Jay Benedict facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jay Benedict
Born	(1951-04-11)April 11, 1951 Burbank, California, U.S.
Died	April 4, 2020(2020-04-04) (aged 68) London, England
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1963–2017
Spouse(s)	Vanessa Pereira (m. 1987, divorced) Phoebe Scholfield (m. 2009)
Children	3

Jay Benedict (born April 11, 1951 – died April 4, 2020) was an American actor. He spent most of his life and acting career in the United Kingdom. He often played American characters in British movies and TV shows.

Jay Benedict was well-known for his TV roles. He played Doug Hamilton in the soap opera Emmerdale. He was also Captain/Major John Kieffer in the detective show Foyle's War. Movie fans might remember him as Russ Jorden, the father of Newt, in the special "Extended Edition" of the film Aliens.

Jay Benedict's Early Life and Acting Career

Jay Benedict was born in Burbank, California, in the United States. In the 1960s, he moved to Europe with his family. He spent most of his working life in England. He had some German family background.

Stage Acting and Theater Roles

Jay Benedict performed in many plays. In the early 1970s, he was in The Rocky Horror Show. He also appeared in Sweet Bird of Youth, a play directed by Harold Pinter. He played The Reverend Lee in The Foreigner.

Another important role was Riccardo in Filumena. In this play, he acted alongside Pierce Brosnan, who was just starting his stage career. Jay Benedict also played Bill Wilson, who helped start Alcoholics Anonymous, in a play called "One Day at a Time."

In 2013, he acted with Steven Berkoff in a new play called An Actor's Lament. This play was performed in several places, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In 2014, he returned to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He played Archie Bellows, a World War II veteran, in a new play called The Trial of Jane Fonda.

Television Appearances and Famous Shows

Jay Benedict was also seen in many television shows. He played Frank Crowe in the BBC miniseries Seven Wonders of the Industrial World in 2003. He was also John E. Jones III in Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial.

Other TV roles include Alan Kalanak in a Christmas special of Jonathan Creek. He was Yves Houdet in Anglo-Saxon Attitudes. He also appeared in Lilyhammer as Agent Becker. He played Lord Melbourne in Queen Victoria's Men. He was General Verigny in Sharpe's Honour.

Jay Benedict also provided the voice for Shiro Hagen in Star Fleet. This was the English version of a Japanese cartoon called X-Bomber.

Movie Roles and Film Highlights

Jay Benedict's first movie role was when he was only 11 years old. This was in the 1963 film La Bande à Bobo. In 1977, he played Deak in Star Wars. However, his scenes were removed from the final movie.

Later, he appeared in many other films. These include The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission, Icon, and The Russia House. He also had a role in Saving Grace. In 2012, he was in the superhero movie The Dark Knight Rises. In 2003, he played Don Prospero in the movie Carmen.

Language Skills and International Work

Besides English, Jay Benedict spoke French and Spanish very well. He had lived in both France and Spain when he was younger. Because of this, he worked in many projects across Europe. He played Paul Matthiews in the French TV show Cap des Pins. He was also William Wilbur in Le Grand Charles, a French miniseries about Charles de Gaulle.

Family Life and Business

Jay Benedict was married to actress Phoebe Scholfield. Together, they ran a company called Sync or Swim. This company helped with ADR/Loop group work, which is when actors re-record dialogue for films. They also translated and wrote movies together, like The Card Player.

Jay and Phoebe had two sons: Leopold Benedict and Freddie Benedict. Both of their sons have also done voice acting for movies like Azur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest. Jay Benedict also had a daughter, Alexis, from his earlier marriage to casting director Vanessa Pereira.

Jay Benedict's Passing

Jay Benedict passed away on April 4, 2020, at Croydon University Hospital in London. He was almost 69 years old. His death was due to problems from a COVID-19 infection during the pandemic in London. He is remembered by his mother, his wife Phoebe, and his three children, Alexis, Frederick, and Leopold.

Filmography