Jaudon Edward Benedict (April 11, 1951 – April 4, 2020) was an American actor, voice actor, and casting director, who spent most of his professional life in the United Kingdom and France.
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Early life
Benedict was born in Burbank, California to Edward Jaudon Benedict (1925-1994) and his German wife Renate Elizabeth Graupe (b. 1926). He moved to Europe with his family in the 1960s, and spent most of his working life in England.
Career
Theatre
Benedict's theatrical credits include The Rocky Horror Show in the Kings Road in the early 1970s, Harold Pinter's production of Sweet Bird of Youth, The Reverend Lee in The Foreigner and Riccardo in Franco Zeffirelli's production of Filumena in which he played opposite Pierce Brosnan in the latter's first stage role, and Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, in a touring production of "One Day at a Time". In 2013, he appeared opposite Steven Berkoff and Andree Bernard in the world premiere of the former's one act play An Actor's Lament at The Berkoff Performing Arts Centre at Alton College, followed by a second performance at The Sinden Theatre, Homewood School, Tenterden in Kent, two nights at The Maltings Theatre & Cinema in Berwick-upon-Tweed and then a three-week run at the Assembly Hall in Edinburgh as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In May 2014, it was revived with a short run at the Theatre Royal, Margate with a further one-week run scheduled at The Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, in September 2014.
In August 2014, he returned to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the world premiere of Terry Jastrow's The Trial of Jane Fonda, playing World War II veteran Archie Bellows.
Film and television
Benedict's first film role, at the age of 11, was in the 1963 French film La Bande à Bobo. In 1977, he played Deak in the Tosche Station scenes in Star Wars, which were deleted from the film before release. Subsequent film appearances include The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission (Didier le Clair), Icon (Carey Jordan), The White Knight (Ottoman Ambassador), The Russia House (Spikey), Saving Grace (the MC), Rewind and The Dark Knight Rises (Rich Twit). He played Russ Jorden, Newt's father, in the extended "Special Edition" of Aliens (1986). In 2003 he was third lead in Vicente Aranda's version of Carmen, playing Don Prospero.
He also appeared widely on television, most notably as Doug Hamilton on the soap opera Emmerdale, Captain/Major John Kieffer in on Foyle's War, Frank Crowe in an episode of the BBC's award-winning 2003 television miniseries Seven Wonders of the Industrial World, Bruce in Come Back, Little Sheba with Laurence Olivier, John E. Jones III in Nova's Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial, Alan Kalanak in the 2001 Christmas Special edition of Jonathan Creek and Yves Houdet in Thames Television's mini-series of Angus Wilson's Anglo-Saxon Attitudes. Other television appearances include Lilyhammer as Agent Becker, Sharpe's Honour (General Verigny), Bergerac (Martin Colley), and Death Train (Halloran).
Benedict's credits in France included Paul Matthiews on the soap opera Tide of Life, William H. Wilbur in the miniseries Le Grand Charles (about Charles De Gaulle), Dr. McKenzie in Djihad, and Clerc in La Révolution française.
Voice acting
He provided the voice for Shiro Hagen in Star Fleet, the English adaptation of the Japanese tokusatsu series X-Bomber. During the 1990s, he was a voice actor for Manga Entertainment, appearing in English dubs of anime like Project A-Ko, GoShogun: The Time Étranger, and Angel Cop, and in various video games. He also participated in the Sandy Frank English dubs of Gamera, the Giant Monster and Mighty Jack, which gained notoriety after being featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Benedict also co-founded the ADR/Loop group Sync or Swim with his wife, Phoebe Scholfield. They wrote and directed the English-language version of Dario Argento's film The Card Player.
Later in his career, he worked as a voice casting director.
Personal life
He was married to actress Phoebe Scholfield and together they ran Sync or Swim, an ADR/Loop group. They also translated and wrote movies together, such as (Il Cartaio), which they translated into English. They had two sons: Leopold Benedict (Before the Rains, Azur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest) and Freddie Benedict (Planet 51, Azur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest). He also had a daughter from his previous marriage to casting director Vanessa Pereira.
Benedict was fluent in English and French, and also spoke German and Spanish.
Death
Benedict died at Croydon University Hospital on April 4, 2020, a week before his 69th birthday, due to complications arising from a COVID-19 infection during the pandemic in London. He is survived by his mother Renate (nee Graupe, b. 1926 in Germany), his wife Phoebe (b. 1958) and his children Alexis (b. 1984), Frederick (b. 1996) and Leopold (b. 1997).
Filmography
Partial stage credits
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