Biography
Paul Benjamin (born 1938) is an American actor.
Benjamin was born in Pelion, South Carolina. He made his film debut in 1969 as a bartender in Midnight Cowboy. After a small role in Sidney Lumet's The Anderson Tapes, he did extensive television work in the 1970s.
A few notable exceptions were a major role in Barry Shear's Across 110th Street, and smaller parts in Gordon Parks' biopic Leadbelly, Arthur Marks' Friday Foster, and Don Siegel's prison film Escape from Alcatraz. He gave exceptional performances in the TV adaptations of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and Gideon's Trumpet. He later starred in the HBO movie The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains, based on the novel by Robert E. Burns.
On the big screen in the 1990s, Benjamin worked with some well known directors. He appeared in Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing, Robert Townsend's The Five Heartbeats, Bill Duke's Hoodlum, and John Singleton's Rosewood.
On television, he appeared in the 1994 pilot episode of ER, which led to his recurring role of homeless man Al Ervin during the next few seasons. Benjamin also worked on the American Masters documentary of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ralph Ellison, which aired on PBS.
After 2000, he appeared primarily in small independent films like Stanley's Gig, The Station Agent, Deacons For Defense, and James Hunter's 2004 drama Back in the Day.
He recently made a special appearance in the independent film The Talk Man, directed by Gene Gallerano.
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Filmography
all 47
Movies 35
TV Shows 12
Occupy, Texas (2016)
Ascension Day (2007)
Back in the Day (2005)
The Station Agent (2003)
Deacons for Defense (2003)
The Shield (2002)
Ralph Ellison: An American Journey (2002)
DMX: Angel (2001)
Angel (1999)
The Breaks (1999)
Hoodlum (1997)
Rosewood (1997)
ER (1994)
Back to the Streets of San Francisco (1992)
Law & Order (1990)
Do the Right Thing (1989)
The Meeting (1989)
Nuts (1987)
The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains (1987)
A Stranger Waits (1987)
The Atlanta Child Murders (1985)
Night Heat (1985)
Deadly Force (1983)
Some Kind of Hero (1982)
Gideon's Trumpet (1980)
Knots Landing (1979)
Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1979)
The Stableboy's Christmas (1978)
One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story (1978)
Leadbelly (1976)
Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys (1976)
Friday Foster (1975)
Distance (1975)
Starsky & Hutch (1975)
Friendly Persuasion (1975)
Police Woman (1974)
The Education of Sonny Carson (1974)
The Deadly Trackers (1973)
Kojak (1973)
Police Story (1973)
Mr. Inside/Mr. Outside (1973)
Across 110th Street (1972)
Born to Win (1971)
The Anderson Tapes (1971)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)
Ratings
Gallery
Information
Known ForActing
GenderMale
Birthday1938-02-04
Deathday2019-06-28 (81 years old)
Birth PlacePelion, United States of America
CitizenshipsUnited States of America
ResidencesWestbeth Artists Community, United States of America
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