Richard Benjamin

Biography: American leading man and filmmaker Richard Benjamin began his career on the stage after studying at the prestigious New York High School of Performing Arts. He became a Broadway star in 1966 after appearing in Neil Simon's The Star Spangled Girl. Benjamin and his wife Paula Prentiss then began working on a television series He and She. Benjamin established himself as a major film talent with his feature film debut in Goodbye Columbus. (1969). Unfortunately, he played his role as a comical neurotic with intellectual affectations so well that he became typecast. In 1973, Benjamin was awarded a Golden Globe for his role in The Sunshine Boys. He continued acting until the early 1980s when he made his directorial debut with the acclaimed comedy My Favorite Year (1982). As a director, Benjamin has continued to work with popular but rather mainstream comedies, such as Mermaids (1990).