Robby Benson

Robby Benson is a writer, director, composer, lyricist, actor, professor of film, filmmaker, and novelist. He began his career on Broadway in Zelda, The Rothschilds and Joseph Papp’s The Pirates of Penzance. Benson wrote the libretto and composed the music for the musical that opened in NYC at The Historic Cherry Lane Theatre (Open Heart), and the best-selling novel, “Who Stole The Funny?” (HarperCollins), along with the medical memoir, “I’m Not Dead... Yet”. Benson sold his first screenplay to Warner Brothers at 18 years-old entitled, “One on One”. He has starred in films: Ode To Billie Joe, Ice Castles, Jeremy, Tribute, Harry and Son, Running Brave, The Chosen, Die Laughing, Walk Proud, The End, Lucky Lady, Death Be Not Proud, The Last of Mrs. Lincoln, and Our Town among a few. He also wrote and directed the feature film, ‘Modern Love’ and composed the score for Straight Outta Tompkins and co-wrote the hit song in The Breakfast Club (“We Are Not Alone” with his wife and loving partner of 40 years, the great Karla DeVito! Benson also voiced ‘Beast” in Disney’s Academy Award-nominated ‘Beauty and the Beast.” Benson has exec. produced and directed over one hundred episodes of Network shows. Benson has been a professor of film production for 20 years. Benson received the honor of being nominated for both NYU’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2006, and the David Payne-Carter Award for Teaching Excellence in 2010. He is currently on season 2 of "Severance" for Apple TV.