A doe-eyed, dark-haired stage-trained actor, Robby Benson moved from teenaged star of the 1970s to sitcom director and voice actor in the 1990s. The son of screenwriter Jerry Segal and nightclub singer Ann Benson, he began his career as a toddler, appearing in TV commercials and summer stock productions. By the time he was approaching his teens, Benson was appearing on Broadway and even had his bar mitzvah on the stage of the Lunt-Fontanne Theater where he was appearing in the musical "The Rothschilds".
Benson made his film debut in the lead of the middling Western "Jory" (1972) but garnered attention as the star of the teen drama "Jeremy" (1973). He managed to survive the mishmash of the Burt Reynolds-Liza Minnelli vehicle "Lucky Lady" (1975). By this time, Benson had become the ranking wholesome young leading man and he gradually began to attempt slightly more challenging material. "Ode to Billy Joe" (1976) cast him as confused youth who commits suicide. With his father, he co-wrote one of his better screen efforts "One on One" (1977), about a college basketball star who falls for his tutor (Annette O'Toole). Benson went on to add a variety of credits to his resume, including composer (scoring "Walk Proud" 1979) and producer ("Die Laughing" 1980). He also scored in roles ranging from a rebellious hockey player in the schmaltzy "Ice Castles" (1978) to Jack Lemmon's uptight son in "Tribute" (1980) to an Hassidic scholar in "The Chosen" (1981) to Paul Newman's ne'er-do-well offspring in "Harry and Son" (1984).
After undergoing heart surgery in 1984, Benson attempted to find TV stardom, but the sitcom "Tough Cookies" (CBS, 1986) proved unworthy of his talents. He turned to directing with "White Hot" (1988), which failed to achieve national release but is historically notable as the first American film shot directly onto High Definition Video. His second film, "Modern Romance" (1990), bordered on home movies as it featured family and friends, but it also displayed his growing ease behind the camera. He further honed his directorial abilities helming episodes of sitcoms like "Dream On", "Friends", "Ellen" and "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch". Benson continued to act, however, but ironically he did not actually appear in the biggest hit with which he has been associated--Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" (1991) which was greatly enhanced by his surprising voice performance as the Beast. He reprised the role in the 1997 direct-to-video release "Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas".
- Also Credited As:
Robbie Benson, Robin David Segal
- Born:
January 21, 1956 in Dallas, Texas, USA
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Job Titles:
Actor, Director, Composer, Producer, Screenwriter, Teacher
Family
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Daughter: Lyric Benson. born c. 1983; mother Karla DeVito
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Father: Jerry Segal.
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Mother: Ann Benson.
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Sister: Shelli Segal. older, born c. 1953
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Son: Zephyr Benson. born March 23, 1992; mother Karla DeVito
Significant Others
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Companion: Annette O Toole. linked romantically after they worked together in One on One (1977)
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Companion: Glynnis O Connor. co-starred together in Jeremy (1973) and Ode to Billy Joe (1975); no longer together
Education
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American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York, New York
Milestones
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1968 Broadway debut in Zelda aged 12
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1970 Had bar mitzvah on stage of The Rothschilds, in which he was appearing (date approximate)
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1971 Was regular on the CBS daytime drama Search for Tomorrow
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1972 Film acting debut in Jory ; first lead
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1974 Had role in the NBC TV-movie Remember When
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1975 Co-starred as the dying Johnny Gunther in the ABC TV-movie Death Be Not Proud
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1975 First collaboration with Burt Reynolds, Lucky Lady ; also co-starred Liza Minnelli
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1977 Played George Gibbs in an NBC TV adaptation of Our Town
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1977 With his father, co-wrote the script to the basketball drama One On One ; also starred
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1978 Played a novice priest in Burt Reynolds The End
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1979 With his father, composed music score for Walk Proud ; also starred
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1980 Debut as a producer, Die Laughing ; also co-wrote and co-starred
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1981 Returned to Broadway to play Frederic in the revival of The Pirates of Penzance ; met future wife Karla DeVito
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1984 Underwent heart surgery to replace a congenitally malfunctioning heart valve in October
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1986 Starred in short-lived CBS TV series, Tough Cookies
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1988 Feature directing debut (also actor, songwriter and song performer), White Hot/Crack in the Mirror
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1988 Reteamed with Burt Reynolds and Liza Minnelli for Rent-A-Cop
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1991 Provided the voice of The Beast in the Disney animated film, Beauty and the Beast
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1993 Began teaching at the University of Utah at Salt Lake City
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1993 Directed episodes of popular CBS sitcom, Evening Shade , starring Burt Reynolds
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1997 Reprised voice of The Beast in the direct-to-video release Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
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Appeared in TV commercials and summer stock beginning at age five
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Directed episodes of the ABC sitcom Sabrina, the Teenage Witch ; also played Sabrina s father
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Raised in Manhattan
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Taught drama at the University of South Carolina under whose auspices he made Modern Love (1989)
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Was primary director of the ABC sitcom Ellen for one season