Brian Benben

Brian Edward Benben was born in Winchester, Virginia, on June 18, 1956, to Peter Michael Benben, Sr., a produce buyer, and Gloria Patricia. He attended high school in Marlboro, New York and later spent two years studying in the Ulster County Community College in Stone Ridge, New York. After finishing his education he moved to New York City and began auditioning for an acting career.

Brian met actress Madeleine Stowe on the sets of ‘The Gangster Chronicles’ and began a relationship. The couple got married in 1982. The couple welcomed their first child, daughter May Theodora Benben, in 1996. The happy family is presently living in South Texas.

Brian Benben started his professional career at a young age as a stage actor. He appeared in several theater shows including ‘Wild Oats’, ‘The Overcoat’ ‘The Tooth of Crime’, ‘A Moon for the Misbegotten’, ‘Gossip’, and ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’. After learning his trade in the theater, Brian moved into television and appeared in a very challenging role, portraying the fictionalized version of the real-life mobster Meyer Lansky as ‘Michael Lasker’ in the popular television show ‘The Gangster Chronicles’.

His portrayal of the notorious character earned him a lot of critical praise and gave him the first taste of some serious popularity. Brian Benben’s other challenging roles include playing a homosexual lover in the TV-movie drama ‘American Playhouse: Family Business’ in 1983 and portraying the controversial character of California senator, Tom Hayden, who was convicted along with several others on the charges of inciting riots that disrupted the 1968 Democratic National Convention, in ‘Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8’.

His versatile acting capabilities landed him many roles on television. He portrayed the main character of ‘Dr. Mark Doyle’ in the show ‘Kay O'Brien’ in 1986. He then portrayed the lead character of ‘Martin Tupper’ in the HBO television series ‘Dream On’ between 1990 and 1996 and played ‘Dr. Heywood Klein’ in the 2003 series ‘Kingpin’.

In 2008, he accepted the lead role of ‘Dr. Sheldon Wallace’ in ‘Private Practice’. He appeared in the second and third season in a recurring role and later emerged as a lead character in the fourth season. Between 1981 and 1994, Brian Benben also appeared in some movies including ‘Gangster Wars’, ‘Clean and Sober’, ‘Dark Angel’, and ‘Radioland Murders’.