Dirk Benedict

Dirk Benedict

Dirk Benedict at the 2011 Lucca Comics and Games
Born Dirk Niewoehner
(1945-03-01) March 1, 1945
Helena, Montana, United States
Occupation Film and television actor
Spouse(s) Toni Hudson (1986–1995; divorced)
Children 3
Signature

Dirk Benedict (born Dirk Niewoehner on March 1, 1945) is an American movie, television and stage actor who played the characters Lieutenant Templeton "Faceman" Peck in The A-Team television series and Lieutenant Starbuck in the original Battlestar Galactica film and television series. He is the author of Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy and And Then We Went Fishing.

Early life

Benedict was born Dirk Niewoehner in Helena, Montana,[1] the son of Priscilla Mella (née Metzger), an accountant, and George Edward Niewoehner, a lawyer.[2] He grew up in White Sulphur Springs, Montana. He graduated from Whitman College in 1967.[3] Benedict allegedly chose his stage name from a serving of Eggs Benedict he had enjoyed prior to his acting career.

Career

Photo of the cast of the short-lived television program Chopper One. From left: Dirk Benedict, Ted Hartley, Jim McMullan.

Benedict's film debut was in the 1972 film Georgia, Georgia. When the New York run for Butterflies Are Free ended, he received an offer to repeat his performance in Hawaii, opposite Barbara Rush. While there, he appeared as a guest lead on Hawaii Five-O. The producers of a horror film called Sssssss (1973) saw Benedict's performance in Hawaii Five-O and promptly cast him as the lead in that movie. He next played the psychotic wife-beating husband of Twiggy in her American film debut, W (1974). Benedict starred in the television series Chopper One which aired for one season in 1974. He also made an appearance in Charlie's Angels.

Benedict's career break came in 1978 when he appeared as Lieutenant Starbuck in the movie and television series Battlestar Galactica. The same year Benedict starred in the TV movie Cruise Into Terror, and appeared in the ensemble movie Scavenger Hunt the following year.

1980s and 1990s

In 1981, Benedict starred alongside Linda Blair in an action-comedy Movie called Ruckus. In 1983, Dirk gained further popularity as con-man Lieutenant Templeton "Face" Peck in 1980s action television series, The A-Team. He played "Faceman" from 1982 to 1986, although the series didn't air until January 1983, and the final episode wasn't shown until 1987 rebroadcasts. The second season episode, "Steel," includes a scene at Universal Studios where Face is seen looking bemused as a Cylon walks by him as an in-joke to his previous role in Battlestar Galactica. The clip is incorporated into the series' opening credit sequence from season 3 onward.

In 1986, Benedict starred as a low-life band manager "Harry Smilac" in the movie Body Slam along with Lou Albano, Roddy Piper, and cameo appearances by Freddie Blassie, Ric Flair, and Bruno Sammartino. His character Smilac ends up managing the pro-wrestler "Quick Rick Roberts" (Piper) and faces opposition by Captain Lou and his wrestling tag-team "the Cannibals".

In 1987, Benedict took the title role of Shakespeare's Hamlet at the Abbey Theatre. Both his performance and the entire production were drubbed by critics.[4] Benedict starred in the 1989 TV movie Trenchcoat in Paradise.

In 1991, Benedict starred in Blue Tornado, playing Alex, call sign Fireball, an Italian Air Force fighter pilot. Benedict published an autobiography, Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy: A True Story of Discovery, Acting, Health, Illness, Recovery, and Life (Avery Publishing ISBN 0895294796). In 1993, Benedict starred in Shadow Force.

Benedict also appeared as Jake Barnes in the 1996 action-adventure film Alaska.

2000s and 2010s

In 2000, Benedict wrote and directed his first screenplay, Cahoots.[5] In 2005, Benedict played an impostor, pretending to be an '80s movie star who wants to moderate a charity performance in Goldene Zeiten (Golden Times) by Peter Thorwarth.

In 2006, he wrote an online essay criticizing the then-airing Battlestar Galactica re-imagined series and, especially, its casting of a woman as his character, Starbuck, writing that "the war against masculinity has been won" and that "a television show based on hope, spiritual faith, and family is unimagined and regurgitated as a show of despair, sexual violence and family dysfunction".[6]

He appeared as a contestant on the 2007 U.K. series of Celebrity Big Brother. He arrived on launch night in a replica of the A-Team van, smoking a cigar and accompanied by Post & Carpenter's A-Team theme tune.

In 2010, Benedict starred in a stage production of Prescription: Murder playing Lieutenant Columbo for the Middle Ground Theatre Company in UK. Benedict also made a cameo appearance in the 2010 film adaptation of The A-Team as Pensacola Prisoner Milt.[7]

Personal life

In the 1970s, Benedict survived a prostate tumor believed to have been cancerous. Having rejected conventional medical treatment, he credited his survival to the adoption of a macrobiotic diet recommended to him by actress Gloria Swanson.[8] In 1986, he married Toni Hudson, an actress with whom he has two sons, George and Roland. Hudson had previously appeared as Dana in the fourth season A-Team episode titled "Blood, Sweat and Cheers". They divorced in 1995. In 1998, Benedict learned that he also has another son, John Talbert (born 1968), from an earlier relationship, who had been given up for adoption. With the help of his adoptive parents, Talbert discovered and contacted his birth parents.[9]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1972 Georgia, Georgia Michael Winters
1973 Sssssss David Blake
1974 W William Caulder aka I Want Her Dead; W is the Mark of Death
1978 Battlestar Galactica Lieutenant Starbuck
1979 Scavenger Hunt Jeff Stevens
1980 Ruckus Kyle Hanson aka Ruckus in Madoc County
1981 Underground Aces Pete Huffman
1986 Body Slam M. Harry Smilac
1991 Blue Tornado Alex Long
1992 Shadow Force Detective Rick Kelly
1994 Demon Keeper Alexander Harris
1994 Christina's Dream Director; Short film
1995 The Feminine Touch John Mackie aka The November Conspiracy
1996 Alaska Jake Barnes
1998 Waking Up Horton Tyler aka The Adventures of Young Brave
2001 Cahoots Director & Writer
2006 Goldene Zeiten Douglas Burnett / Horst Müller aka Strike!
2007 Recon 7 Down Tom Myers
2009 Inglorious Bumblers Tom Mayers
2010 The A-Team Pensacola Prisoner Milt Cameo

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1972 Hawaii Five-O Walter Clyman Episode: "Chain of Events"
1974 Chopper One Officer Gil Foley Main role (13 episodes)
1975 Journey from Darkness Bill TV film
1977 Charlie's Angels Cadet John Barton Episode: "The Blue Angels"
1977 The Cabot Connection Brom Loomis TV pilot episode
1978 Cruise Into Terror Simon TV film
1978 Charlie's Angels Denny Railsback Episode: "The Jade Trap"
1978-79 Battlestar Galactica Lieutenant Starbuck Main role (24 episodes)
1980 Galactica 1980 Lieutenant Starbuck Episode: "The Return of Starbuck"
1980 The Georgia Peaches Dusty Tyree TV film; aka Follow That Car
1980 The Love Boat Jeff Dalton Episode: "That's My Dad"
1981 Scruples Spider Elliott TV film
1982 Family in Blue Matt Malone TV pilot episode
1983-87 The A-Team Lt. Templeton 'Faceman' Peck Main role (96 episodes)
1983 The Love Boat Gary Wells Episode: "Whose Dog Is It Anyway"
1984 Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense Frank Rowlett Episode: "Mark of the Devil"
1985 Amazing Stories Face Episode: "Remote Control Man"
1987 Hotel Trevor Harris Episode: "Prized Possessions"
1989 Murder, She Wrote Dr. David Latimer Episode: "Smooth Operators"
1989 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Dr. Rush Episode: "In the Name of Science"
1989 Trenchcoat in Paradise Eddie Mazda TV film
1991 Bejewelled Gordon TV film
1992 Baywatch Aaron Brody Episode: "Rookie of the Year"
1993 Official Denial Lt. Col. Dan Lerner TV film
1993 The Commish Gil Higgins Episode: "All That Glitters"
1995 Walker, Texas Ranger Blair Episode: "Case Closed"
1995 Murder, She Wrote Gary Harling Episode: "Frozen Stiff"
1996 Abduction of Innocence Robert Steves TV film
2006 Earthstorm Victor Stevens TV film

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Zork: Grand Inquisitor Antharia Jack Voice
2003 Battlestar Galactica Lieutenant Starbuck Voice

References

  1. "Dirk Benedict". New York Times (online). Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  2. "Dirk Benedict Biography (1945-)". FilmReference.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  3. Alumni Individual Web Sites, Whitman College, accessed May 10, 2011.
  4. Brucker, D.J.R. "The Stage: Hamlet", The New York Times, September 22, 1987
  5. Cahoots, The New York Times, accessed May 10, 2011.
  6. "Lost in Castration". Dirk Benedict Central. Retrieved 2006-02-07.
  7. ""Prescription:Murder" and "The A-Team"". Dirk Benedict Central. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  8. Benedict, Dirk (2014-07-21). "An A-Team Star's Toughest Battle—Against the Specter of Cancer—is Waged in Secret and Alone". People.com. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
  9. "Adopted and Searching for Answers PARADE Magazine". Parade.com. Retrieved 2012-05-22.

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