Actor Jay Benedict, who was best known for his roles in 1986’s “Aliens,” 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises” and the U.K. TV series “Emmerdale,” died at age 68. The cause of death, as reported, is due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Kristin Tarry, of TCG Artist Management, confirmed the news of his death to USA TODAY Monday. She represented Benedict for the past 20-plus years.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear client Jay Benedict, who this afternoon lost his battle with COVID-19. Our thoughts are with his family,” the company tweeted on Saturday.
He leaves behind his wife, Phoebe Scholfield, and sons, Freddie and Leopold.
“Emmerdale” co-star Vicki Michelle shared a tribute for Benedict on Twitter Sunday.
“Shocked to hear one of our most brilliant actors and kind, lovely man Jay Benedict has passed. Married to my lovely friend Phoebe Scholfield,” she tweeted along with a photo of her and Benedict. “My heart goes out to her and her family at this sad time.”
Actor David Menkin also shared his thoughts on the death of Actor Jay Benedict.
“Jay Benedict – one of the greats – passed away today. If you work in ADR, dubbing, voiceovers, theatre, or film in London, you know why we’re heartbroken; a big voice and even bigger personality have left us,” he tweeted.
Other celebrities have also recently passed away due to complications from COVID-19.
Patricia Bosworth, an actress who once starred alongside Audrey Hepburn and later wrote biographies on several stars including Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift, died Thursday due to the coronavirus at 86.
Emmy and Grammy-winning musician Adam Schlesinger, the co-founder of the band Fountains of Wayne and songwriter for TV’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” died Wednesday due to coronavirus complications. He was 52.
And legendary jazz pianist and teacher Ellis Marsalis Jr., the patriarch of New Orleans’ great musical family, died Wednesday at 85 due to complications of coronavirus. And Lee Fierro, the actress best known for playing mourning Mrs. Kintner in Steven Spielberg’s 1975 “Jaws,” died of complications from coronavirus at 91.
Contributing: The Associated Press; Bryan Alexander. | Top
Actor Jay Benedict Career and Life
Benedict was born in Burbank, California, where he lived and worked in Europe from the 1960s onwards. His theatrical credits include The Rocky Horror Show in the King’s Road in the early 1970s. The Harold Pinter’s production of Sweet Bird of Youth. Benedict played other roles in The Reverend Lee in The Foreigner. 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 series at the Theatre Royal, Margate, with a further one-week series scheduled at The Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, in September 2014.
In August 2014, he returned to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to play Archie Bellows in the world premiere of Terry Jastrow‘s “The Trial of Jane Fonda,” opposite Anne Archer, playing World War II veteran Archie Bellows.
He also appeared widely on television, most notably as Frank Crowe in an episode of the BBC’s award-winning 2003 docudrama television miniseries Seven Wonders of the Industrial World, John E. Jones III in Nova’s Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial.
He played Alan Kalanak in the 2001 Christmas Special edition of Jonathan Creek and Yves Houdet in Thames Television’s miniseries of Angus Wilson’s Anglo-Saxon Attitudes.
Other television appearances include Lilyhammer as Agent Becker, Queen Victoria’s Men (Lord Melbourne), Sharpe’s Honour (General Verigny), Bergerac (Martin Colley), Emmerdale (Doug Hamilton), Death Train (Halloran), Harnessing Peacocks (Eli Drew) and Only Love (Roger). He provided the voice for Shiro Hagen in Star Fleet, the English adaptation of the Japanese X-Bomber.
His first film role, at the age of 11, was in the 1963 Tony Saytor film La Bande à Bobo. In 1977, he played Deak in the Tosche Station scenes in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, which g deleted from the film before release.[1] Subsequent film appearances include the extended, “Special Edition” version of Aliens (Russ Jorden), The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission (Didier Le Clair), Icon (Carey Jordan), The White Knight (Turkish Ambassador), The Russia House (Spikey), Saving Grace (the MC) and Rewind. In 2003 he was third lead in Vicente Aranda’s version of Carmen, playing Don Prospero.
In addition to English, he also worked in French and Spanish. He performed widely on the continent, appearing as Paul Matthews in the French day-time soap opera Cap des Pins and William Wilbur in Le Grand Charles (a French miniseries on Charles De Gaulle), among many other roles.
The actor Jay Benedick was married to actress Phoebe Scholfield, and together they ran Sync or Swim, an ADR/Loop group (see dubbing). They also translated and wrote movies together – such as The Card Player (Il Cartaio) – which got 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 a previous marriage.
He died on April 4, 2020, a week before his 69th birthday, due to complications arising from a COVID-19 infection during the pandemic.
