Benjamin Hendrickson
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Hendrickson was an American
actor
known for playing Harold "Hal" Munson, Jr., the Chief of Detectives for the mythical town of Oakdale on the daytime soap opera
, As the World Turns
.
. He studied at the prestigious Juilliard School
as part of the institution's first drama division class and was a founding member of John Houseman
's The Acting Company
.
Prior to his television appearances, Hendrickson acted in theatre. From 1973-1984, he appeared in a host of productions that included The Elephant Man
(taking over the title part in 1981 after serving as David Bowie
's understudy), Awake and Sing and Strider.
Hendrickson also acted in feature films. His credits include Dreams Don't Die (1982), Manhunter
(1986), Russkies
(1987), Regarding Henry
(1991), Consenting Adults (1992) and Spanking the Monkey
(1994).
, Texas
, and a notable role on Guiding Light
as the villainous Silas Crocker. Years later, he also appeared as a judge on Boston Legal
.
However, Hendrickson was best known for playing Harold "Hal" Munson Jr., the Chief of Detectives for the mythical town of Oakdale on the long-running daytime soap opera
As the World Turns
.
He played Hal for over 20 years, from October 1985 to September 2004 and from June 2005 to July 2006. Hal was initially a short-term role, but as Hendrickson joked, when he "impregnated the leading lady" (the character of Margo, then played by Hillary B. Smith
), he signed a contract with a longer term.
Hendrickson won the Daytime Emmy Award
for "Outstanding Supporting Actor" for playing Hal in 2003. During his acceptance speech, he honored his source of moral support with a joke: "To my mother, who scrimped and saved to send me to Juilliard to study the classics... I'm sorry."
home. The Suffolk County
Police labeled his death a suicide
; his body had been found with a gunshot wound to the head.
Hendrickson had experienced medical challenges over the previous few years. He had suffered from depression
since his mother's death in 2003 and had taken a leave of absence from the show to care for her.
At the time of his death, he had also been involved in a storyline in which Hal Munson's daughter Jennifer
died of a sudden illness. Media reports speculated that this may have affected him, but in an interview in the August 1, 2006, edition of Soap Opera Digest
, Hendrickson's nephew Stephen refuted suggestions that the storyline may have affected him and explained that Hendrickson was overwhelmed by losing his mother, father, and brother within a matter of years.
A July 5, 2006 TV Guide
article indicated that the role would not be recast; the show addressed the fate of character onscreen in October 2006, and had Hal Munson die in the line of duty.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
known for playing Harold "Hal" Munson, Jr., the Chief of Detectives for the mythical town of Oakdale on the daytime soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
.
Theater and film
Hendrickson was born in Huntington, New YorkHuntington, New York
The Town of Huntington is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, USA. Founded in 1653, it is located on the north shore of Long Island in northwestern Suffolk County, with Long Island Sound to its north and Nassau County adjacent to the west. Huntington is part of the New York metropolitan...
. He studied at the prestigious Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
as part of the institution's first drama division class and was a founding member of John Houseman
John Houseman
John Houseman was a Romanian-born British-American actor and film producer who became known for his highly publicized collaboration with director Orson Welles from their days in the Federal Theatre Project through to the production of Citizen Kane...
's The Acting Company
The Acting Company
The Acting Company is a theatre company associated with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1972 by John Houseman, then a professor of acting at the Juilliard School...
.
Prior to his television appearances, Hendrickson acted in theatre. From 1973-1984, he appeared in a host of productions that included The Elephant Man
The Elephant Man (play)
The Elephant Man is a 1977 play by Bernard Pomerance. The production's Broadway debut in 1979 was produced by Richmond Crinkley and Nelle Nugent, and directed by Jack Hofsiss...
(taking over the title part in 1981 after serving as David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
's understudy), Awake and Sing and Strider.
Hendrickson also acted in feature films. His credits include Dreams Don't Die (1982), Manhunter
Manhunter (film)
Manhunter is a 1986 American thriller film based on Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon. Written and directed by Michael Mann, it stars William Petersen as Will Graham and features Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecktor...
(1986), Russkies
Russkies
Russkies is a 1987 film starring Whip Hubley and Joaquin Phoenix . It was directed by Rick Rosenthal, with cinematography by Reed Smoot...
(1987), Regarding Henry
Regarding Henry
Regarding Henry is a 1991 American film drama starring Harrison Ford and Annette Bening, directed by Mike Nichols.The screenplay by J. J. Abrams focuses on a New York City lawyer who struggles to regain his memory and recover his speech and mobility after he survives a shooting.-Plot:Ambitious,...
(1991), Consenting Adults (1992) and Spanking the Monkey
Spanking the Monkey
Spanking the Monkey is a 1994 US independent black comedy written and directed by David O. Russell. The title of the movie is a slang phrase for masturbation and is used in the film by one of the teenage characters...
(1994).
Television
Hendrickson made appearances on daytime television in the early 1980s; his credits included Another WorldAnother World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
, Texas
Texas (TV series)
Texas is an American daytime soap opera which aired on NBC from August 4, 1980 until December 31, 1982. Created by John William Corrington, Joyce Hooper Corrington, and Paul Rauch, the show was a spinoff of Another World...
, and a notable role on Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
as the villainous Silas Crocker. Years later, he also appeared as a judge on Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
.
However, Hendrickson was best known for playing Harold "Hal" Munson Jr., the Chief of Detectives for the mythical town of Oakdale on the long-running daytime soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
.
He played Hal for over 20 years, from October 1985 to September 2004 and from June 2005 to July 2006. Hal was initially a short-term role, but as Hendrickson joked, when he "impregnated the leading lady" (the character of Margo, then played by Hillary B. Smith
Hillary B. Smith
Hillary Bailey Smith is an American actress.Born as Hillary Bailey, Smith attended Dana Hall School, Pine Manor College and Sarah Lawrence College....
), he signed a contract with a longer term.
Hendrickson won the Daytime Emmy Award
Daytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
for "Outstanding Supporting Actor" for playing Hal in 2003. During his acceptance speech, he honored his source of moral support with a joke: "To my mother, who scrimped and saved to send me to Juilliard to study the classics... I'm sorry."
Death
Hendrickson's body was discovered on July 3, 2006 at his Huntington, New YorkHuntington, New York
The Town of Huntington is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, USA. Founded in 1653, it is located on the north shore of Long Island in northwestern Suffolk County, with Long Island Sound to its north and Nassau County adjacent to the west. Huntington is part of the New York metropolitan...
home. The Suffolk County
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
Police labeled his death a suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
; his body had been found with a gunshot wound to the head.
Hendrickson had experienced medical challenges over the previous few years. He had suffered from depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
since his mother's death in 2003 and had taken a leave of absence from the show to care for her.
At the time of his death, he had also been involved in a storyline in which Hal Munson's daughter Jennifer
Jennifer Munson
Jennifer Louise Donovan was a fictional character on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. The character was the daughter of late police chief, Hal Munson, and fashion designer, Barbara Ryan...
died of a sudden illness. Media reports speculated that this may have affected him, but in an interview in the August 1, 2006, edition of Soap Opera Digest
Soap Opera Digest
Soap Opera Digest is a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It features onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional information...
, Hendrickson's nephew Stephen refuted suggestions that the storyline may have affected him and explained that Hendrickson was overwhelmed by losing his mother, father, and brother within a matter of years.
On screen
Since daytime soap operas follow tape-ahead shooting schedules, Hendrickson's final scenes on As the World Turns were broadcast July 12, 2006, nine days after his death. The July 12 episode featured a brief dedication at the end alerting viewers to his passing.A July 5, 2006 TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
article indicated that the role would not be recast; the show addressed the fate of character onscreen in October 2006, and had Hal Munson die in the line of duty.