Biography
Originally from South Carolina, actor Paul Benjamin made his film debut in 1969 as a bartender in
Midnight Cowboy. After a small role in
Sidney Lumet's
The Anderson Tapes, he did television work throughout the '70s. A few notable exceptions involved small parts in
Gordon Parks' biopic
Leadbelly and
Don Siegel's prison film
Escape From Alcatraz. He fared better on CBS in the TV adaptations
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and
Gideon's Trumpet. He got his first major starring role in the HBO movie The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains, based on the novel by Robert E. Burns. On the big screen during the '90s, 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. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide