Dirk Benedict

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Dirk Benedict
Born Dirk Niewoehner
March 1, 1945 (1945-03-01) (age 63)
Helena, MT, U.S.A.
Occupation Film, television actor
Spouse(s) Toni Hudson (1986—1995)

Dirk Benedict (born Dirk Niewoehner on March 1, 1945) is an American movie, television and stage actor, perhaps best known for playing the characters Lt. Templeton "The Faceman" Peck in The A-Team television series and Lieutenant Starbuck in the original Battlestar Galactica movie and television series and also starred in Jaws 3. He was born in Helena, Montana[1], and grew up in White Sulphur Springs, Montana.

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[edit] Career

At Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, Benedict became interested in acting. During his freshman year, he accepted a dare to audition for the spring musical and won the lead role of Gaylord Ravenal in Show Boat. He also joined the Phi Delta Theta ΦΔΘ fraternity that year, which he credits with supporting his endeavors and encouraging his development. The next three years were filled with many more musical productions. Upon graduation, Benedict began a two-year training program under John Fernald, who had headed the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London for fifteen years.

At that time, he started to use the stage name 'Benedict'; supposedly, whilst searching for a catchier, less ethnic name, he agreed to the suggestion of "Benedict" by his agent, who was inspired by the actor's breakfast choice of Eggs Benedict during their early morning conversation.

Benedict then played repertory theatre in Seattle and in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he played such roles as Edmund in King Lear, Tarleton in Misalliance, Ensign Pulver in Mister Roberts, and the lead in Neil Simon's Star-Spangled Girl. An agent sent him to an audition which resulted in a co-starring role with Diana Rigg and Keith Michell in Abelard and Heloise, first on Broadway, then in Los Angeles. Two weeks after the show closed on Broadway, Benedict was winging across the Atlantic to Sweden for his first movie, Georgia, Georgia in which he co-starred with Diana Sands. This film about draft resisters, shot entirely in Sweden, was written by Maya Angelou.

On his return to New York, Benedict replaced Keir Dullea in Butterflies Are Free on Broadway where he worked with Gloria Swanson as his mother. When the New York run 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 psycho-thriller called Ssssss 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. Benedict starred in the television series, Chopper One, but his career break came in 1978 when he appeared as Lieutenant Starbuck in the movie and television series Battlestar Galactica. It has been suggested that Benedict was briefly considered for the part of Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark. He was said to be third choice behind Tom Selleck, who was contracted to Magnum, P.I. and Harrison Ford, who went on to accept the role (Benedict was thought to have been a possible Plan-B should Ford have turned-down the role). However, this story has never been officially confirmed. Four years later, Dirk gained further popularity in what is arguably his most famous and popular role, as con-man Lieutenant Templeton 'The Faceman' Peck in 1980s action television series, The A-Team. Ironically, he did not appear in the Pilot film - creators Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo had wanted him from the beginning, but the network executives insisted that they wanted a different sort of actor in the role. Tim Dunigan won the part; but upon completion of the Pilot, the executives decided that he wasn't quite right for the role, and it was given to Benedict after all. He played this high profile role from 1982 to 1986 (although the series didn't air until January 1983; and the final episode wasn't shown until 1987 re-runs). In 1987, Benedict took the title role of Shakespeare's Hamlet at the Abbey Theatre. Both his performance and the entire play were drubbed by critics[2]. In 2000, Benedict wrote and directed his first screenplay, Cahoots[3]. In 2005 he played a role in the German movie "Goldene Zeiten" (Times of Gold) by Peter Thorwardt. He played an 80s moviestar attempting to make a comeback.

[edit] Celebrity Big Brother

Dirk appeared as a contestant on the controversial fifth UK series of Celebrity Big Brother, broadcast in the UK. Bookmakers give him the third-best odds of winning out of the fourteen contestants. He made what is possibly the show's most memorable entrance to date, arriving in the classic A-Team Van (although it should be noted that this was a replica, not an original, as it sported a red interior and had no sunroof, EDIT: The original van did NOT have red interior, it had a tan interior, but it also had no sunroof, it did have four Halogen lights on the roof, but NO sunroof), accompanied by the famous theme tune [4]. He also smoked a cigar on his entrance to the house, and claimed to a fellow housemate to have a whole stock of cigars in his luggage. He had also told the Big Brother producers "no cigars, no Benedict" as part of the deal to appear on the show.

A memorable moment occurred a few minutes after he arrived in the house, when drunk punk singer Donny Tourette said "It's Dirk fucking Benedict", to which Dirk dryly responded "I seldom use my middle name" [5]. In a similar vein, Dirk also has admitted to flirting with fellow housemate, Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and when asked by Big Brother if he wanted anything, he replied "Can you give me Shilpa's phone number?"

Dirk was the third to last contestant to be evicted from Celebrity Big Brother, finishing in third place overall with 16% of the Public Vote. All the three remaining contestants were non-Brits.[6]

[edit] Personal

[edit] Family

In 1986, he married Toni Hudson, an actress (who had previously appeared in the fourth season A-Team episode "Blood, Sweat and Cheers"), with whom he has two sons, George and Roland. They divorced in 1995. In 1998, Benedict learned that he also has another son, John (born 1968), from a youthful relationship.[7]

[edit] Health

Benedict is a vegetarian.[8]

Benedict was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1974. The medical doctors recommended surgery, but he claimed to have cured his cancer through a macrobiotic diet recommended by Gloria Swanson, exercise and fasting, over a period of 3 years under the guidance of Michio Kushi according to his book Confessions Of A Kamikaze Cowboy. He continues the diet to this day.

[edit] Filmography

  • Recon 7 Down (2007) - Tom Myers
  • Earthstorm (2007)
  • Goldene Zeiten (2006) - Douglas Burnett/Horst Müller
  • Waking Up Horton (1998)
  • Steel Stomachs (1997) - Host
  • Zork: Grand Inquisitor (1997) (video game) - Antharia Jack
  • Abduction of Innocence (1996) (TV) - Robert Steves
  • Alaska (1996) - Jake Barnes
  • Demon Keeper (1994) - Alexander Harris
  • The Feminine Touch (1994) - John Mackie
  • Official Denial (1994) - Lt. Col. Dan Lerner
  • Shadow Force (1993) - Rick Kelly
  • Blue Tornado (1991) - Alex Long
  • Bejewelled (1991) (TV) - Gordon
  • Trenchcoat in Paradise (1989) (TV) - Eddie Mazda
  • Body Slam (1987) - M. Harry Smilac
  • Mark of the Devil (1984) (TV) - Frank Rowlett
  • The A-Team (1983-1987) TV Series - Lieutenant Templeton 'The Faceman' Peck
  • Family in Blue (1982) (TV) - Matt Malone
  • Ruckus (1981) - Kyle Hanson
  • Scruples (1981) (TV) - Spider Elliott
  • Underground Aces (1980) - Pete Huffman
  • The Georgia Peaches (1980) (TV) - Dusty Tyree
  • Scavenger Hunt (1979) - Jeff Stevens, Mr. Parker's nephew
  • Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack (1979) (TV) - Lieutenant Starbuck
  • One of Us is a Murderer (1979) - Dr. Xhosa
  • Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979) (TV) - Lieutenant Starbuck
  • Cruise Into Terror (1978) (TV) - Simon
  • Journey from Darkness (1975) (TV) - Bill
  • W (1974) - William Caulder
  • Chopper One (1974) TV Series - Officer Gil Foley
  • SSSSSSS (1973) - David Blake
  • Georgia, Georgia (1972) - Michael Winters

[edit] As director

  • Cahoots (2000)
  • Christina's Dream (1994)

[edit] As writer

  • Cahoots (2000)

[edit] Notable TV guest appearances

[edit] References

  1. ^ NYT Biography: Dirk Benedict. Accessed January 23, 2008
  2. ^ NYTimes, September 22, 1987
  3. ^ NYTimes Movies: Cahoots
  4. ^ YouTube - Big Brother Dirk Benedict A-Team
  5. ^ YouTube - Broadcast Yourself
  6. ^ Link
  7. ^ Adopted and Searching for Answers | PARADE Magazine
  8. ^ http://www.simply-natural.biz/kamikaze-cowboy.php

[edit] External links