Fans of Battlestar Galactica will know Dirk Benedict as Lieutenant Starbuck, whereas fans of the A-Team will remember him as Templeton ‘Faceman’ Peck.
However you remember him, Dirk Benedict has a career that dates back to the early 1970s, with several notable roles in both film and television.
If you’ve been wondering what he’s been up to recently, keep reading.
Background Info
Dirk Benedict, whose real name is Dirk Niewoehner, was born in Helena, Montana on March 1, 1945. His parents, George Edward Niowoehner and Priscilla Mella were a lawyer and an accountant.
His family relocated to White Sulphur Springs, Montana. Unfortunately, his father passed away when he was 18 years old. He got his first taste of acting while in college performing in a production of Showboat after he was dared to try out.
Several years after he graduated from Whitman College in 1967, he was diagnosed with a tumor in his prostate. He never sought conventional cancer treatment for it and instead followed a macrobiotic diet that he has since attributed to his survival.
Early Roles and Foray Into Acting
Dirk landed his first starring role as Michael Winters in the 1972 film, Georgia, Georgia which followed an African American singer traveling to Stockholm and falling in love despite her friend’s disapproval.
After Georgia, Georgia, he went on to appear in an episode of Hawaii Five-O, and several made-for-TV movies including Journey from Darkness, W, and Cruise Into Terror. In 1977, he landed two guest spots as Denny Railsback on the wildly popular show, Charlie’s Angels. His big break came a year later, in 1978, when he landed the role of Lieutenant Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica.
Battlestar Galactica and A-Team
Dirk starred as Lieutenant Starbuck in both the 1978 Battlestar Galactica film and then later that same year, the television series of the same name. Battlestar Galactica was centered around a group of fugitives making their way to Earth after their colonies were destroyed.
Starbuck was a skilled Viper pilot and one of the main characters in the show. He was known for his roguish and charming personality, as well as his exceptional piloting skills. He appeared in a total of 21 episodes from 1978 – 1979.
The following year after the series ended, Dirk reprised his role in one episode of Galactica 1980, which aired in 1980.
Dirk continued working well into the 1980s, starring in Underground Acres, Scruples, and Family in Blue. He had some guest-starring roles on The Love Boat, Fox Mystery Theater, and Amazing Stories.
His next big role, however, would be landing the role of Templeton ‘Faceman’ Peck on the A-Team.
Faceman, often referred to as Face, was a smooth-talking con artist and master of persuasion within the team.
He was known for his good looks, charm, and ability to acquire necessary supplies and resources through his vast network of contacts.
He appeared in 96 episodes from 1983 – 1987.
What He Did After The A-Team?
Work remained consistent for Dirk throughout the 1990s, however, he didn’t star in anything that reached the level of fame as his roles in the late 1970s and early 1980s did.
In the 1990s, he starred in an episode of Baywatch, Murder, She Wrote, and Walker, Texas Ranger, as well as several TV movies including Official Denial and Abduction of Innocence.
He took a break from acting in the late 1990s to the early 2000s. During that time, he wrote and directed Cahoots, which was his first screenplay.
After voicing the character of Lieutenant Starbuck in the Battlestar Galactica video game in 2003, he publicly criticized the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series and their casting of a woman as Lieutenant Starbuck. He denounced the casting, stating that “the war against masculinity has been won.”
In 2007, he appeared on and placed 3rd on Celebrity Big Brother 5 in the United Kingdom. In 2009, he voiced another video game character in Inglorious Bumblers and then played a Pensacola prisoner named Milt in the 2010 film remake of the A-Team.
That same year, he also starred in the stage production of Prescription: Murder, before taking a nine-year hiatus from acting.
Where is Dirk Benedict Now?
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Dirk’s last role was Stanley in the movie, Charlie’s Christmas Wish in 2020. He travels for comic con events, with several in 2021 and 2022, including in Ohio and Kentucky. He was scheduled to appear at the Fanboy Expo Knoxville Convention in August of 2022, but it was canceled.
According to his website, there was no explanation given for the sudden cancellation. Furthermore, according to his website, he is not currently scheduled for any upcoming fan events in 2023 or beyond.
Though he is not on Cameo, he does remain pretty active on his Facebook page, sharing memories of past works. In early 2023, MeTV published an article referencing a 2005 interview Dirk gave that explained the enduring popularity of the A-Team.
Per Benedict, “[The A-Team]…tapped into a sort of fundamental, universal morality, it was kind of a morality show…there was good and there was bad. It was a nonviolent show, it was kind of a cartoon show. It was very entertaining so people could watch it with their families.”
Personal Life
Dirk married Toni Hudson, an actress that appeared in an episode of the A-Team, in 1986. They had two sons together – George and Roland. However, they divorced in 1995.
Three years after his divorce, he learned that he had a son named John from a previous relationship who was born in 1968 and given up for adoption.
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