Editing Dirk Benedict

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Short description|American actor (born 1945)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Dirk Benedict
| image              = Dirk Benedict - Lucca Comics and Games 2011.jpg
| caption            = Benedict at the 2011 [[Lucca Comics & Games]]
| birth_name         = Dirk Niewoehner
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1945|03|01}}
| birth_place        = [[Helena, Montana]], U.S.
| alma_mater         = [[Whitman College]]
| known_for          = ''[[The A-Team]]''<br>''[[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]''
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actor|author}}
| years_active       = 1972–present
| spouse             = {{Marriage|[[Toni Hudson]]|1986|1995|end=div.}}
| children           = 3
| signature          = Dirk Benedict (signature).png
| website            = {{URL|dirkbenedictcentral.com}}
}}
'''Dirk Benedict''' (born '''Dirk Niewoehner'''; March 1, 1945) is an American actor and author. He is best known for playing the characters [[Lieutenant Starbuck]] in the original ''[[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' film and television series and [[Templeton Peck|Templeton "Face" Peck]] in ''[[The A-Team]]'' television series. He is the author of ''Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy'' and ''And Then We Went Fishing''.

==Early life==
Benedict was born Dirk Niewoehner on March 1, 1945, in [[Helena, Montana]],<ref name="benedict">{{cite news|author=Hal Erickson|author-link=Hal Erickson (author)|date=2010|title=Dirk Benedict|work=[[The New York Times]]|publisher=[[Baseline (database)|Baseline]] & [[All Movie Guide]]|department=Movies & TV Dept.|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/person/5304/Dirk-Benedict/biography|url-status=dead|access-date=August 6, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100227061104/https://movies.nytimes.com/person/5304/Dirk-Benedict/biography|archive-date=February 27, 2010}}</ref> the son of George Edward Niewoehner, a lawyer, and his wife  Priscilla Mella (née Metzger), an accountant.<ref name="benedict2">{{cite web|title=Dirk Benedict Biography (1945–)|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/50/Dirk-Benedict.html|access-date=September 3, 2011|publisher=FilmReference.com}}</ref> He grew up in [[White Sulphur Springs, Montana]]. He graduated from [[Whitman College]] in 1967.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alumni Individual Web Sites|url=http://www.whitman.edu/content/alumni/connected/alumniindweb|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611192237/http://www.whitman.edu/content/alumni/connected/alumniindweb|archive-date=June 11, 2011|access-date=May 10, 2011|website=[[Whitman College]]}}</ref>
Benedict allegedly chose his stage name from a serving of [[Eggs Benedict]] he had prior to his acting career. He is of German extraction.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Remember Dirk Benedict From The A-Team? Here’s What He Looks Like Now! |url=https://www.eightieskids.com/remember-dirk-benedict-from-the-a-team-heres-what-he-looks-like-now/ |website=eightieskids.com}}</ref>

==Career==
[[File:Chopper One cast 1974.JPG|thumb|Photo of the cast of the short-lived television program ''[[Chopper One]]''. From left: Dirk Benedict, [[Ted Hartley]], [[Jim McMullan]].]]

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 (1968 TV series)|Hawaii Five-O]]''. The producers of a horror film called ''[[Sssssss]]'' (1973) 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 (1974 film)|W]]'' (1974). Benedict starred in the television series ''[[Chopper One]]'', which aired for one season in 1974. He made two appearances in ''[[Charlie's Angels]]''. He also appeared on the ''[[Donny & Marie (1976 TV series)|Donny & Marie]]'' variety show.

Benedict's career break came in 1978 when he appeared as [[Lieutenant Starbuck]] in the movie and television series ''[[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]''. The same year, Benedict starred in the TV film, ''Cruise into Terror'', and appeared in the ensemble movie, ''[[Scavenger Hunt]]'' the following year.

===1980s and 1990s===
In 1980, Benedict starred alongside [[Linda Blair]] in an action-comedy movie called ''[[Ruckus (film)|Ruckus]]''. In 1983, Dirk gained further popularity as con man Templeton "Faceman" Peck in 1980s action television series ''[[The A-Team]]''. He played "Face" from {{start date|1982}} to {{end date|1986}}, although the series didn't air until January 1983, and the final episode wasn't shown until 1987 rebroadcasts. The [[List of The A-Team episodes#Season 2: 1983–1984|second season]] episode "Steel" includes a scene at [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] where Face is seen looking bemused as a [[Cylon (1978)|Cylon]] walks by him as an in-joke to his previous role in ''Battlestar Galactica''. The clip is incorporated into the series' opening credit sequence from season 3 onward.

In 1986, Benedict starred as low-life band manager Harry Smilac in the movie ''[[Body Slam (film)|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 Murano (Albano) and his wrestling tag-team "[[The Wild Samoans|the Cannibals]]".

In 1987, Benedict took the title role of Shakespeare's ''[[Hamlet]]'' at the [[Classic Stage Company|Abbey Theatre]] in Manhattan. Both his performance and the entire production were lambasted by critics.<ref>Brucker, D.J.R. [https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/22/theater/the-stage-hamlet.html "The Stage: Hamlet"], ''The New York Times'', September 22, 1987</ref> Benedict starred in the 1989 TV film ''Trenchcoat in Paradise''.

In 1991, Benedict starred in ''[[Blue Tornado (film)|Blue Tornado]],'' playing Alex, [[call sign]] Fireball, an [[Italian Air Force]] [[fighter pilot]]. Benedict published an autobiography, ''Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy: A True Story of Discovery, Acting, Health, Illness, Recovery, and Life'' ([[Avery Publishing]] {{ISBN|0895294796}}). In 1993, Benedict starred in ''[[Shadow Force (1992 film)|Shadow Force]]''.

Benedict also appeared as Jake Barnes in the 1996 action-adventure film ''[[Alaska (1996 film)|Alaska]]''.

===2000s and 2010s===
In 2000, Benedict wrote and directed his first screenplay, ''Cahoots''.<ref>{{cite news|author=Mark Deming|date=2008|title=Cahoots|work=[[The New York Times]]|publisher=[[Baseline (database)|Baseline]] & [[All Movie Guide]]|department=Movies & TV Dept.|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/244091/Cahoots/overview|url-status=dead|access-date=May 10, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908015459/https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/244091/Cahoots/overview|archive-date=September 8, 2008}}</ref> Benedict appeared in the 2006 German film ''[[Goldene Zeiten]]'' ("Golden Times") in a dual role, playing an American former TV star as well as a German lookalike who impersonates him.

In 2006, he wrote an online essay criticizing the then-airing ''[[Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' re-imagined series and, especially, its casting of a woman as his character, Starbuck, writing that "the war against masculinity has been won" and that "a television show based on hope, spiritual faith, and family is unimagined and regurgitated as a show of despair, sexual violence and family dysfunction".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Benedict|first1=Dirk|date=May 2004|title=Lost in Castration|url=http://www.dirkbenedictcentral.com/home/articles-readarticle.php?nid=5|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220100737/http://www.dirkbenedictcentral.com/home/articles-readarticle.php?nid=5|archive-date=December 20, 2013|access-date=February 7, 2006|website=Dirk Benedict Central}}</ref>

He appeared as a contestant on the 2007 UK series of ''[[Celebrity Big Brother (British series 5)|Celebrity Big Brother 5]]'', in which he placed third. He arrived on launch night in a replica of the [[The A-Team#GMC van|''A-Team'' van]], smoking a cigar and accompanied by the [[The A-Team#Theme song and soundtrack|''A-Team'' theme tune]].

In 2010, Benedict starred in a stage production of ''[[Columbo#Development and character profile|Prescription: Murder]]'' playing [[Columbo (character)|Lieutenant Columbo]] for the [[Middle Ground Theatre Company]] in the UK. Benedict also made a [[cameo appearance]] in the [[The A-Team (film)|2010 film adaptation]] of ''The A-Team'' as Pensacola Prisoner Milt.<ref>{{cite web|date=November 23, 2009|title="Prescription:Murder" and "The A-Team"|url=http://www.dirkbenedictcentral.com/home/headline-readarticle.php?nid=45|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100921002524/http://dirkbenedictcentral.com/home/headline-readarticle.php?nid=45|archive-date=September 21, 2010|access-date=May 22, 2012|website=Dirk Benedict Central}}</ref>

In 2019, Benedict took on the role of Jack Strange in the B movie ''[[Space Ninjas]]'', written and directed by Scott McQuaid. Dirk plays an eccentric TV host of a show called ''Stranger Than Fiction'', which is like a hybrid of ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'' and ''[[The X-Files]]''. The movie is a sci-fi comedy horror that follows a bunch of high school students trying to survive the night of a Space Ninja invasion.

==Personal life==
===Cancer===
In the 1970s, Benedict survived a prostate [[tumor]], which he refused to have tested for malignancy. Having rejected conventional medical treatment, he credited his survival to the adoption of a [[macrobiotic diet]] recommended to him by actress [[Gloria Swanson]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Benedict|first=Dirk|date=July 2, 2014|title=An A-Team Star's Toughest Battle—Against the Specter of Cancer—is Waged in Secret and Alone|url=http://people.com/archive/an-a-team-stars-toughest-battle-against-the-specter-of-cancer-is-waged-in-secret-and-alone-vol-20-no-15/|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|access-date=September 22, 2017}}</ref>

===Marriage and family===
In 1986, he married [[Toni Hudson]], an actress with whom he has two sons, George and Roland.  Hudson had previously appeared as Dana in the fourth season ''A-Team'' episode titled [[The A-Team season 4|"Blood, Sweat and Cheers"]]. They divorced in 1995.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marikar |first=Sheila |last2=Fisher |first2=Luchina |date=May 27, 2010 |title='The A-Team': Where Are They Now? |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Movies/team-now/story?id=10760812 |access-date=February 9, 2023 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Camille |date=June 13, 2020 |title=Whatever Happened to Toni Hudson? |url=https://tvovermind.com/whatever-happened-to-toni-hudson/ |access-date=February 9, 2023 |website=TVovermind |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=The A-Team: Season 4, Episode 8 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_a_team/s04/e08 |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes |language=en |access-date=February 9, 2023}}</ref>

In 1998, Benedict learned that he also has another son from an earlier relationship, who was placed for adoption.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Adopted and Searching for Answers|url=http://www.parade.com/features/070501-youramerica-adoption2.html|url-status=dead|magazine=[[Parade (magazine)|Parade]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504012228/http://www.parade.com/features/070501-youramerica-adoption2.html|archive-date=May 4, 2007|access-date=May 22, 2012}}</ref>

==Filmography==

===Film===
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1972
| ''[[Georgia, Georgia]]''
| Michael Winters
|
|-
| 1973
| ''[[Sssssss]]''
| David Blake
|
|-
| 1974
| ''[[W (1974 film)|W]]''
| William Caulder
| a.k.a. ''I Want Her Dead''
|-
| 1978
| ''[[Saga of a Star World|Battlestar Galactica]]''
| [[Lieutenant Starbuck]]
|
|-
| 1979
| ''[[Scavenger Hunt]]''
| Jeff Stevens
|
|-
| 1980
| ''[[Ruckus (film)|Ruckus]]''
| Kyle Hanson
| a.k.a. ''Ruckus in Madoc County''
|-
| 1981
| ''[[Underground Aces]]''
| Pete Huffman
|
|-
| 1986
| ''[[Body Slam (film)|Body Slam]]''
| M. Harry Smilac
|
|-
| 1991
| ''[[Blue Tornado (film)|Blue Tornado]]''
| Alex Long
|
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Shadow Force (1992 film)|Shadow Force]]''
| Detective Rick Kelly
|
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Demon Keeper]]''
| Alexander Harris
|
|-
| 1995
| ''[[The Feminine Touch (1995 film)|The Feminine Touch]]''
| John Mackie
| Direct-to-video; a.k.a. ''The November Conspiracy''
|-
| 1996
| ''[[Alaska (1996 film)|Alaska]]''
| Jake Barnes
|
|-
| 1998
| ''The Adventures of Young Brave''
| Tyler
| a.k.a. ''Waking Up Horton''
|-
| 2001
| ''Cahoots''
| —
| Director and writer
|-
| 2006
| ''[[Goldene Zeiten]]''
| Douglas Burnett / John Striker / Horst Müller
|
|-
| 2007
| ''Recon 7 Down''
| Tom Myers
|
|-
| 2009
| ''Inglorious Bumblers''
| Tom Mayers
| Direct-to-video
|-
| 2010
| ''[[The A-Team (film)|The A-Team]]''
| Milt, Pensacola Prisoner
|
|-
|2019
| ''[[Space Ninjas]]''
| Jack Strange
|
|-
| 2020
| ''Charlie's Christmas Wish''
| Stanley
|
|}

=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1972
| ''[[Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series)|Hawaii Five-O]]''
| Walter Clyman
| Episode: "Chain of Events"
|-
| 1974
| ''[[Chopper One]]''
| Officer Gil Foley
| 13 episodes; Main cast
|-
| 1975
| ''Journey from Darkness''
| Bill
| TV film
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1977
| ''[[Charlie's Angels]]''
| Cadet John Barton
| Episode: "The Blue Angels"
|-
| ''The Cabot Connection''
| Brom Loomis
| Pilot episode
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1978
| ''[[Cruise Into Terror]]''
| Simon McLane
| TV film
|-
| ''[[Charlie's Angels]]''
| Denny Railsback
| Episode: "The Jade Trap"
|-
| 1978–1979
| ''[[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]''
| rowspan="2" | [[Lieutenant Starbuck]]
| 24 episodes; Main cast
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1980
| ''[[Galactica 1980]]''
| Episode: "The Return of Starbuck"
|-
| ''[[The Georgia Peaches]]''
| "Dusty" Tyree
| TV film; a.k.a. ''Follow That Car''
|-
| ''[[The Love Boat]]''
| Jeff Dalton
| Episode: "That's My Dad"

|-
| 1982
| ''Family in Blue''
| Matt Malone
| TV pilot episode
|-
| 1983
| ''[[The Love Boat]]''
| Gary Wells
| Episode: "The Dog Show: Whose Dog Is It Anyway?"
|-
| 1983–1987
| ''[[The A-Team]]''
| [[Templeton Peck|Lieutenant Templeton "Faceman" Peck]]
| 96 episodes; Main cast
|-
| 1984
| ''[[Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense]]''
| Frank Rowlett
| Episode: "Mark of the Devil"
|-
| 1985
| ''[[Amazing Stories (1985 TV series)|Amazing Stories]]''
| "Face"
| Episode: "Remote Control Man"
|-
| 1987
| ''[[Hotel (American TV series)|Hotel]]''
| Trevor Harris
| Episode: "Prized Possessions"
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1989
| ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]''
| Dr. David Latimer
| Episode: "Smooth Operators"
|-
| ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985 TV series)|Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]''
| Dr. Rush
| Episode: "In the Name of Science"
|-
| ''[[Trenchcoat in Paradise]]''
| Eddie Mazda
| rowspan="2" | TV film
|-
| 1991
| ''Bejewelled''
| Gordon
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Baywatch]]''
| Aaron Brody
| Episode: "Rookie of the Year"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1993
| ''[[Official Denial]]''
| Lieutenant Colonel Dan Lerner
| TV film
|-
| ''[[The Commish]]''
| Gil Higgins
| Episode: "All That Glitters"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1995
| ''[[Walker, Texas Ranger]]''
| Blair
| Episode: "Case Closed"
|-
| ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]''
| Gary Harling
| Episode: "Frozen Stiff"
|-
| 1996
| ''Abduction of Innocence''
| Robert Steves
| rowspan="2" | TV film
|-
| 2006
| ''[[Earthstorm (2006 film)|Earthstorm]]''
| Victor Stevens
|}

== Video Games ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Title
!Role
|-
|1997
|''[[Zork: Grand Inquisitor]]''
|Antharia Jack 
|-
|2003
|''[[List of Battlestar Galactica video games#Battlestar Galactica (2003)|Battlestar Galactica]]''
|[[Lieutenant Starbuck]] 
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|http://www.dirkbenedictcentral.com/}}
* {{IMDb name|70767}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes-person|dirk_benedict}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benedict, Dirk}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century American male writers]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Macrobiotic diet advocates]]
[[Category:Male actors from Montana]]
[[Category:People from Helena, Montana]]
[[Category:People from White Sulphur Springs, Montana]]
[[Category:Whitman College alumni]]
[[Category:Writers from Montana]]