing the voice of the character General Mi'Qogh in the game Star Trek: Starfleet Command III.

Peters' film and television credits are listed at The IMDb. The Associated Press obituary may be found at MSNBC and CNN.

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