Brock Peters may be best remembered for his heartbreaking performance in "To Kill a Mockingbird," but his distinctive bass voice also played a vital role in his career. Peters voiced the role of Darth Vader in the NPR radio adaptation of the original trilogy. Peters died Tuesday at his home after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 78. Peters is survived by one daughter, Lise Jo Peters.

Peters was born George Fisher on July 2, 1927, in New York. His long film career began in the 1950s with the landmark productions of "Carmen Jones" in 1954 and "Porgy and Bess" in 1959.

His voice also landed him work. He sang background vocals on Harry Belafonte's hits "Banana Boat (Day-O)", and he was often used for animated characters such as Lucious Fox in "Batman," Lazzor in "Samurai Jack," and Jomo in "The Wild Thornberrys Movie."

In recent years, he played Admiral Cartwright in several "Star Trek" feature films and also appeared in numerous TV shows. He played the role of Joseph Sisko (father of Benjamin Sisko) in the Star Trek series "Deep Space Nine". Rounding out his involvement in all three major sci-fi TV vehicles, Peters filled the role of Chief Opposer Solon in the original "Battle Star Galactica" series.

He was perhaps best known for portraying accused rapist Tom Robinson, defended by Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch in the 1962 film "To Kill a Mockingbird." In "Carmen Jones," Peters worked with Dorothy Dandridge and Belafonte. Otto Preminger's production of "Porgy" starred Sidney Poitier and Dandridge, and featured Sammy Davis Jr., Pearl Bailey and Diahann Carroll as well as Peters. Among Peters' other films were "Soylent Green," "The L-Shaped Room" and "The Pawnbroker."

His professional honors include a National Film Society Award, a Life Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild, and a Tony Award nomination for his performance on Broadway in "Lost in the Stars."

A full listing of his acting credits can be found at IMDB http://www.imdb.com.