Benson
ABC (ended 1986)
Cast & Crew
EDIT
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Didi Conn
Denise Florence Stevens Downey (Seasons 3-6)
An American actress best known for her role as Frenchy in the 1978 film Grease. -
Lewis J. Stadlen
John Taylor (Season 1)
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Robert Guillaume
Benson DuBois
Robert Guillaume is a stage, movie and television actor. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he studied at St. Louis University and then Washington University and served in the United States Army before venturing out to acting. He made his Broadway debut in 1961 in numerous stage appearances, and he won a Tony Award for his performance in the play "Purlie Victorious." On television, he made appearances in the shows "Good Times", "The Jeffersons", and finally starred in his own sitcom "SOAP", and then the spinoff show "Benson." He's also made movie appearances in "Seems Like Old Times", "Lean on Me", "First Kid" and most recent "Big Fish." As recognition to his great acting career on stage, TV and movies, he was rewarded his own star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.moreless -
Rene Auberjonois
Clayton Runnymede Endicott III (Seasons 2-7)
Ren Murat Auberjonois was born to an artistic dynasty that compelled him to be a creative performer. His grandfather, Swiss post-impressionist painter (and namesake) Ren Auberjonois and his father, Pulitzer Prize-nominated Swiss journalist and author Fernand Auberjonois, assured that young Ren was constantly exposed to a creative atmosphere and any artistic ambition was nurtured. His pedigree does not end there. His mother was Princess Laure Louise Napolone Eugnie Caroline, who was descended from Joachim Murat, King of Naples and Caroline Bonaparte, sister of Emperor Napolon Bonaparte. Ren was born in New York City on June 1, 1940. When World War II ended, the Auberjonois family returned to Paris. It was there, when he was six years old, that Ren was first bitten by the acting bug. He was placed in front of his during a rendition of Do You Know the Muffin Man? Since he wasn't really conducting the musical number, he thought of it as acting. When he turned to take his bow, he was hooked. He decided at that moment that he wanted to be an actor. A few years later, the Auberjonois family moved back to New York and took up residence in an Artist's Colony near Rockland County NY. Ren grew up surrounded by all manner of artist, musicians, actors and composers. Other residents at the time included Burgess Meredith, Helen Hayes and future mentor, John Houseman. When Ren was sixteen years old, John gave him his first theater job as an apprentice in Stratford CT. Years later, Ren taught theatre at the Juilliard School under Professor John Houseman. While in his early 20s, he began a romantic relationship with Judith Mahalyi. On October 19, 1963, the two were married. Together, they have two children, Tessa and Remy Auberjonois. Ren had to begin a balancing act of supporting his family and furthering his acting career. Fortunately for him, he had more than enough assistance from his own family to allow him to continue his craft. Fascinated with all aspects of theatre production, he attended Carnegie-Mellon University in their theatre program. After graduation, he performed with a number of theatre companies such as San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre and the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. In 1969, he made his Broadway debut alongside Katherine Hepburn in the musical Coco. He was nominated for and won a Tony for his work. It was during this time that Ren considered changing his family name to "Aubert" since many people he worked with could not properly pronounce "Auberjonois" with its French inflection. However, people seemed to have just as much trouble with "Aubert" and left his name as it was. After Coco, Ren went on to perform in a number of stage productions, but it was his role as Father Francis Mulcahy in the Robert Altman anti-war film, M*A*S*H, that earned him a degree of international recognition. With his newfound celebrity status, Ren began getting offers to do episode television. It wasn't long before he landed the role of Clayton Endicott III on Benson. Playing the role of Chief of Staff to a bumbling President of the United States, Ren endeared him to American audiences with his haughty, holier-than-thou portrayal of Clayton. When Benson ended its run in 1986, Ren went on to do a host of television appearances in shows like L.A. Law, Doogie Howser M.D., and Matlock. He had also done a considerable amount of voice work, lending his voice to animated shows like Darkwing Duck, Batman and The Pirates of Dark Water. He continued to work on this project and that for several years, but in 1993, he secured the role of Security Chief Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the newest installment of the Star Trek Universe. He was fascinated by the fact that his character was written as the only one of his species and has no knowledge of where he came from. It offered him a role with unlimited potential for self discovery and evolution. After Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ended its run in 1999, Ren continued working in episode television and animation voice work as opportunities presented themselves. In 2004, he signed on to play Paul Lewiston on the Emmy Award winning drama Boston Legal alongside Star Trek legend, William Shatner. It was for performing this character that he won a Prism Award for "Performance in a Drama Series, Multi-Episode Storyline". He had also been nominated along with the rest of the Boston Legal cast for a Screen Actors Guild Award for "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series" in 2006,2007 and 2008. Ren spend a great deal of his free time either teaching master classes at various performing arts schools and indulging his personal hobbies of photography and wire sculpture. He is also a very active supporter of several charities such as "Doctors without Borders", "Amnesty International" and the "American Arthritis Foundation". He helps raise funds for all of these organizations through his fan club, Oracle.moreless -
James Noble
Governor Eugene Xavier Gatling
Married actress Carolyn Coates on May 19, 1956, and has one daughter named Jessica. Graduated from Highland Park High School in Dallas, TX. Attended Southern Methodist University. Was in the Navy during World War II. -
Caroline McWilliams
Marcy Hill (Seasons 1-2)
Formerly married to actor Michael Keaton, one son together, Sean. -
Billie Bird
Rose Cassidy (Seasons 6-7)
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Ethan Phillips
Peter John Downey (Seasons 2-6)
Ethan Phillips stars as the Talaxian Neelix, a member of an alien race indigenous to the Delta Quadrant in UPN's Star Trek: Voyager. Neelix is a charming yet scraggly scavenger who acts as the ship's mess officer and budding ambassador. Phillips said about his character, "Neelix is a loner and a lover. He's manipulative and brave, emotional and silly. You might say he's an alien of many colors... an eccentric oddball who never ceases to amaze me." Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Phillips grew up as the only boy of six children. He received a Jesuit education in New York, and attended Boston University where he graduated with a degree in English Literature. He went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree at Cornell University. Phillips began his acting career in the theater, appearing in such Broadway and off-Broadway productions as "My Favorite Year" at Lincoln Center, "Measure for Measure" at the Delacorte, "Lips Together, Teeth Apart" at the Lucille Lortel, and "Modigliani" at the Astor Place. Phillips was in new productions for Playwrights Horizons, the Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Hudson Guild Theater and others, and has played leading roles for many of the major regional theaters around the country. While he may have "cut his acting teeth" on stage, Phillips is perhaps best known for his extensive television work. Audiences will most likely remember him for his five seasons as Pete Downey, the governor's press aide on the hit television sitcom Benson (co-starring with Deep Space Nine's Rene Auberjonois). In addition, he had a recurring role in the nighttime drama Werewolf, and has guest-starred on numerous shows including NYPD Blue, L.A. Law, Murphy Brown, Chicago Hope, Law & Order, and HBO's historical drama about the Apollo program, From the Earth to the Moon. Phillips also appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation as the Ferengi Dr. Farek in the episode "Menage A Troi." But Phillips is no stranger to feature films either. Star Trek fans recognized him in human form as a holographic nightclub maitre d' in "Star Trek: First Contact." He starred in the Tim Allen film "For Richer or Poorer," and appeared in the movie "Jeffrey" as a sexaholic attending a 12-step group meeting. In addition, Ethan can be seen in the movies "The Shadow," "Wagons East," "Man Without a Face," "Green Card," "Bloodhounds of Broadway," "Glory" and "Lean On Me," among others. Besides acting in stage, television and movie projects, Ethan is also a playwright and an author. His original play, "Penguin Blues," was published by the Samuel French company and has been produced more than 150 times throughout the U.S. and Canada. In 1999, his "Star Trek Cookbook"featuring Neelix on the coverwas published by Pocket Books. Ethan co-authored this book with William J. Birnes. Ethan lives with his wife, Patricia Cresswell, and their West Highland terrier, Frank, in Los Angeles. In his spare time he is a devoted backpacker and rock climber, and fancies himself an amateur ornithologist and botanist. He dreams of someday hiking the Appalachian Trail from end to end.moreless -
Inga Swenson
Gretchen Wilomena Kraus
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Missy Gold
Katherine 'Katie' Olivia Gatling
Melissa, like her sisters, changed her name from Goldstein, before entering the acting business. -
William Bogert
minister
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Clyde Kusatsu
Stan
Clyde Kusatsu was born September 13, 1948 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He attended Iloani School. He later studied theater at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He is married to Gayle Kusatsu, and they have two sons: Kevin and Andrew. -
Pierrino Mascarino
Kurt
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Arlene Golonka
Guest Star
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Charles Cyphers
Scotty
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Joel Brooks
Harwell
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Ted Danson
Dan
He was born Edward Bridge Danson III in San Diego, California, the son of an archaeologist. He was raised outside of Flagstaff, Arizona. In 1961 he was sent to Kent School where he was a basketball star. He became interested in drama while attending Stanford University. He transferred to the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now known as Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), where he received his Bachelor's degree. Danson was married to Casey Coates from 1977 to 1993. He is currently married to actress Mary Steenburgen whom he wed on October 7, 1995. He is stepfather to her daughter and son. Danson, while still married to his first wife, was involved with Whoopi Goldberg. Whoopi broke off the romance soon after he appeared at a Friar's Club roast in blackface and proposed to her. However, credible reports state that Whoopi acknowledges that she wrote some of Ted's blackface skit, so this was most likely not the cause of their separation. Before Danson was a famous actor, he was known to dabble in the monkeywrenching sport of billboard toppling with childhood friend Marc Gaede along the highway between Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. Ted Danson is well known for his role as Sam Malone in the television series Cheers. During the show's 12-year run, he was nominated nine times for an Emmy Award as Best Actor in a Comedy Series and won twice, in 1990 and 1993. The role also earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series in 1989 and 1990. He and his wife, actress Mary Steenburgen, starred in and were executive producers of the CBS comedy series Ink. In 1984, Danson received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in the television movie Something About Amelia , in which he starred opposite Glenn Close. He also starred opposite Lee Remick in The Women's Room . In 1986, he made his debut as a television producer with When the Bough Breaks , in which he also starred. He later starred in the mini-series Gulliver's Travels and Thanks of a Grateful Nation . Danson's numerous feature film credits include The Onion Field , in which he made his debut as Officer Ian Campbell, Body Heat , Three Men and a Baby , 3 Men and a Little Lady , Cousins , Dad , Made in America , Saving Private Ryan , Mumford , and Jerry and Tom . Danson was raised just outside Flagstaff, Ariz. He attended Stanford University, where he became interested in drama during his second year. In 1972, he transferred to Carnegie-Mellon University (formerly Carnegie Tech) in Pittsburgh. After graduation, he was hired as an understudy in Tom Stoppard's Off Broadway production of "The Real Inspector Hound." Danson moved to Los Angeles in 1978 and studied with Dan Fauci at the Actor's Institute, where he also taught classes. Danson lives with his family in Los Angeles. He is a founding member of the American Oceans Campaign (AOC), an organization established to alert Americans to the life-threatening hazards created by oil spills, offshore development, toxic wastes, sewage pollution and other ocean abuses.moreless -
Peter Elbling
waiter
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Murphy Cross
Lorraine
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Tim Reid
Russell, Benson's Brother
Tim Reid born December 19, 1944, is one of the greatest African American actor and film directors of all time. Tim Reid is known mostly by his role in television programs. Tim Reid starred in roles such as the hip DJ, from "Venus Flytrap" on WKRP, in Cincinnati, he's also greatly known for the hit television series, Sister, Sister, Simon & Simion, and Snoops. Tim Reid is married to Daphne Maxwell Reid, together they both own and run the New Millennium Studio's in Petersburg, Virginia. 1988 was a great year for Tim Reid, he won an award from viewers for Quality Television Awards Actor in a quallity comedy series "Franks Place", he also recieved outstanding lead actor in a comedy series. Tim Reid has directed television programs, and he continues to strive for the best.moreless -
Jerry Hardin
Nevada Bob Walker
Born within earshot of Dallas, Texas, Jerry Hardin showed an early knack for the performing arts with a school acting and speaking career. He won a scholarship to Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, before later gaining a Fulbright scholarship; he then studied at the Royal Academy for Dramatic Art in London. For the next two years he embarked in a stage career in Europe, before making his film debut in "Thunder Road", while continuing a very successful theater career in the States. Hardin soon became known in Hollywood as a talented, charismatic, and reliable character actor. He appeared in a number of classic films, including Reds, Missing, The Falcon and the Snowman, Big Trouble in Little China, The Milagro Beanfield War and Little Nikita. It was his work in The Firm, however, that convinced Chris Carter to cast him as Deep Throat, who became one of "The X-Files" most well-liked characters before his character's untimely death. Hardin is still acting. He is married to actress and acting instructor Diane Hill, with his daughter, Melora, being an up-and-coming actress as well, and his son, Shawn, having been the chief operating officer for NBC-1 in San Francisco.moreless -
Wendell Wright
Hopkins
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Scatman Crothers
Mr. Thomkins
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Rick Fitts
Mr. Frances
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Rick Fitts
Wes
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Ernie Sabella
Guest Star
"Hey, I'm short and sorta fat. I can make people laugh. That's about it" is how character actor Ernie Sabella describes himself. A specialist in low-level sleaze and surliness, he has spiced up productions on stage, TV, and increasingly, on the big screen. Sabella established himself on Broadway and regional theater before becoming a familiar TV face in sitcoms, busted pilots, and occasional TV dramas since the mid-1980s. Teen sitcom cultists may remember him as the cheesy building super who continually attempted to thwart junior grifter Jason Bateman on the uproarious "It's Your Move" (NBC, 1984-85). Sabella has also managed to amass an impressive list of guest spots including a subway nudist in a memorable "Seinfeld" outing; a member of the Short Guys Club who demands an apology from "Murphy Brown"; and a P.I. hired by Norm to follow his possibly errant wife on "Cheers". Sabella worked with rising stage star Nathan Lane in the acclaimed 1992 Broadway revival of "Guys and Dolls". While the musical was still in rehearsals, the pair insisted on reading together for two roles in Disney's "The Lion King" (1994)--and the results were deemed magical. Sabella and Lane were given free rein to improvise and both their expressive vocal and physical mannerisms were incorporated into the animation. Sabella was Pumbaa the flatulent warthog to Lane's Timon the meercat. The scene-stealing comedy team was also a hit on the road as they promoted the latest Disney behemoth. Sabella had previously appeared in just a few small film roles but several other assignments quickly followed, including Robert Redford's period TV drama, "Quiz Show", and the family drama "Roommates" (both 1994). Ernie attended the University of Miami in the early 1970's. Married three years to Cheryl, and resides currently in Las Vegas, NV. Where he pursues his favourite hobby: golf. (He shoots in the 80s; has a 16 handicap.)moreless -
Al Fann
Harry
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Ed Peck
McDermott
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Meg Wyllie
Miss Ellie
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Michael Ensign
Wally
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Categories
Comedy
Themes
Altruistic Behavior, Baby Boomers, Child Stars, For The Nostalgic, Long Running Show
