Best known for starring in films such as ice castles, ode to billy joe, the chosen, running brave, in his own screenplay for the warner bros. See robby benson reenact famous lines from beauty and. He was the teen idol who starred in coming of age films like jeremy and ode to billy joe. Robby benson finds peace in appalachia jewish telegraphic. Robby benson is an american actor, singer, musician, director, producer, writer, composer, and educator. What secret did robby benson think would ruin his career. The chosen 1981 jeremy kagan, maximilian schell, rod. On television, benson appeared in our town, death of. He rose to prominence as a teen idol in the late 1970s, appearing in the sports films one on one 1977 and ice castles 1978. Robby benson bio, age, actor, family, wife, children. See more ideas about actor, disney beauty and the beast and brandon beemer.
Most people know him as an actor who appeared in such films as one on one, rentac op, ice castles, running brave, modern love, the. The same year, benson also starred in the movie tribute opposite jack lemmon. He really loves most of the big stars he worked with, like burt reynolds, john ritter, paul newman. Robby benson was a squeaky clean and literally squeaky teen heartthrob actor in the 1970s, who has disappeared since. Dec, 2012 in 2010, robby benson one on one, ice castles, the chosen and the voice of beast in disneys beauty and the beast was lying in a hospital bed in cleveland waiting for personnel to wheel him into surgery in a fourth attempt at repairing a congenital heart defect. So im never sure what might surprise them the most.
The chosen by jeremy kagan jeremy kagan, maximilian. Robby benson was born on january 21, 1956 in dallas, texas, usa as robin david segal. Robby benson and the secret he kept from hollywood buzz. The jewish soul of this film shines through beautifully and sadly, effectively using hassidic clothing and glimpses of the lifestyle, which is oddly at variance with the rapidly modernizing new york city of the world war ii era. Robby benson was one of the biggest heartthrobs during the 1970s. Mar 12, 2018 my favorite teenage heart throb see more ideas about actor, bruce boxleitner and brandon beemer. He is an actor and director, known for beauty and the beast 1991, friends 1994 and one on one 1977. Benson was born robin segal in dallas, where his screenwriter father, jerry, was then in the cotton business. It is an impressive story by one of americas greatest storytellers of what religion does to a committed individual. The chosen 881 jeremy kagan robbie benson, barry miller, rod steiger, maximilian schell. Who stole the funny a novel of hollywood by robby benson. Set in the brooklyn of the 1940s, the film elucidates the friendship between two young jews of. After the chosen, a smallish hit made a decade ago, bensons career nosedived. Robby bensons most popular book is if you give a mouse a cookie if you give.
Each team represents a different jewish sect with a different level of religious observance. But the really improbable part is that robby benson and karla devito met last year while playing frederic and mabel in the broadway production of pirates, married last july and have lived happily. His mother was a singer and actress, and benson was on. The chosen is a wonderful film directed by jeremy kagan.
Robby benson biography, movie highlights and photos allmovie. One is from a very conservative family, and the other is more liberal. Robby benson is best known for starring in films such as jeremy, ice castles, death be not proud, ode to billy joe, the chosen, tribute, running brave, the end, harry and son, walk proud, one on one for which he wrote the screenplay, and, to new generations, as the voice of beast in academy award nominated beauty and the beast. Benson, robby 1956 bobby benson, robbie benson, robin benson, robby segal, robin david segal personal.
Benson was born with a heart defect, necessitating open heart surgery when he was 28, and again when he was 42. It was distributed by analysis film releasing corp. He subsequently garnered fame for portraying the voice of beast in the disney animated film beauty and the beast 1991. Watch as he describes the terrible moment his health crisis made the news. From one on one, ice castles, the chosen, and disneys beauty. The son of a writer and a stage actress, benson went from the strawhat theater circuit to the leading role of oliver in a 1964 japanese touring production. Robby benson has 15 books on goodreads with 611 ratings. The chosen 1981 in 1944, in brooklyn, two jewish kids become friends. This flipped my lovehate relationship with the social media site to the love side. Books by robby benson author of if you give a mouse a cookie. Heir today, gone tomorrow video game 1992, friends 1994 and one on one 1977, ice castles 1978, kingdom hearts video game 2002.
Sep 19, 2016 robby benson stole many hearts in 1970s movies like ice castles and the chosen, but nowadays he may be even better known as the voice of beast in the animated classic beauty and the. The opening parts are captivating, and bensons closing scene with mr. Benson, an actor for more than 20 years, debuted on broadway at the age of 12. Robby is a director, singer, teacher, and actor, perhaps best known for being part of the animated film beauty and the beast, voicing beast. The chosen by jeremy kagan jeremy kagan, maximilian schell. Robby benson biography facts, childhood, family life. Robin david segal was born on 21 january 1956, in dallas, texas usa, of jewish descent. The book is half a personal memoir, and half a medical memoir of bensons heart problems. The overemphatic acting of robby benson was something of an endurance test to certain critics of the 1980s, but even these carpers were impressed by benson s outstanding performance in the chosen. Fortunately, i was pleasantly surprised when finally watching this cinematic version of potoks novel, which does an excellent job distilling the essence of the book into a hollywood drama.
Robby benson opens up about heart woes in im not dead. Someday productions and pillow talking are proud to present this exclusive interview with robby benson. In 1981, benson appeared in the film the chosen, which was based on the book by the same name by chaim potok. A riveting medical memoir actorwriterdirector robby benson takes us on a candid journey from athletic softspoken heartthrob on broadway and film, to husband, father, professor and courageous survivor of 4 openheart surgeries. We originally met just about a year ago on facebook, of all things. The overemphatic acting of robby benson was something of an endurance test to certain critics of the 1980s, but even these carpers were impressed by bensons outstanding performance in the chosen. Despite being the same age, having grown up within. Robby benson stole many hearts in 1970s movies like ice castles and the chosen, but nowadays he may be even better known as the voice of beast in the animated classic beauty and the. The chosen 1981 jeremy kagan, maximilian schell, rod steiger, robby benson, drama. It is based off the highly successful novel, the chosen by chaim potok. Actor robby benson, who underwent heart surgery oct. With great source material from writer chaim potok, and fine poetic performances, the chosen overcomes some of its midsection sluggishness. In 1984 he needed openheart surgery and spent two months.
Actor and director robbie benson, perhaps best known to jewish audiences for his role in the movie version of chaim potoks the chosen, has left the hollywood rat. Despite being the same age, having grown up within blocks of each other, and both being jewish, late teens danny saunders and reuven malter dont really know each other knowing each other only by name and by sight as. The chosen, chiam potoks perceptive novel about two young friends, one hasidic, the other a secular jew, set in brooklyn just after world war ii, was my next film project. Apr 04, 2012 the chosen is a wonderful film directed by jeremy kagan. Sep 25, 2012 benson suffers from a congenital heart valve defect by age 44, benson had undergone two openheart surgeries he has worked as an actor, voice actor and director and now is a staunch organ donation. He is an actor and director, known for beauty and the beast 1991, kings quest vi. Robby benson bio, age, actor, family, wife, children, height. In 2010, robby benson one on one, ice castles, the chosen and the voice of beast in disneys beauty and the beast was lying in a hospital bed in cleveland waiting for personnel to wheel him into surgery in a fourth attempt at repairing a congenital heart defect. Benson suffers from a congenital heart valve defect by age 44, benson had undergone two openheart surgeries he has worked as an actor, voice. I happened to see a posting about his new, upcoming book based on an extraordinary journey this celebrity took in life. Robby benson biography, movie highlights and photos. It won three awards at the 1981 montreal world film festival.
January 21, 1956, is an american actor, singer, musician, educator, director, producer, writer and composer. The former teen heartthrob is best known for his roles in such films as ode to billy joe, ice castles, and the chosen. Robbie benson is admirably restrained here as an ultraorthodox jew, and barry miller is equally convincing as his more liberal friend who narrates the. Nov 12, 2002 robby benson s clean white underpants. In 1981, he costarred in the film the chosen, based on the book of the same name by chaim potok. With maximilian schell, rod steiger, robby benson, barry miller. While you may know robby as an actor and director he is also an accomplished composer and musician. Robby benson narrator of if you give a mouse a cookie. He is known as the voice of beast in the disney animated film beauty and the beast and its numerous sequels and spinoffs and directed several episodes of the sitcom friends. Pillow talkings interview with actor, director, producer. He is an activist and fundraiser for heart research, and wrote the book, lyrics, and music for a play called open heart, starring benson, which opened and closed offbroadway in 2004. The chosen is a 1981 drama film directed by jeremy kagan, based on the bestselling book of the same name by chaim potok published in 1967.
The issues of importance of tradition, parental expectations and the formation of israel cause constant friction. Robby has made his home both in front of, and behind, the camera. Actor, director, screenwriter, musician and author. Robbie benson is admirably restrained here as an ultraorthodox jew, and barry miller is equally convincing as his more liberal friend who narrates the story. Click here to view some of the beautiful photos taken by the lens of robby benson. Benson is full of surprises, though, from the screenplays he wrote for the likes of one on one to his libretto and score for the musical open heart, based on his openheart surgeries, to the.
This 1981 classic film based on chaim potoks 1967 novel of the same name the chosen does an excellent job of distilling the essence of the book into a hollywood drama. In the chosen 1981, based on the book by chaim potok. In 1944, in brooklyn, two jewish kids become friends. The chosen two young jewish men, living in america during the time of the second world war, find themselves both united and divided by their faith.
While 70s star robby benson rose to fame with films such as ice castles and ode to billy joe, he was also hiding a secret he believed would be the end of his acting career if it were ever made public. Jun 01, 2003 actor and director robbie benson, perhaps best known to jewish audiences for his role in the movie version of chaim potoks the chosen, has left the hollywood rat race to take a faculty position. When someone comes up to me, they may be from the days of the chosen. The book is half a personal memoir, and half a medical memoir of benson s heart problems. The chosen begins in 1944 with a softball game in a jewish section of brooklyn, new york, between students from two jewish parochial schools. One is the son of a hasidic jew, and the other is the son of a reformed jew. Danny saunders represents a hasidic sect led by his father, reb short for rabbi saunders. Set in the brooklyn of the 1940s, the film elucidates the friendship between two young jews of differing factions. See robby benson reenact famous lines from beauty and the.
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