Sam Bennett (Private Practice)

Infobox character
name = Sam Bennett


caption =
real_name =
portrayer = Taye Diggs
creator = Shonda Rhimes
species =
gender = Male
first = "The Other Side of This Life, Part 1" ("Grey's Anatomy")
last =
cause =
age = late 30s or early 40s
occupation = Internal Medicine Doctor and writer
title = M.D.
alias = Dr. Feelgood
family =
spouse = Naomi Bennett (ex-wife/sexual encounter)
children = Maya Bennett (daughter)
relatives =
footnotes =

Samuel "Sam" Bennett is a character on the "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off, "Private Practice". He is played by actor Taye Diggs. ["Private Practice" at [http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch.aspx?id=private_practice The Futon Critic] ]

Character history

Sam works at the Oceanside Wellness Centre in Los Angeles, California as an internal medicine specialist. He co-founded the practice with his ex-wife, Naomi. Sam is also an author and a media personality, having authored the best-selling nonfiction book "Body Language: The Mind-Body Connection." [ [http://abc.go.com/primetime/privatepractice/index?pn=bio#t=character&d=25006 Private Practice - Home - ABC.com ] ] Oceanside Wellness Group, with its co-operative and whole-body approach to medicine, is illustrative of the views advocated in the book. The book's success has earned Sam the nickname "Dr. Feelgood."

Relationships

Sam met Naomi in medical school at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. The two married and had a daughter, Maya, now age 13. Although the couple attempt to present the image of an amicably divorced couple, the post-marital relationship has, at times, been strained. The reasons for their divorce are unclear. In The Other Side of This Life, Sam professes to Addison that he had "no good reason" for requesting the divorce. In In Which We Meet Addison, A Nice Girl From Somewhere Else Sam states that he was "unhappy" and wanted Naomi to fight for their relationship. The couple may be headed toward reconciliation. Sam and Naomi rekindle their sexual relationship in In Which Sam Gets Taken For a Ride, after Sam survives a hostage situation. Although Sam and Naomi called the conference-room sex a "slip up," the couple sleep together again in In Which Cooper Finds A Port in His Storm.

It appears that Sam and Naomi share joint custody of Maya, although her primary residence may be with Naomi. In In Which Addison Finds the Magic, Naomi states that Maya had asked to spend the entire week at Sam's home.

Sam and Addison are also friends dating back to medical school. Sam, Naomi, Addison and Derek were all medical students at Columbia. Sam and Addison now live next door to each other in Malibu. [ [http://abc.go.com/primetime/privatepractice/index?pn=bio#t=character&d=25006 Private Practice - Home - ABC.com ] ]

Trivia

*The early cast and character descriptions initially listed the character as "Jackson." However, in all televised episodes and media materials, the character is referred to as "Sam," and never as "Jackson." In In Which Sam Receives an Unexpected Visitor Naomi refers to him as "Samuel."
*Both Sam and Naomi are Catholic.

References

External links

* [http://abc.go.com/primetime/privatepractice/index?pn=bio#t=character&d=25006 ABC Bio of Sam Bennett]