Veteran character actor George Murdock has died at the age of 81.

Murdock, who was born June 25, 1930 in Salina, Kansas, passed away in Los Angeles, CA on April 30, 2012.

In addition to such memorable appearances as Dr. Salik on the original "Battlestar Gallactica" and as 'God' in "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier", Murdock was no stranger to the Superman universe with roles on episodes of both "Lois and Clark: The Adventures of Superman" and "Smallville".

His roles on these popular Superman themed shows made him one of only seven actors to have appearances in both series.

Over the course of his career, Murdock appeared in nearly 200 production including "The Twilight Zone", "Knight Rider", "The X-Files", and as Admiral J.P. Hanson in the 1990 episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "The Best of Both Worlds" which is considered by fans to be one of the best two-part episodes of the series.

His last project was a fantasy short from writer and director Ian Samuels called "Caterwaul," described as an "intimate relationship" between an aging fisherman recovering from the death of his wife and a lobster.

He is survived by his wife, Cathy Murdock, and a step-daughter.