Robby Benson Bio
Robin David Segal, known professionally as Robby Benson, is an American actor, director, singer, composer, and teacher. Born on January 21, 1956, in Dallas, Texas, he first rose to fame as a teen idol in the 1970s through a string of popular films, and later gained international recognition as the voice of the Beast in Disney’s animated classic Beauty and the Beast (1991). Across more than five decades in entertainment, Benson has worked in front of the camera, behind it, and in the recording studio, while also serving as a university professor.
In addition to his work in Hollywood, Benson has become a public advocate for heart health after undergoing multiple open-heart surgeries beginning in his twenties. He has also written books, composed film songs, and shared his experiences as an artist and patient through lectures and memoirs.
Early Life and Background
Robby Benson was born in Dallas, Texas, the son of Freda Ann Benson, a singer, actor, and business promotions manager, and Jerry Segal, a writer. His family is Jewish, and when he was five years old, the family relocated to New York City, where he was raised. At the age of ten, he adopted his mother’s maiden name as his stage surname, becoming Robby Benson.
Benson attended Lincoln Square Academy in Manhattan, an accelerated school for young students. He graduated at the unusually young age of fourteen, finishing as class valedictorian. Even before his teens, he was drawn to performance, encouraged by parents who worked in the arts and entertainment.
His early exposure to theatre and music in New York shaped his path toward a creative career. By the time he reached high school graduation, he had already begun auditioning for professional work in film, television, and the stage.
Path to Celebrity
Benson’s professional career began in 1965, when he was only nine years old. He made his film debut with an uncredited role in Wait Until Dark (1967) and soon followed with his Broadway debut, appearing in the play Zelda and later the musical The Rothschilds (1970). As a teenager, he also joined the daytime soap opera Search for Tomorrow, playing a recurring role from 1971 to 1972.
He became a familiar face in coming-of-age films of the early 1970s, starring in Jory (1972) and Jeremy (1973) before landing his breakout screen role as Billy Joe McAllister in Ode to Billy Joe (1976). These parts helped him build a reputation as a thoughtful young actor willing to take on serious material, and they set the stage for his leading-man roles later in the decade.
By his late teens, Benson had already appeared in a national commercial for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, acted in Death Be Not Proud and Lucky Lady (both 1975), and screen-tested for the role of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, a part that eventually went to Mark Hamill. These experiences cemented his standing in the industry before he turned twenty-one.
Robby Benson Career
Early Career (1965-1975)
During his earliest years in entertainment, Benson balanced stage work, television, and film. His Broadway appearance in The Rothschilds introduced him to musical theatre, while his recurring role on Search for Tomorrow gave him steady on-camera training. He followed these with small film parts and television guest spots that honed his craft.
His first widely seen dramatic role came with Ode to Billy Joe (1976), a film adaptation of the famous Bobbie Gentry song. The performance helped establish him as a leading young actor and led directly to starring roles in One on One (1977) and Ice Castles (1978), both of which became touchstones of 1970s teen cinema.
Breakthrough (1976-1991)
The late 1970s and early 1980s marked Benson’s peak as a teen idol and dramatic leading man. He starred in One on One (1977), a film he co-wrote with his father Jerry Segal, and followed it with The End (1978) and Ice Castles (1978). For Ice Castles, he trained extensively in ice skating and hockey to handle the demanding physical scenes.
He continued to take on varied projects, including the television movie The Death of Richie, the drama The Chosen (1981) based on Chaim Potok’s novel, and Die Laughing and Tribute (both 1980). In 1983, he portrayed Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills in Running Brave, a role that pushed him to train seriously for endurance running.
In 1991, Benson reached a global audience when he voiced the Beast in Disney’s animated Beauty and the Beast, directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise and starring alongside Paige O’Hara as Belle. The film became a landmark of American animation and introduced Benson’s voice to a new generation of viewers.
Notable Works and Milestones
Among Benson’s most recognized works are Ode to Billy Joe (1976), One on One (1977), Ice Castles (1978), Running Brave (1983), and Beauty and the Beast (1991). His performance as the Beast became especially enduring, leading to further Disney appearances across sequels, spin-offs, and related media in the 1990s and beyond.
Robby Benson Award Nominations
Robby Benson has received recognition across his long career in film, voice acting, and songwriting. Industry attention has followed his performances in both live-action and animated projects, including his work on Beauty and the Beast (1991) and his earlier leading roles in 1970s cinema.
Robby Benson Awards Won
Benson won an RIAA Gold Records Award for co-writing the song “We Are Not Alone,” performed by his wife Karla DeVito on the soundtrack of the 1985 John Hughes film The Breakfast Club. His 2007 novel Who Stole the Funny?: A Novel of Hollywood also landed him on the Los Angeles Times Bestseller list, marking a notable achievement outside of acting.
Robby Benson Family
Benson was raised in a creative household by his mother, Freda Ann Benson, a singer, actor, and business promotions manager, and his father, Jerry Segal, a writer. He adopted his mother’s maiden name as his stage surname at the age of ten, honoring that family connection throughout his career. His father later collaborated with him on the screenplay for One on One (1977).
Personal Life
Robby Benson has been married to singer and actress Karla DeVito since July 11, 1982. The couple met while performing together in the musical The Pirates of Penzance. They have two children: a daughter named Lyric, born in 1983, and a son named Zephyr, born in 1992.
Benson practices Transcendental Meditation and has long been an advocate for heart-health awareness. After undergoing four open-heart surgeries beginning in 1984 to address a congenital aortic valve defect, he became an activist and fundraiser for heart research. In 2004, he wrote the book, lyrics, and music for an original Off-Broadway play called Open Heart, in which he also starred, and he published a medical memoir titled I’m Not Dead … Yet! in 2012.