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Paul Benjamin

Paul Benjamin

Actor · Died June 28, 2019, aged 84 · Pelion, South Carolina, USA

Paul Benjamin (February 4, 1935 – June 28, 2019) was an American actor. Benjamin was born in Pelion, South Carolina. He made his film debut in 1969 as a bartender in Midnight Cowboy. After a small role in Sidney Lumet's The Anderson Tapes, he primarily did television work in the 1970s. A few notable exceptions were a major role in Barry Shear's Across 110th Street, and smaller parts in Gordon Parks' biopic Leadbelly, Arthur Marks' Friday Foster, and Don Siegel's prison film Escape from Alcatraz. He gave exceptional performances in the TV adaptations of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and Gideon's Trumpet. He later starred in the HBO movie The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains, based on the novel by Robert E. Burns. On the big screen in the 1990s, Benjamin worked with some well known directors. He appeared in Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing, Robert Townsend's The Five Heartbeats, Bill Duke's Hoodlum, and John Singleton's Rosewood. On television, he appeared in the 1994 pilot episode of ER, which led to his recurring role of homeless man Al Ervin during the next few seasons. Benjamin also worked on the American Masters documentary of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ralph Ellison, which aired on PBS. After 2000, he appeared primarily in small independent films like Stanley's Gig, The Station Agent, Deacons For Defense, and James Hunter's 2004 drama Back in the Day. He recently made a special appearance in the independent film The Talk Man, directed by Gene Gallerano. Description above from the Wikipedia article Paul Benjamin, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 4, 1935
Died
June 28, 2019 (aged 84)
From
Pelion, South Carolina, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
33 on MovieCove · 53 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26Down 2% in 30 days

What are Paul Benjamin's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 37th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
30%
Survival
20%
Power
16%
Bonds
15%
Society
9%
Self
9%
Ideas
2%
Justice8 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 4 · Dark 8

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 11 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 6 · Intense 8

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 3 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 8

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

8 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 2 of 8 analyzed roles.

Ally
2 of 8
Mentor
2 of 8
Hero
1 of 8
Threshold guardian
1 of 8
Shadow
1 of 8
Herald
1 of 8
Show the 8 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
11
Melancholic
8
Hopeful
6
Dread
3
Bittersweet
3
Other
13

How their films linger

Bittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet8
  • Ambiguous4
  • Other1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Paul Benjamin's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 33 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Paul Benjamin's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

53 credits, 33 with a MovieCove page.

  • Occupy, Texas(2016)

    as Mr. Goodman

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Ascension Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Sam

  • Back to You in the Days(2005)

    as Cody

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Deacons for Defense(2003)

    as Otis

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Station Agent(2003)

    as Henry Styles

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Shield(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Perry

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • DMX: Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Minister

  • Stanley's Gig (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Teddy Branson

  • Angel(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Fellow Resident

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Last Rites (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Fez

  • The Breaks(1999)

    as Clerk

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Hoodlum(1997)

    as Whispers

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Rosewood(1997)

    as James Carrier

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Vanishing Point(1997)

    as Mose, Snake Wrangler

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Drop Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Wellington Cosbie

  • ER(1994)

    Show 3 episodes · as Al Ervin

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Fence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Del Reston

  • Back to the Streets of San Francisco(1992)

    as Henry Brown

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Super(1991)

    as Gilliam

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Five Heartbeats(1991)

    as Mr. King

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Lonnie Jackson

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Do the Right Thing(1989)

    as ML

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Meeting (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Rashad

  • Nuts(1987)

    as Harry Harrison

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains(1987)

    as Big Sam

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • A Stranger Waits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Cooper

  • The Atlanta Child Murders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 2 episodes · as Homer Williams

  • Night Heat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Deadly Force (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Lester

  • Some Kind of Hero(1982)

    as Leon

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Rashad

  • Gideon's Trumpet(1980)

    as Artis

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Knots Landing(1979)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mr. Carter

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • Escape from Alcatraz(1979)

    as English

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings(1979)

    as Freeman

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as John LeFlore

  • Leadbelly(1976)

    as Wes Ledbetter

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Ramsey

  • Friday Foster(1975)

    as Senator David Lee Hart

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Distance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Sgt. Elwood Horne

  • Starsky and Hutch(1975)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Friendly Persuasion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Swan Stebeney

  • Police Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Education of Sonny Carson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Pops

  • The Deadly Trackers(1973)

    as Jacob

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Kojak(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Willie Daniels

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows

  • Police Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Mr. Inside/Mr. Outside(1973)

    as Lt. Valentine

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Across 110th Street(1972)

    as Jim Harris

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Born to Win(1971)

    as Fixer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Anderson Tapes(1971)

    as Jimmy

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Midnight Cowboy(1969)

    as Bartender

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Arlis

Career shape

Star power in the 95th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 53 titles from 1951 to 2016; peak year 1990.

Biggest box office

Escape from Alcatraz (1979)

$43M worldwide

Highest rated

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Escape from Alcatraz (1979)

Film career

19512016

Peak 1990 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting53 of 53: 53 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score69th

By decade

1950s1 · acting1960s1 · acting1970s19 · acting1980s11 · acting1990s13 · acting2000s7 · acting2010s1 · acting

Billing

usually 10th · top billed in 0% of 16 roles
697994

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Paul Benjamin's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 63rd percentile, the median of all 26; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 33 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up15
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 33 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

Occupy, Texas (2016)

94th percentile spread · 43% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Midcredits 98th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 46. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Paul Benjamin's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 59 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles32–52 · median 46 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 74 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 37 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 64 · intenseMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Paul Benjamin work with?

People who share at least 2 of Paul Benjamin's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Bruce Surtees shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers