Robby Benson
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Robby Benson (born Robin David Segal; January 21, 1956<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>) is an American actor, director, and musician. He rose to prominence as a teen idol in the late 1970s, appearing in the films Ode to Billy Joe (1976), One on One (1977) and Ice Castles (1978). He subsequently garnered more fame for voicing the Beast in the Disney animated film Beauty and the Beast (1991) and its numerous sequels and spin-offs. He has also worked as a television director, including six episodes of the sitcom Friends. He recently appeared in a recurring role as Dr. Mauer in Apple TV+'s Severance.
In addition to acting and directing, Benson is an activist in the field of heart research, having undergone four open-heart surgeries since age 28 to correct congenital aortic valve defects and related damage. In 2012, he published a memoir recounting his medical journey and numerous surgeries.
Early lifeEdit
Benson was born in Dallas, Texas, the son of Freda Ann (née Benson), a singer, actor, and business promotions manager, and Jerry Segal, a writer.<ref name="reilly">Template:Cite magazine</ref> His family is Jewish.<ref name="Benson2">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="latimes" /> When Benson was five years old, his family relocated to New York City, where he was raised.<ref name="reilly" /> He subsequently took his mother's name as his stage name when he was 10.<ref name="latimes">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="nytimes">Template:Cite news</ref> Benson attended the Lincoln Square Academy in Manhattan, where he graduated at age fourteen as the class valedictorian.<ref name="reilly" />
CareerEdit
Benson made his film debut with an uncredited role in Wait Until Dark (1967) as the Boy Tossing Ball and his Broadway debut in the play Zelda followed by the musical The Rothschilds (1970).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Benson had an early role on the daytime soap Search for Tomorrow (1971–1972). As a film actor, Benson was well known for teenage roles in coming of age films, such as 1972's Jory, 1973's Jeremy, and as Billy Joe McAllister in 1976's Ode to Billy Joe.<ref name="TVGuide">Template:Cite magazine</ref> He had an appearance in a 1973 commercial for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups alongside Donny Most who would later co-star in Happy Days.
In 1975, Benson appeared in Death Be Not Proud and Lucky Lady.<ref name="TVGuide" /> That year, he also screen tested for the role of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, a role which eventually went to Mark Hamill. In 1977, Benson starred in One on One<ref name="TVGuide" /> which he co-wrote with his father Jerry Segal, and the TV movie The Death of Richie. In 1978, he co-starred in The End and Ice Castles.<ref name="TVGuide" /> Benson, who had never ice skated before, learned to skate in order to film the movie, which had numerous skating scenes, including ice hockey.<ref name="Benson">Template:Cite book</ref> In 1980, Benson starred in Die Laughing and Tribute.<ref name="variety">Template:Cite news</ref>
In 1981, he costarred in The Chosen, based on the book of the same name by Chaim Potok.<ref name="TVGuide" /><ref name="Benson" /> The New York Times gave the film a mixed review, but noted that Benson's character Danny Saunders was "full of a gentle inquisitiveness that cannot help but win the audience's sympathy."<ref name="The Chosen">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Benson played Olympic 10,000-meter gold medalist Billy Mills in the 1983 film Running Brave. From the filming of this movie Benson implemented his training for the 1983 New York City Marathon, completing the race in 3:05:15.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1991, he starred as the voice of Beast in the animated Disney film Beauty and the Beast, directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, and starring alongside Paige O'Hara as Belle. Later in the 1990s he voiced lead character J.T. Marsh on the sci-fi cartoon series Exosquad.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
His 2007 novel Who Stole the Funny?: A Novel of Hollywood landed Benson on the Los Angeles Times Bestseller list.<ref name="stole">Template:Cite book</ref> Benson's medical memoir I'm Not Dead ... Yet! was released in June 2012.<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> Outside of acting, Benson is also a musician and composer.<ref name="Robby Benson">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He has composed songs in several films and has also won an RIAA Gold Records Award for writing the song "We Are Not Alone" performed by Karla DeVito on the soundtrack of the 1985 John Hughes film The Breakfast Club.<ref name="Robby Benson" />
Benson has been a professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, the University of Utah, the University of South Carolina and Indiana University.<ref name="Benson1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Personal lifeEdit
Benson has been married to singer and actress Karla DeVito since July 11, 1982. The pair met while starring together in The Pirates of Penzance.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Together they have two children, daughter Lyric (b. 1983) and son Zephyr (b. 1992).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He practices Transcendental Meditation.<ref name="Benson" />
Health problems and activismEdit
While a teenager, Benson was diagnosed with a heart murmur caused by a bicuspid aortic valve defect.<ref name="heart">Template:Cite news</ref> He began experiencing symptoms such as dizziness and losing consciousness in his late twenties, and subsequently underwent open-heart surgery in October 1984 to repair the valve defect.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He received a bovine valve transplant, which lasted fifteen years.<ref name="doctors" /> After the bovine valve failed, Benson had a second surgery in 2000,<ref name="pr">Template:Cite news</ref> during which he underwent the Ross procedure. For six years after his second surgery, Benson had consistent struggles breathing.<ref name="doctors">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He subsequently underwent a third open-heart surgery, during which it was discovered that his breathing problems were caused by the previous procedure causing his aortic valve to buckle and close.<ref name="doctors" /> In 2010, Benson received a delicate fourth surgery known as the "reverse Ross procedure" to correct damage to his heart.<ref name="edge">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Benson is an activist and fundraiser for heart research, which, in 2004, led him to write the book, lyrics and music for an original Off-Broadway play called Open Heart, in which he also starred.<ref name="Words Can Never Harm Him">Template:Cite news</ref> Benson also has spoken about his dealing with post-surgical cardiac depression, commenting after his fourth surgery: <templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />
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FilmographyEdit
FilmEdit
Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1967 | Wait Until Dark | Boy Tossing Ball | Uncredited | |
1973 | Jory | Jory Walden | ||
Jeremy | Jeremy Jones | |||
1975 | Lucky Lady | Billy Weber | ||
1976 | Ode to Billy Joe | Billy Joe McAllister | ||
1977 | One on One | Henry Steele | ||
1978 | The End | Father Dave Benson | ||
Ice Castles | Nick Peterson | |||
1979 | Walk Proud | Emilio Mendez | ||
1980 | Die Laughing | Pinsky | ||
1980 | Tribute | Jud Templeton | ||
1981 | The Chosen | Danny Saunders | ||
1982 | Movie Madness | Brent Falcone | ||
1983 | Running Brave | Billy Mills | ||
1984 | Harry & Son | Howard Keach | ||
1985 | City Limits | Carver | ||
1987 | Rent-a-Cop | Andrew Pitts | ||
1989 | White Hot | Scott | Also director | |
1990 | Modern Love | Greg | Also writer, director and producer | |
1991 | Beauty and the Beast | The Beast/Prince (voice)<ref name="btva">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref> |
|
1992 | Invasion of Privacy | Alex Pruitt | ||
1993 | Deadly Exposure | Max Pierce | ||
1997 | Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas<ref name="btva" /> | The Beast/Prince (voice) | Direct-to-video | |
1998 | Belle's Magical World | |||
1999 | Belle's Tales of Friendship | |||
2000 | Dragonheart: A New Beginning | Drake (voice)<ref name="btva" /> | ||
The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus | Young Santa Claus (voice)<ref name="btva" /> | |||
2001 | Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse | The Beast/Prince (voice) | Direct-to-video | |
2002 | Just a Dream | Dr. Sturbuck | ||
2004 | MXP: Most Xtreme Primate | Edward | ||
2011 | Brave New World | Damon Heller | ||
2019 | Apple Seed | Sirom | ||
2023 | Once Upon a Studio | The Beast/Prince (voice)<ref name="btva" /> | Short film |
TelevisionEdit
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1971–1972 | Search for Tomorrow | Bruce Carson | 2 episodes |
1974 | Remember When | Frankie Hodges | Television film |
All the Kind Strangers | John | ||
Virginia Hill | Leroy Small | ||
1975 | Death Be Not Proud | Johnny Gunther | |
1976 | One Day at a Time | Ken Anderson | Episode: "The College Man" |
The Last of Mrs. Lincoln | Tad Lincoln | Television film | |
1977 | The Death of Richie | Richie Werner | |
Our Town | George Gibbs | ||
1982 | Two of a Kind | Noel 'Nolie' Minor | Template:Ubl |
1985 | California Girls | Nathan Bowzer | Television film |
Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Ed | Episode: "Method Actor" | |
The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible | David (voice) | Episode: "David and Goliath"<ref name="btva" /> | |
1986 | Tough Cookies | Det. Cliff Brady | 6 episodes |
David and Goliath | David (voice) | Video short | |
1989 | For Jenny with Love | Bud | TV series |
1990 | The Hitchhiker | Bart Allen | Episode: "Tourist Trap" |
1991–1993 | The Legend of Prince Valiant | Prince Valiant (voice) | 65 episodes<ref name="btva" /> |
1991 | Evening Shade | Skeeter Hatfield | Episode: "Winning Isn't Everything" |
1992 | P.J. Sparkles | Blaze (voice) | Television film<ref name="btva" /> |
Batman: The Animated Series | Wilkes (voice) | Episode: "P.O.V."<ref name="btva" /> | |
Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa | Additional voices | 3 episodes | |
Homewrecker | David Whitson | Television film | |
Lincoln | William Stoddard (voice) | ||
1993 | Road to Avonlea | Jonathan Ravenhurst Blackwell | Episode: "The Disappearance" |
At Home with the Webbers | Roger Swade | Television film | |
Precious Victims | Robert Sims | ||
1993–1994 | Exosquad | Lt./Lt. Cmdr J.T. Marsh (voice) | 52 episodes |
1994 | The Magic School Bus | Archibald Seedplot (voice) | Episode: "Goes to Seed"<ref name="btva" /> |
1996 | O. Henry's Christmas | Jim Dillingham Young | Television film |
1996 | Caroline in the City | Robby Benson | Episode: "Caroline and the Movie" |
1996–1997 | Sabrina the Teenage Witch | Edward Spellman | 2 episodes |
1997 | Seinfeld | Vincent (voice) | Episode: "The Comeback" |
2000 | The Christmas Lamb | Asah (voice) | Animated television film |
2001 | The Huntress | Dana Weatherly | Episode: "Who Are You?" |
2001–2002 | House of Mouse | The Beast/Prince Adam (voice) | 7 episodes |
2002–2003 | American Dreams | Professor Witt | 8 episodes |
2019 | A Feeling of Home | Wes Porter | Hallmark Channel Television Film |
2025 | Severance | Dr. Mauer | 4 episodes |
Video gamesEdit
Video games | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1992 | King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow | Prince Alexander (voice) | |
2000 | Disney's Beauty and the Beast Magical Ballroom | The Beast/Prince (voice) | |
2002 | Kingdom Hearts | ||
2006 | Kingdom Hearts II | ||
2011 | Kinect Disneyland Adventures | ||
2022 | Cookie Run Kingdom | Beast Cookie (voice) | |
2023 | Disney Speedstorm | The Beast/Prince (voice) | |
Disney Dreamlight Valley |
TheatreEdit
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1969 | Zelda | David Hartman | Broadway |
1970 | The Rothschilds | Young Solomon Rothschild | |
1981 | The Pirates of Penzance | Frederic | |
2004 | Open Heart | Jimmy | Off-Broadway |
Production creditsEdit
DirectorEdit
- White Hot (1989)
- Modern Love (1990)
- Family Album (TV Series) – 4 episodes
- 1.3 "Guardian Angel" (1993)
- 1.4 "Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall All You Gotta Do Is Call..." (1993)
- 1.5 "Salon, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehn, Goodbye" (1993)
- 1.6 "Will You Still Feed Me?" (1993)
- Evening Shade (TV Series) – 8 episodes
- 3.14 "Private School" (1993)
- 3.22 "Teaching Is a Good Thing" (1993)
- 3.24 "The Graduation" (1993)
- 4.8 "Wood and Evan's Excellent Adventure" (1993)
- 4.11 "Chain of Fools" (1993)
- 4.12 "Sleepless in Arkansas" (1993)
- 4.14 "The People's Choice" (1994)
- Monty (TV Series) – 2 episodes
- 1.3 "The Son Also Rises" (1994)
- 1.6 "Baby Talk" (1994)
- Muddling Through (TV Series) – 2 episodes
- 1.2 "Let It Be Normal" (1994)
- 1.5 "Second Time's the Charm" (1994)
- Good Advice (TV Series) – 2 episodes
- 2.3 "Divorce, Egyptian Style" (1994)
- 2.12 "Lights, Camera, Friction!" (1994)
- The George Wendt Show (TV Show) – 1 episode
- 1.2 "A Need for See" (1995)
- Bringing Up Jack (TV Series) – 1 episode
- Thunder Alley (TV Series) – 21 episodes
- 1.2 "The Love Triangle" (1994)
- 1.4 "Girls' Night Out" (1994)
- 1.5 "Bloodsuckers" (1994)
- 1.6 "Happy Endings" (1994)
- 2.1 "Never Say Die" (1994)
- 2.2 "Speak No Evil" (1994)
- 2.3 "Easy Money" (1994)
- 2.4 "Get a Job" (1994)
- 2.5 "First Date" (1994)
- 2.6 "Give 'Em Hell, Bobbi" (1994)
- 2.7 "Sex, Lies & Popcorn" (1994)
- 2.8 "The Garage Sale" (1994)
- 2.9 "Accidentally at First Sight" (1995)
- 2.10 "Are We There Yet?" (1995)
- 2.12 "The Trouble with Harry" (1995)
- 2.13 "Workin' Man's Blues" (1995)
- 2.14 "A Little Me Time" (1995)
- 2.15 "I Am Spartacus" (1995)
- 2.17 "Just a Vacation" (1995)
- 2.18 "Buzz Off, Buzzard Boy" (1995)
- 2.19 "No Swing Set" (1995)
- Dream On (TV Series) – 1 episodes
- 6.1 "Try Not to Remember" (1995)
- Ellen (TV Series) – 25 episodes
- 3.1 "Shake, Rattle and Rumble" (1995)
- 3.2 "These Successful Friends of Mine" (1995)
- 3.3 "The Shower Scene" (1995)
- 3.4 "The Bridges of L.A. County" (1995)
- 3.5 "Hello, I Must Be Going" (1995)
- 3.6 "Trick or Treat - Who Cares?" (1995)
- 3.7 "She Ain't Friendly, She's My Mother" (1995)
- 3.8 "Salad Days" (1995)
- 3.9 "The Movie Show" (1995)
- 3.10 "What's Up, Ex-Doc?" (1995)
- 3.11 "Ellen's Choice" (1995)
- 3.12 "Do You Fear What I Fear?" (1995)
- 3.13 "Horschak's Law" (1996)
- 3.14 "Morgan, P.I." (1996)
- 3.15 "Oh, Sweet Rapture" (1996)
- 3.16 "Witness" (1996)
- 3.17 "Ellen: With Child" (1996)
- 3.18 "Lobster Diary" (1996)
- 3.19 "Two Ring Circus" (1996)
- 3.20 "A Penney Saved..." (1996)
- 3.21 "Too Hip for the Room" (1996)
- 3.22 "Two Mammograms and a Wedding" (1996)
- 3.23 "Go Girlz" (1996)
- 3.24 "When the Vow Breaks: Part 1" (1996)
- 3.26 "When the Vow Breaks: Part 2" (1996)
- Life with Roger (TV Series) – 1 episode
- Pearl (TV Series) – 1 episodes
- 1.2 "Teacher's Pet" (1996)
- Common Law (TV Series) – 1 episodes
- 1.1 "Pilot" (1996)
- Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV Series) – 3 episodes
- 1.1 "Pilot" (1996)
- 1.10 "Sweet & Sour Victory (1996)
- 1.17 "First Kiss" (1997)
- Friends (TV Series) – 6 episodes
- 1.22 "The One with the Ick Factor" (1995)
- 3.12 "The One with All the Jealousy" (1997)
- 3.13 "The One Where Monica and Richard Are Just Friends" (1997)
- 3.14 "The One with Phoebe's Ex-Partner" (1997)
- 3.18 "The One with the Hypnosis Tape" (1997)
- 3.24 "The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion" (1997)
- House Rules (TV Series) – 1 episodes
- 1.7 "Who Knew?" (1998)
- The Naked Truth (TV Series) – 14 episodes
- 2.8 "The Scoop" (1997)
- 2.9 "The Birds" (1997)
- 3.1 "Things Change" (1997)
- 3.2 "Her Girl Friday" (1997)
- 3.3 "Bully for Dave" (1997)
- 3.4 "Liesl Weapon" (1997)
- 3.5 "Bridesface Revisited" (1997)
- 3.7 "Look at Me! Look at Me!" (1997)
- 3.12 "Women on the Verge of a Rhytidectomy" (1998)
- 3.13 "8 1/2" (1998)
- 3.14 "The Neighbor of Bath" (1998)
- 3.15 "Day of the Locos" (1998)
- 3.17 "Born to Be Wilde" (1998)
- 3.16 "Muddy for Nothing" (1998)
- Reunited (TV Series) – 1 episodes
- Brother's Keeper (TV Series) – 1 episode
- 1.12 "The Date" (1999)
- Jesse (TV Series) – 8 episodes
- 1.2 "Goober Up the Nose" (1998)
- 1.3 "Bees Do It, Birds Do It, But Not in a Car" (1998)
- 1.4 "Live Nude Girls" (1998)
- 1.5 "Boo! He's Back" (1998)
- 1.6 "The Methadone Clinic" (1998)
- 1.7 "The Kiss" (1998)
- 1.8 "The Cheese Ship" (1998)
- 1.13 "My Casual Friend's Wedding" (1999)
- Dharma & Greg (TV Series) – 1 episode
- 4.7 "Mad Secretaries and Englishmen" (2000)
- Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place (TV Series) – 2 episodes
- 4.10 "Rescue Me" (2000)
- 4.19 "The Love Boat" (2001)
- The Huntress (TV Series) – 4 episodes
- 1.10 "Black Widow" (2001)
- 1.15 "Generations" (2001)
- 1.19 "Undercover" (2001)
- 1.23 "Showdown" (2001)
- Bob Patterson (TV Series) – 1 episodes
- 1.5 "Bathroom Bob" (2001)
- 8 Simple Rules (TV Series) – 2 episodes
- 2.2 "Sex Ed" (2003)
- 2.3 "Donny Goes AWOL" (2003)
- I'm with Her (TV Series) – 2 episodes
- 1.9 "Meet the Parent" (2003)
- 1.10 "The Greatest Christmas Story Ever Told" (2003)
- Baby Bob (TV Series) – 2 episodes
- 2.6 "You Don't Know Jack" (2003)
- 2.5 "Boys Will Be Girls" (2003)
- Complete Savages (TV Series) – 1 episode
- 1.5 "Car Jack" (2004)
- Billy: The Early Years (2008)
ProducerEdit
- Die Laughing (1980)
- Modern Love (1990)
- Caligo (2014)
- Unwelcome (2014)
- Calypso (2014)
- Straight Outta Tompkins (2015)
WriterEdit
- One on One (1977)
- Die Laughing (1980)
- Modern Love (1990)
- Betrayal of the Dove (1993)
ComposerEdit
- Walk Proud (1979)
- Unwelcome (2014)
- Straight Outta Tompkins (2015)
DiscographyEdit
SinglesEdit
- "Blue Balloon (The Hourglass Song)" (1973)
- "Hey Everybody" (1974)
- "A Rock and Roll Song" (1975)
- "Adios Yesterday" (1979)
- "All I Want Is Love" (1980)
Awards and nominationsEdit
Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1974 | Golden Globe | Most Promising Newcomer – Male | Jeremy | Template:Nom |
1980 | Stinker Award | Template:Ubl | Walk Proud | Template:Won |
Worst Actor | Die Laughing, Tribute | Template:Nom | ||
Worst Song or Song Performance in a Film or End Credits | Die Laughing | Template:Won | ||
Worst Fake Accent: Male | Template:Won | |||
1983 | Golden Globe | Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Two of a Kind | Template:Nom |
1985 | Razzie Awards | Worst Supporting Actor | Harry & Son | Template:Nom |
1993 | Grammy Award | Album of the Year | Beauty and the Beast | Template:Nom |
1995 | CableACE Award | Directing a Comedy Series | Dream On | Template:Nom |
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
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