Nick Benedict obit

Veteran Soap Opera Actor Nick Benedict Dead at 77

Soap opera veteran and Daytime Emmy nominee Nick Benedict has died.

 

 He was not on the list.

Nick Benedict, best known for his roles on daytime drama, including Curtis Reed on Days of our Lives, has died. He was 77.

The actor was born Nicholas Joseph Sciurba on July 14, 1947, in Los Angeles. He is the son of the late actor/director Richard Benedict (Mission: Impossible; Get Smart).

Ironically, Benedict passed away on his birthday. (Conflicting reports indicate the actor was either 76 or 77 at the time of his passing.) His death was reported on Jake’s Steakhouse Facebook page. His wife, Ginger, worked at the restaurant located in Tehachapi, CA.

A GoFundMe established prior to Benedict’s death set up to benefit Ginger shares that her husband had undergone spinal cord surgery on July 2. Two days later, he entered hospice care, paralyzed from the neck down. He was surrounded by his loved ones including Ginger when he died.

 

Benedict made his debut in the TV series Wiretapper as a child actor. As a 17-year-old, he appeared in Mike and the Mermaid. He made his daytime debut in 1973 as Phillip Brent, a Vietnam veteran, on All My Children. He played the part for many years, earning a Daytime Emmy Award nomination in 1979 in the category of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

 

The actor moved to the West Coast and took on the role of Michael Scott on The Young and the Restless. Michael made the misstep of falling in love with Julia Newman (Meg Bennett), the wife of Victor Newman (Eric Braeden). After learning of the affair, Victor imprisoned Michael in his basement and fed him rats so he wouldn’t starve to death!

 

Next, Benedict played Ron Washington on the religious-based syndicated soap opera Another Life. His other credits include The Dukes of Hazard, Tales from the Darkside, and Memories of a Murder.

 

Daytime came calling again in 1993 when Benedict was cast as DAYS’ Curtis Reed, the abusive father of Billie Reed (Lisa Rinna) and Austin Reed (Patrick Muldoon). Stefano (Joseph Mascolo) killed Curtis, however, he returned on occasion as a spirit.

 

His last screen appearance was playing the role of Julie’s Father in the film A Beautiful Friendship. That same year, he appeared as himself on the Oprah Winfrey Show on February 9, 2011. AMC’s Susan Lucci was the guest and Benedict, along with eight other actors who played Erica’s many husbands over the years, dropped by to surprise their former TV wife.

Soap Hub sends sincere condolences to Ginger Benedict and the rest of the actor’s family, friends, and fans at this difficult time.

Actor

 

A Beautiful Friendship

 

    Julie's Father

 

    Video

 

    2011

 

Days of Our Lives (1965)

Days of Our Lives

 

    Curtis Reed

 

    TV Series

 

    1993–2001

 

Ice-T, Michelle von Flotow, and Christian Oliver in Kept (2001)

Kept

 

    Charles (uncredited)

 

    2001

 

Entourage

 

    Mr. McCann

 

    2000

 

Mars and Beyond

 

    Dr. Robert Olson

 

    Short

 

    2000

 

Maria Ford and Alexander Polinsky in Perfect Fit (2000)

Perfect Fit

 

    Thomas

 

    2000

 

Route 66

 

    Jeff

 

    1998

 

Get a Job (1998)

Get a Job

 

    Mr. Barone

 

    1998

 

Kathy Griffin, Eliza Coyle, Dana Gould, Chris Hardwick, Taylor Negron, Ryan Stiles, and Julia Sweeney in Courting Courtney (1997)

Courting Courtney

 

    Mr. Sinise

 

    1997

 

Obsession (1997)

Obsession

 

    Guy

 

    1997

 

Angela Mooney (1996)

Angela Mooney

 

    Eddie

 

    1996

 

Juicehead

 

    Craig

 

    Short

 

    1996

 

Devil's Food (1996)

Devil's Food

 

    Traffic Cop

 

    TV Movie

 

    1996

 

Beach House (1996)

Beach House

 

    Allen

 

    1996

 

East Meets West (1995)

East Meets West

 

    Richard (uncredited)

 

    1995

 

Great Harry and Jane

 

    Short

 

    1994

 

The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend (1991)

The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend

 

    Press Maravich

 

    1991

 

Robin Wright, Judith Anderson, Valorie Armstrong, Melissa Reeves, Robert Alan Browne, Paul Burke, Ismael 'East' Carlo, Margarita Cordova, Nicolas Coster, Lane Davies, Richard Eden, Gina Gallego, Linda Gibboney, Andrea Howard, Ava Lazar, A Martinez, Todd McKee, John Allen Nelson, Rupert Ravens, Julie Ronnie, Kerry Sherman, Louise Sorel, Jonna Leigh Stack, Marcy Walker, and Dane Witherspoon in Santa Barbara (1984)

Santa Barbara

 

    Boots

 

    TV Series

 

    1990

 

Memories of Murder (1990)

Memories of Murder

 

    Mr. Bates

 

    TV Movie

 

    1990

 

Tribes (1990)

Tribes

 

    TV Series

 

    1990

 

An American Summer (1990)

An American Summer

 

    Mr. Finley

 

    1990

 

Pamela Reed in Rachel River (1987)

Rachel River

 

    Christopher Burnette

 

    1987

 

Donna Mills, Joan Van Ark, Michele Lee, Constance McCashin, John Pleshette, and Ted Shackelford in Knots Landing (1979)

Knots Landing

 

    ContactMan

 

    TV Series

 

    1986

 

The Naked Cage (1986)

The Naked Cage

 

    Smiley

 

    1986

 

Tales from the Darkside (1983)

Tales from the Darkside

 

    Michael Fox

 

    TV Series

 

    1985

 

Catherine Bach, Ben Jones, Denver Pyle, John Schneider, and Tom Wopat in The Dukes of Hazzard (1979)

The Dukes of Hazzard

 

    Frank JamesHector

 

    TV Series

 

    1983–1984

 

Disconnected (1984)

Disconnected

 

    Salesman (uncredited)

 

    1984

 

The Fall Guy (1981)

The Fall Guy

 

    Manyan Aide

 

    TV Series

 

    1984

 

Another Life (1981)

Another Life

 

    Ron Washington (1982-1983)

 

    TV Series

 

    1981

 

Eileen Davidson, Bryton James, Joshua Morrow, Gina Tognoni, Justin Hartley, Melissa Claire Egan, and Peter Bergman in The Young and the Restless (1973)

The Young and the Restless

 

    Michael Scott

 

    TV Series

 

    1980

 

Frankie & Annette: The Second Time Around

 

    TV Movie

 

    1978

 

Susan Lucci, Debbi Morgan, Rebecca Budig, Cameron Mathison, and Darnell Williams in All My Children (1970)

All My Children

 

    Phillip Brent

 

    TV Series

 

    1977–1978

 

Harriet Nelson, Ozzie Nelson, Susan Sennett, and Brenda Sykes in Ozzie's Girls (1973)

Ozzie's Girls

 

    Bruce

 

    TV Series

 

    1973

 

Slaughter's Big Rip-Off (1973)

Slaughter's Big Rip-Off

 

    Gains

 

    1973

 

Little Cigars (1973)

Little Cigars

 

    1st Cop

 

    1973

 

James Daly in Medical Center (1969)

Medical Center

 

    InternDr. Spahn

 

    TV Series

 

    1970–1972

 

Kent McCord and Martin Milner in Adam-12 (1968)

Adam-12

 

    1st HoodlumThomas Moore

 

    TV Series

 

    1971

 

Alias Smith and Jones (1971)

Alias Smith and Jones

 

    Phil

 

    TV Series

 

    1971

 

Burt Reynolds and Norman Fell in Dan August (1970)

Dan August

 

    TV Series

 

    1971

 

The Bold Ones: The Lawyers (1969)

The Bold Ones: The Lawyers

 

    Motorcycle OfficerAl Shaw

 

    TV Series

 

    1970–1971

 

Raymond Burr and Barbara Sigel in Ironside (1967)

Ironside

 

    Police DriverDriver (as Nicholas Benedict)

 

    TV Series

 

    1969–1970

 

Kam Fong, Al Harrington, Jack Lord, and James MacArthur in Hawaii Five-O (1968)

Hawaii Five-O

 

    Hit Man (as Nicholas Benedict)

 

    TV Series

 

    1969

 

Barbara Bain, Martin Landau, Peter Graves, Peter Lupus, and Greg Morris in Mission: Impossible (1966)

Mission: Impossible

 

    CorporalGuard in Kitchen

 

    TV Series

 

    1968–1969

 

Iron Horse (1966)

Iron Horse

 

    Confederate Renegade (uncredited)

 

    TV Series

 

    1966

 

Jeri Lynn Frazer in Mike and the Mermaid (1964)

Mike and the Mermaid

 

    1964

 

Wiretapper (1955)

Wiretapper

 

    (uncredited)

 

    1955