# Brian Benben

Brian Edward Benben (born June 18, 1956) is an American actor, best known for his role as Martin Tupper in the HBO comedy television series Dream On (1990–1996), and also known as Sheldon Wallace on ABC medical drama Private Practice (2008–2013), and as Larry in I Come in Peace (1990).

## Early life and career

Benben was born in Winchester, Virginia, the son of Gloria Patricia (née Coffman) and Peter Michael Benben Sr., a produce buyer.
He later lived and attended high school in Marlboro, New York, followed by two years at Ulster County Community College in Stone Ridge, New York, after which he moved to New York City, where he had various jobs while auditioning and acting. In 1983 he appeared in the Broadway production of John Byrne's play Slab Boys with Kevin Bacon, Sean Penn, Val Kilmer and Jackie Earle Haley. The play ran on Broadway for 48 performances.
Although his first national exposure was in the 1981 NBC miniseries-then-series The Gangster Chronicles, He appeared in Matlock 'The Heiress' in 1988. Benben is perhaps best known for his leading role in the 1990–96 HBO television series, Dream On. He played a "by the book" FBI agent in the 1990 film Dark Angel (known in the U.S. as I Come in Peace).
He had a starring role in the 1994, film Radioland Murders playing Mary Stuart Masterson's estranged husband. In September 1998, he starred in an eponymous primetime CBS sitcom, The Brian Benben Show, which lasted only one month on the air. In the 2000s, he played Sheldon Wallace on Shonda Rhimes' Private Practice. His character was first introduced in December 2008, later became a recurring character, and finally a series regular. In 2014, he appeared in the television series Scandal, also produced by Rhimes.

## Personal life

In 1982, Benben married actress Madeleine Stowe, whom he met filming The Gangster Chronicles. Together they have one daughter, born in 1996. Benben and Stowe live in Pacific Palisades now and prior to that lived west of Austin, near Johnson City, Texas.

## Filmography

Television :
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
| 1981 | The Gangster Chronicles | Michael Lasker | Main role |
| 1986 | Kay O'Brien | Mark Doyle | Main role |
| 1990–1996 | Dream On | Martin Tupper | Main role CableACE Awards for Actor in a Comedy Series (1993) |
| 1998 | The Brian Benben Show | Brian Benben | Lead role; also co-executive producer |
| 2003 | Kingpin | Heywood Klein | Main role |
| 2005 | Masters of Horror | Dwight Faraday | Episode: "Deer Woman" |
| 2008–2013 | Private Practice | Sheldon Wallace | Recurring role (Seasons 2–3) Main role (Seasons 4–6) |
| 2014 | Scandal | Leonard Carnahan | Episode: "An Innocent Man" |
| 2015 | Grace and Frankie | Charlie | Episode: "The Earthquake" |
| 2016 | Roadies | Preston | Recurring role |
| 2017–2018 | Imposters | Max | Main role |
Film :
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
| 1981 | Gangster Wars | Michael Lasker | Based on The Gangster Chronicles |
| 1988 | Clean and Sober | Martin Laux | |
| 1989 | Mortal Sins | Nathan Weinschank | |
| 1990 | I Come in Peace | Special Agent Arwood 'Larry' Smith | was released as Dark Angel outside the US |
| 1994 | Radioland Murders | Roger Henderson | |
| 2001 | The Flamingo Rising (Made for TV movie) | Hubert T. Lee | Hubert Lee decides to open the world's largest drive-in movie theater across the street from a funeral parlor. |