Dirk Benedict

Dirk Benedict
Dirk Benedict at Lucca Comics and Games 2011
Born	Dirk Niewoehner March 1, 1945 (1945-03-01) (age 66) Helena, Montana, United States
Occupation	Film and television actor
Spouse	Toni Hudson (1986–1995)
Signature

Dirk Benedict (born March 1, 1945) is an American movie, television and stage actor, perhaps best known for playing the characters Lieutenant Templeton "Faceman" Peck in The A-Team television series and Lieutenant Starbuck in the original Battlestar Galactica film and television series.

Early life

Benedict was born Dirk Niewoehner in Helena, Montana,^[1] the son of Pricilla 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]

Career

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 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 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. Four years later, 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 re-runs). The second season episode, "Steel," includes a scene at Universal Studios where Face is seen looking bemused as a Cylon walks by him - an in-joke to his previous role in Battlestar Galactica. The clip is incorporated into the series' opening credit sequence from the third season onward.

In 1986 Dirk 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 play were drubbed by critics.^[4]

1989 saw Benedict in the TV movie Trenchcoat in Paradise.

In 1993, Benedict starred in Shadow Force.

In 2000, Benedict wrote and directed his first screenplay, Cahoots.^[5]

In 2005, he played an impostor, pretending to be an 80s movie star who wants to moderate a charity performance in Goldene Zeiten (Golden Times) by Peter Thorwardt.

Dirk appeared as a contestant on the 2007 U.K. series of Celebrity Big Brother. He arrived on the first night in a replica of the A-Team van, smoking a cigar and accompanied by Post & Carpenter's A-Team theme tune.^{[episode needed]}

In 2010, Dirk starred in Prescription: Murder playing Lieutenant Columbo along with Patrick Ryecart and George Telfer. Benedict also made a cameo appearance in the 2010 film adaptation of The A-Team as Pensacola Prisoner Milt.^[6].

Personal life

In 1986, he married Toni Hudson, an actress (who had previously appeared in the fourth season A-Team episode "Blood, Sweat and Cheers" as Dana), with whom he has two sons, George and Roland. They divorced in 1995. In 1998, Benedict learned that he also has another son, John Talbert (born 1968), from an earlier relationship. Mr. Talbert had been given up for adoption. With the help of his adoptive parents, Talbert discovered and contacted his natural parents.^[7]

References

1. ^ "Dirk Benedict". New York Times (online). http://movies.nytimes.com/person/5304/Dirk-Benedict/biography. Retrieved August 6, 2011. 
2. ^ "Dirk Benedict Biography (1945-)". FilmReference.com. http://www.filmreference.com/film/50/Dirk-Benedict.html. 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. ^ Dirk Benedict Central: "Prescription:Murder" and "The A-Team"
7. ^ Adopted and Searching for Answers PARADE Magazine

External links

• Dirk Benedict at the Internet Movie Database
• Dirk Benedict at AllRovi
• Dirk Benedict official website
• Dirk Benedict Interview
• Dirk Benedict Blog - In Cahoots with Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (2006)

Persondata
Name	Benedict, Dirk
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 1, 1945
Place of birth	Helena, Montana, United States
Date of death
Place of death

Preceded by Tim Dunigan

Templeton "Face" Peck Actor January 30 1983 - March 8 1987

Succeeded by Bradley Cooper