Dirk Benedict

Who is Dirk Benedict?

Dirk Benedict is an American actor best known for his iconic roles as Lieutenant Templeton “Faceman” Peck on the 1980s television series The A-Team and as Lieutenant Starbuck on the original Battlestar Galactica. His career spans television, film, and theater, earning him recognition for his versatile performances.

Early Life and Stage Work

Born Dirk Niewoehner on March 1, 1945, in Sulphur Springs, Montana, Benedict changed his surname to “Benedict,” reportedly after being inspired by a meal of eggs Benedict at a restaurant. He attended Whitman College in Washington, where he discovered his passion for acting. On a dare, he auditioned for the college production of Showboat and secured the lead role. His early theater work took him to various locations, including Michigan and Seattle, where he performed in productions such as King Lear, Ensign Pulver, Misalliance, and Star-Spangled Girl.

Benedict’s stage career eventually brought him to New York, where he performed on Broadway in Abelard and Heloise alongside Diana Rigg and Keith Michell, as well as in Butterflies Are Free opposite Gloria Swanson. Although his work in theater was his primary focus, Benedict was introduced to film and television, where his career would take a new direction. As he put it, “All I ever wanted to be was a stage actor. Someone put me on television because they saw me on stage.”

Movies and TV Shows

Benedict’s early television credits include roles in Hawaii Five-O, Chopper One, and Charlie’s Angels. His film debut came in 1972 with Georgia, Georgia, a drama written by Maya Angelou and co-starring actress Diana Sands, which was filmed in Sweden. The following year, he appeared in the horror film Sssssss (1973) and followed it with the thriller W (1974), where he portrayed a mentally unstable, abusive husband to Twiggy’s character.

Benedict’s early work in television and film set the stage for his more prominent roles, which solidified his place in pop culture.

‘Battlestar Galactica,’ ‘The A-Team’

Benedict’s career reached a significant milestone in 1978 when he was cast as the charismatic, womanizing starfighter pilot Lieutenant Starbuck on the TV series Battlestar Galactica. His success continued to soar when he was given another womanizing role—Lt. Templeton “Faceman” Peck on the iconic 1980s show The A-Team, a role that garnered him international recognition.

Criticism of the Reimagined Battlestar Galactica and Cameo in the A-Team Movie

When the reimagined version of Battlestar Galactica was released in 2004, with Starbuck’s role recast as a female character, Benedict did not hold back his criticism. He penned a strongly worded online essay titled “Lost in Castration,” where he expressed his discontent with the evolving portrayal of masculinity. “There was a time — I know I was there — when men were men, women were women and sometimes a cigar was just a good smoke,” he wrote. “But 40 years of feminism have taken their toll. The war against masculinity has been won. Everything has turned into its opposite, so that what was once flirting and smoking is now sexual harassment and criminal. And everyone is more lonely and miserable as a result.” He further commented on the show’s dark tone, describing the new Battlestar Galactica as “bleak, miserable, despairing, angry and confused,” reflecting what he saw as a broader shift in societal values.

Although he was not particularly enthusiastic about the 2010 reboot of The A-Team, Benedict agreed to make a cameo appearance in the film, which starred Bradley Cooper as the new “Faceman.”

Television, Writing, and Personal Life

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Benedict continued to work in television, theater, and film, with notable appearances in The Love Boat, Murder She Wrote, Baywatch, and Walker, Texas Ranger. In 2007, he entered the realm of reality television, participating in the U.K. competition show Celebrity Big Brother. Expanding his creative pursuits, Benedict also ventured into writing and directing, publishing two books: Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy and And Then We Went Fishing.

Benedict’s personal life included a marriage to actress Toni Hudson from 1986 to 1995, with whom he had two sons. In 1998, he discovered he had a third son from a previous relationship.