Lee penned a heartfelt tribute to Benjamin on Instagram, revealing the 81-year-old actor had died on June 28. Died 6/28/19, A post shared by Spike Lee (@officialspikelee) on Jul 2, 2019 at 10:15am PDT. A mention of being an actor was like going to the moon, he recalled. He later starred in the 1987 HBO movie The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains, based on the novel by Robert E. Burns. He played this role from the series' inception in 1975 until 1981, and then returned in 1983 and remained until the end of the series in 1985. Johnson High School and later enrolled at Benedict College.[3]. Famous movie actress Anne Heche died at 53:Anne Celeste Hechewas born on May 25, 1969, starting her acting career at Peter Aykroyd, an Emmy-nominated actor and writer on "Saturday Night Live" for the 1979-80 season who later worked with an PARIS (AP) Jean-Paul Belmondo was the star of the iconic French New Wave film "Breathless." Haitian singer Michael Benjamin, affectionately known as Mikaben, has died at the age of 41. The actor discovered his flame for acting as early as a kid. For the author who used the pseudonym Paul Benjamin, see, "Paul Benjamin, a 'Corner Man' in 'Do the Right Thing,' Is Dead", South Carolina African American History - Paul Benjamin (1938-2019), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Benjamin&oldid=1148973347, This page was last edited on 9 April 2023, at 11:02. You can . Succession Director on Filming That Surprise Cameo and Tying Up Her Kendall Trilogy, Robert Patrick, Kennedys Children Playwright, Dies at 85, Harry Belafonte, Singer, Actor, Producer and Activist, Dies at 96, Ron Faber, Busy New York Stage Actor, Dies at 90, Wes Anderson Directing Star Wars? He also acted in an episode of the 14th season of Law & Order entitled "Identity" (2003) as well as an episode of The Shield. Lee announced on Instagram that the veteran actor died June 28. He was 81. He acted alongside Richard Prior in Escape From Alcatraz in 1979 as well as Some Kind of Hero in 1982. Benjamin started his acting career in the New York theater scene with Shakespearean characters. Born 1/1/38. He appeared Off-Broadway in 1986 in Terrence McNally's It's Only a Play. After graduating from the University of Puerto Rico, he worked as an actor while also performing in a nightclub act . In Los Angeles, he wrote and performed in the play Carrier, for which Paula Kelly won the NAACP acting award. Arguably the "richest . She adored that boy. Im sad to write that the great actor Paul Benjamin, who played ML, far left, passed this past Friday, two days before the 30th anniversary of Do the Right Thing. Rest in Paradise, the director wrote. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. Benjamin's death was confirmed on November 5 through posts on the reggae legend's Facebook page. Born 1/1/38. He acted inSome Kind of Hero(1982) oppositeRichard Pryor,Martin Ritts drama filmNuts(1987) starringBarbra Streisand,Pink Cadillac(1989) withClint Eastwood,Spike LeesDo the Right Thing(1989),[1]Robert TownsendsThe Five Heartbeats(1991),[1]Bill DukesHoodlum(1997), andJohn SingletonsRosewood(1997). He was 81. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Benjamin Paul Akers was born in Maine. He graduated from high school there and attended Benedict College, a historically black liberal arts school, for about a year before moving to New York to study acting with Herbert Berghof. In Lees iconic film, Benjamin played ML, one of the three wise Brooklyn cornermen.. In Los Angeles, he wrote and performed in the play Carrier, for which Paula Kelly won the NAACP acting award. News of Benjamins passing came to light after Director Spike Lee posted the news on his Instagram account on Tuesday (07-02-19). Benedict was best known for his role as Harry Bentley on the television series The Jeffersons. Keough died Sunday in Calabasas, California. His last film role was in Occupy, Texas (2016), an indie drama about a young slacker called back to his hometown. While many fans and fellow actors are looking for answers, it appears that his cause of death is not yet public information. . Paul Herman's cause of death has not yet been disclosed to the public. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); WHO WE AREThe news you want unfiltered.The Electronic Urban Report/EUR puts the most buzz worthy African American news at your fingertips. Dont Miss A Story. EUR Video Flashback: Watch Tense Exchange Between Muhammad Ali and Sly Stone Over Reparations & More! Lee revealed the news on his Instagram on Friday. Fans, friends and musical legends took to the internet to share memories, tributes, photos and gratitude for him and his work. He started out doing Shakespeare on stage in New York, and made his film debut with a small role as a bartender in Midnight Cowboy. He had a featured role in Across 110th Street in 1972 and appeared in Blaxploitation films like The Education of Sonny Carson and Friday Foster with Pam Grier. He was known for being a TV Actor. Therefore, it is likely that he was executed by beheading. The news was announced by the group's social networks and the cause of death was not disclosed. On the big screen in the 1980s and 1990s, Benjamin worked with some well-known actors and directors. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Paul Benjamin, the veteran actor who portrayed one of the three wise Brooklyn cornermen in Spike Lees Do the Right Thing, has died. Paul Benjamin (left) Clint Eastwood (right) in 1979's 'Escape From Alcatraz. This website uses cookies. The cause of death was not immediately known. Prior to his death, Paul spent plenty of time in prison and on the run, so he was likely already known to many Roman officials. Image Award for her role in Carrier, a drama about South Africa he wrote in the mid-1980s. A few notable exceptions were a major role in Barry Shear's Across 110th Street (1972), and smaller parts in Shear's western The Deadly Trackers (1973), Michael Campus' The Education of Sonny Carson (1974), Arthur Marks' Friday Foster (1975), Gordon Parks' biopic Leadbelly (1976), and Don Siegel's prison film Escape from Alcatraz (1979). Benjamin died June 28, Lee announced on Instagram. Mr. Benjamin was a playwright as well. In 2003 he played a model-train hobbyist in The Station Agent, starring Peter Dinklage. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Caption:The late lead singer Vaughn Benjamin of MIDNITE and Akae Beka. [6], Benedict directed Frank D. Gilroy's Any Given Day on Broadway. Benjamin would later appear in independent films into the mid-aughts, but at one point worked amongst the industrys biggest names. Little Richards Influence On White Rock Legends Chronicled in Kandi Burruss Hustles Up KFC Ad Based on Scene from RHOA Ringside Update/ Davis vs Garcia: The Epilogue. I miss him beyond words. He later starred in the 1987HBOmovieThe Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains, based on the novel byRobert E. Burns. The 27-year-old, who was the son of Lisa Marie Presley and grandson of the late Elvis . The actor was believed to be 81. Born in South Carolina, on January 28, 1938, Benjamin was the youngest of 12 children to Reverend fare Benjamin a Baptist preacher and his wife Rosa who lived in Pelion South Carolina. Died 6/28/19.. The official cause of death was a shotgun wound and the manner of death was ruled suicide. Raul Rafael Carlos Julia y Arcelay was born in San Juan, P.R., on March 9, 1940. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. Benjamin Keough's cause of death has been confirmed by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office. Paul Benjamin, the veteran actor who portrayed one of the three wise Brooklyn "cornermen" in Spike Lee 's Do the Right Thing, has died. Paul Benjamin(January 1, 1938 June 28, 2019) was an American actor. Played the role of Harry Bentley, the goofball English neighbor, on the CBS sitcom, The Jeffersons, and was also The Number Painter on Sesame Street. All Rights Reserved. Heres more info on Benjamins career via Wikipedia: He made his film debut in 1969 as abartenderinMidnight Cowboy. Benedict was born in Silver City, New Mexico, the son of Alma Marie (ne Loring), a journalist, and Mitchell M. Benedict, a doctor,[1] and grew up in Massachusetts, where he graduated from Boston College High School and Suffolk University. Born 1/1/38. In the 1974 film The Front Page, Benedict appeared as Plunkett, the emissary of the governor. Im going to let him decide when he wants to go out and do what he wants to do.. In 1991, he starred in The Addams Family as the grouchy judge George Womack. He acted in Some Kind of Hero (1982) opposite Richard Pryor, Martin Ritt's drama film Nuts (1987) starring Barbra Streisand, Pink Cadillac (1989) with Clint Eastwood, Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing (1989),[1] Robert Townsend's The Five Heartbeats (1991),[1] Bill Duke's Hoodlum (1997), and John Singleton's Rosewood (1997). Actor Paul Benjamin, who appeared in Spike Lee's seminal 1989 film Do the Right Thing, died last month, the director announced Wednesday. He was liked by all of the characters on the show except George Jefferson, who found him annoying, but they eventually became friends as the show progressed. On the big screen in the 1980s and 1990s, Benjamin worked with some well-known actors and directors. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now! On Twitter, Paulides' dad, David, wrote, Ben lost his battle with mental illness. The grandson of Elvis Presley died Sunday in Calabasas, California. Although he was a son of small-town South Carolina, he was often cast as urban characters in television dramas, among them Starsky and Hutch, Police Story, Kojak, ER and Law & Order.. He went to play small roles in Sidney Lumets The Anderson Tapes and Born to Win, then segued into more extensive TV work later in the 1970s. Is it still a secret, and if so, is there any reasonable explanation why? Off-Broadway, he directed the original production of Terrence McNally's Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune, and Kathy Najimy's and Mo Gaffney's The Kathy and Mo Show, which won an Obie Award. No other details of his death were immediately available. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Benjamin, who played one of the three wise Brooklyn. The young men always sit under an umbrella on the street, commenting on everything under the moon in the neighborhood. Benjamin played the character ML who hangs out with his buddies Sweet Dick Willie and Coconut Sid. On the big screen in the 1980s and 1990s, Benjamin worked with some well-known actors and directors. Dead at 53 is Anne Heche following a car crash one week ago. Often, ML cracks punchy lines like It is plain as day; they didnt have to kill the boy, when their pal Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) died. You have entered an incorrect email address! [8], Benedict was awarded a posthumous Elliot Norton Award by the Boston Theater Critics Association in 2009.[9]. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. His other noteworthy roles included those of a bank robber who rips off the mafia in Across 110th Street (1972), the father of a folk singer (Roger E. Mosley) in Leadbelly (1976), the embittered prisoner English in Escape From Alcatraz (1979) and Henry, the owner of the model train hobby shop in The Station Agent (2003). Ben Paulides, who played four years at Miami from 2011-15, passed away earlier this week at the age of 29. Information on survivors was not immediately available. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Stars of Nickelodeon's 'All That': Where Are They Now? The cause of death was not. After 2000, he acted mainly in independent films likeStanleys Gig,The Station Agent,[1]Deacons For Defense, and James Hunters 2005 dramaBack in the Day. *Unfortunately, we have sad news to report about a veteran stage, TV and screen actor. Paul Benedict was born on the 17th of September, 1938. We Publish News 24/7. Paul Benjamin, a film, television and theater actor who often appeared in dramas centered on the black American experience, died on June 28 in Los Angeles. Paul Benjamin's passing has been publicly announced by Interboro Funeral Service in Brooklyn, NY.Legacy invites you to offer condolences and share memories of Paul in the Guest Book below.The most rec Rest In Paradise. His film rsum also included Richard Pryors Some Kind of Hero (1982), Barbra Streisands Nuts (1987) and Clint Eastwoods Pink Cadillac (1989). He was believed to be 84. In Do the Right Thing (1989), written and directed by Lee, Benjamin played ML alongside Frankie Faison as Coconut Sid and Robin Harris as Sweet Dick Willie. Benedict appeared in a 1998 Seinfeld episode as a magazine editor with The New Yorker who was questioned by Elaine about a cartoon in the magazine. Called a "twisted old fruit" by the band's manager Ian, he replies, "I'm just as God made me, sir.". On television, he appeared in the 1988 episode of In The Heat of the Night as a death row inmate and in the 1994 pilot episode of ER, which led to his recurring role of homeless man Al Ervin during the next few seasons. Clint Eastwood's Dating History: From Maggie Johnson to Dina Eastwood. The news of his passing confirmed via the singer's sister Shanneth Canegata created a stir on social media. A few notable exceptions were a major role inBarry ShearsAcross 110th Street(1972), and smaller parts in Shears westernThe Deadly Trackers(1973), Michael CampusThe Education of Sonny Carson(1974), Arthur MarksFriday Foster(1975),Gordon Parks biopicLeadbelly(1976), andDon Siegels prison filmEscape from Alcatraz(1979). He acted in the movies, Some Kind of Hero (1982) opposite Richard Pryor, Martin Ritts drama film Nuts (1987) starring Barbra Streisand, Pink Cadillac (1989) with Clint Eastwood, Spike Lees Do the Right Thing (1989), Robert Townsends The Five Heartbeats (1991), Bill Dukes Hoodlum (1997), and John Singletons Rosewood (1997). Rest In Paradise. Benedict played the father of a fugitive teen runaway in the 1971 film Taking Off, which was Milo Formans first American film.