Dirk Benedict

• Name — Dirk Benedict • Birth Name — Dirk Niewoehner • Born — 1 March 1945 • Birthplace — Helena, Montana, U.S. • Education — Whitman College • Known for — The A-Team Battlestar Galactica • Occupation — * Actor • author • Years Active — 1972–present • Children — 3 • Website — dirkbenedictcentral.com

Benedict was born Dirk Niewoehner on March 1, 1945, in Helena, Montana, the son of George Edward Niewoehner, a lawyer, and his wife Priscilla Mella (née Metzger), an accountant. He grew up in White Sulphur Springs, Montana. He graduated from Whitman College in 1967. Benedict allegedly chose his stage name from a serving of Eggs Benedict he had prior to his acting career. He is of German extraction.

• Illustration — 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. 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). 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 variety show. Benedict's career break came in 1978 when he appeared as Lieutenant Starbuck in the movie and television 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.

In 1980, Benedict starred alongside Linda Blair in an action-comedy movie called 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 1982 to 1986, although the series didn't air until January 1983, and the final episode wasn't shown until 1987 rebroadcasts. The second season episode "Steel" includes a scene at Universal Studios where Face is seen looking bemused as a 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 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 Cannibals". In 1987, Benedict took the title role of Shakespeare's Hamlet at the Abbey Theatre in Manhattan. Both his performance and the entire production were lambasted by critics. Benedict starred in the 1989 TV film Trenchcoat in Paradise. In 1991, Benedict starred in 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). In 1993, Benedict starred in Shadow Force. Benedict also appeared as Jake Barnes in the 1996 action-adventure film Alaska.

In 2000, Benedict wrote and directed his first screenplay, Cahoots. 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 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". He appeared as a contestant on the 2007 UK series of Celebrity Big Brother 5, in which he placed third. He arrived on launch night in a replica of the A-Team van, smoking a cigar and accompanied by the A-Team theme tune. In 2010, Benedict starred in a stage production of Prescription: Murder playing Lieutenant Columbo for the Middle Ground Theatre Company in the UK. Benedict also made a cameo appearance in the 2010 film adaptation of The A-Team as Pensacola Prisoner Milt. 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 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.

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.

In 1986, he married Toni Hudson, an actress with whom he has two sons. Hudson had previously appeared as Dana in the fourth season A-Team episode titled "Blood, Sweat and Cheers". They divorced in 1995. In 1998, Benedict learned that he also has another son from an earlier relationship, who was placed for adoption.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1972 — 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 • 1977 — Charlie's Angels — Cadet John Barton — Episode: "The Blue Angels" • The Cabot Connection — Brom Loomis — Pilot episode • 1978 — Cruise Into Terror — Simon McLane — TV film • Charlie's Angels — Denny Railsback — Episode: "The Jade Trap" • 1978–1979 — Battlestar Galactica — Lieutenant Starbuck — 24 episodes; Main cast • 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 — 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 — "Face" — Episode: "Remote Control Man" • 1987 — Hotel — Trevor Harris — Episode: "Prized Possessions" • 1989 — Murder, She Wrote — Dr. David Latimer — Episode: "Smooth Operators" • Alfred Hitchcock Presents — Dr. Rush — Episode: "In the Name of Science" • Trenchcoat in Paradise — Eddie Mazda — TV film • 1991 — Bejewelled — Gordon • 1992 — Baywatch — Aaron Brody — Episode: "Rookie of the Year" • 1993 — Official Denial — Lieutenant Colonel Dan Lerner — TV film • The Commish — Gil Higgins — Episode: "All That Glitters" • 1995 — Walker, Texas Ranger — Blair — Episode: "Case Closed" • Murder, She Wrote — Gary Harling — Episode: "Frozen Stiff" • 1996 — Abduction of Innocence — Robert Steves — TV film • 2006 — Earthstorm — Victor Stevens

• Year — Title — Role • 1997 — Zork: Grand Inquisitor — Antharia Jack • 2003 — Battlestar Galactica — Lieutenant Starbuck

Dirk Benedict is recorded with the occupation television actor. Recorded with the occupation theatre director. Recorded as actor, screenwriter, theatre director and film director. Recorded at birth as Dirk Niewoehner.