BENZALI, Daniel 1950(?)–

(Daniel Ben–Zali)

PERSONAL

Born January 20, 1950 (some sources cite 1946), in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; immigrated to the United States, c. 1953; son of Carlo (a salesman and actor) and Lee (a cook) Benzali; married Lynda Medwell (a potter), c. 1970s (divorced, c. 1980s). Ethnicity: Jewish. Avocational Interests: Playing piano, jazz.

Addresses:

Agent—Diverse Talent Group, 1875 Century Park East, Suite 2250, Los Angles, CA 90067.

Career:

Actor and producer. Actor in London, England, for nine years; appeared at the Arena Stage, Washington, DC, 1982–83; appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Awards, Honors:

Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a TV series—drama, 1996, for Murder One.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Therapist, Home Free All, Almi, 1984.

Lieutenant Colonel Lehane, Defence of the Realm, Warner Bros./Rank, 1985.

Theatrical agent, Insignificance, Island Alive, 1985.

Howe, A View to a Kill (also known as Ian Fleming's "A View to a Kill"), Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer/United Artists, 1985.

Dr. Asher, White Nights, Columbia, 1985.

U.S. Defense Secretary William Kubert, Whoops Apocalypse, 1986.

Chief Barney Doyle, Messenger of Death, Cannon, 1988.

Solomon Kublitz, A Day in October (also known as En dag i oktober), Castle Hill, 1992.

"Skeeter" Warburton, The Distinguished Gentleman, Buena Vista, 1992.

Agent Nick Spikings, Murder at 1600, Warner Bros., 1997.

Phelps, The End of Violence (also known as Am Ende der Gewalt and Am.Ende.der.Gew@lt), Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer/United Artists, 1997.

Bernard "The Fat" De Winter, All the Little Animals, Lions Gate Films, 1998.

Big Fats, Heist, 1998.

Reggie, Suckers, Creative Light Entertainment, 1999.

Detective Joe Lansing, Her Married Lover (also known as A Clean Kill), 1999.

Detective Tom Dewey, Screwed, MCA/Universal, 2000.

Dr. Sigmund Stein, Vegas, City of Dreams, 2001.

Schlermer, The Grey Zone, 2001.

Frank Finnegan, Dead Heat (also known as Dead Heat—Toedliches Rennen), 2002.

Film Work:

Associate producer, Her Married Lover (also known as A Clean Kill), 1999.

Television Appearances; Series:

Theodore "Teddy" Hoffman, Murder One, ABC, 1995–96.

Remember WENN, AMC, 1995–99.

Robert Quinn, The Agency, CBS, 2001–2002.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Coroner, The Murder of Mary Phagan (also known as The Ballad of Mary Phagan), NBC, 1988.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Seth, Arthur Hailey's "Strong Medicine" (also known as Strong Medicine), syndicated, 1986.

Colonel Glen Spurling, The Last Days of Patton, CBS, 1986.

Charles Ross, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, CBS, 1987.

Peter Schaefer, "Pack of Lies," Hallmark Hall of Fame, CBS, 1987.

Roe vs. Wade, NBC, 1989.

Bascombe, By Dawn's Early Light (also known as The Grand Tour), HBO, 1990.

Cardinal Spellman, Citizen Cohn (also known as Rules of Misconduct: The Roy Cohn Story), HBO, 1992.

Colonel John Patterson, Afterburn (also known as The Janet Harduval Story), HBO, 1992.

Mr. Whitney, The Last of His Tribe (also known as The Last Free Indian and Ishi), HBO, 1992.

Dr. Everett Morris, A Child's Cry for Help (also known as Intensive Care), NBC, 1994.

Dr. Ezso, The Rockford Files: I Still Love L.A., CBS, 1994.

Bruce Mouw, Boss of Bosses, TNT, 2001.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

James Sinclair, NYPD Blue, ABC, 1993.

Saving Jason, The WB, 2004.

Television Appearances; Specials:

CIA Boss, "Dirty Work," Vietnam War Story: The Last Days, 1989.

Comic Relief VII, HBO, 1995.

Host, Television's Greatest Performances II, ABC, 1996.

Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond, UPN, 1996.

The 22nd Annual People's Choice Awards, CBS, 1996.

Ira Gershwin: A Centenary Celebration—Who Could Ask for Anything More?, A&E, 1997.

Host, DNA: Guilty or Innocent?, CBS, 2003.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Commander Griffin, "Trivial Games and Paranoid Pursuits," Star Cops, 1987.

Judge Donald Phillips, "Gorilla My Dreams," L.A. Law, NBC, 1988.

Judge Donald Phillips, "Leapin' Lizards," L.A. Law, NBC, 1988.

Mad monk, "Seekers of the Soul," Crossbow, 1988.

Edward, Brian's father, "Labyrinths," Beauty and the Beast, CBS, 1989.

Surgeon at Starbase 515, "Samaritan Snare," Star Trek: The Next Generation, syndicated, 1989.

Judge Robbins, "Ties That Bind," Falcon Crest, 1989.

Judge Robbins, "The Last Laugh," Falcon Crest, 1989.

Medical examiner, "Prescription for Death," Law & Order, NBC, 1990.

Henry Mayfield, "The Dame," Matlock, 1991.

Judge Donald Phillips, "Good to the Last Drop," L.A. Law, NBC, 1991.

Judge Donald Phillips, "On the Toad Again," L.A. Law, NBC, 1991.

Judge Donald Phillips, "Great Balls Afire," L.A. Law, NBC, 1992.

Judge Donald Phillips, "Odor in the Court," L.A. Law, NBC, 1993.

Judge Donald Phillips, "Vindaloo in the Villows," L.A. Law, NBC, 1993.

James Sinclair, Esquire, "4B or Not 4B," NYPD Blue, ABC, 1993.

James Sinclair, Esquire, "Rockin' Robin," NYPD Blue, ABC, 1994.

Delacourt, "Scales of Justice," One West Waikiki, CBS, 1994.

James Sinclair, Esquire, "Trials and Tribulations," NYPD Blue, ABC, 1994.

James Sinclair, Esquire, "From Whom the Skell Rolls," NYPD Blue, ABC, 1994.

Colonel Wharton, "Fresh Bones," The X–Files, FOX, 1995.

Graham Highfield, "Re–Generation," The Outer Limits, Showtime and syndicated, 1997.

James Sinclair, Esquire, "What's Up, Chuck?," NYPD Blue, ABC, 1999.

James Sinclair, Esquire, "Mister Roberts," NYPD Blue, ABC, 1999.

James Sinclair, Esquire, "I'll Draw You a Mapp," NYPD Blue, ABC, 1999.

James Sinclair, Esquire, "Voir Dire This," NYPD Blue, ABC, 1999.

Aristos Patriaka, "The Sins of Sonny Walker," UC: Undercover, NBC, 2002.

Robert Quinn, "Shell Game," The District, CBS, 2002.

James Sinclair, Esquire, "Frickin' Fraker," NYPD Blue, ABC, 2003.

James Sinclair, Esquire, "Your Bus, Ted," NYPD Blue, ABC, 2003.

James Sinclair, Esquire, "Shear Stupidity," NYPD Blue, ABC, 2003.

James Sinclair, Esquire, "Porn Free," NYPD Blue, ABC, 2003.

Stage Appearances:

(As Daniel Ben–Zali) William Shakespeare, Music Is, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1976.

Love's Labour's Lost, Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1982.

Robert Walpole, The Art of Success, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City, 1989–90.

Max von Mayerling, Sunset Boulevard, London, 1993.

Dave Moss, Glengarry Glen Ross, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, 2000.

Naked, Classic Stage Company, New York City, 2000.

Also appeared as Juan Peron, Evita, London.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

Newsweek, October 2, 1995, p. 98.

TV Guide, January 27, 1996, pp. 44–8.

USA Today, November 9, 1995, p. 3D.