Robby Benson is a man of many talents. He is an actor, writer, director, composer, lyricist, professor of film and a novelist. Robby was born Robin David Segal on January 21, 1956 to a Jewish family in Dallas, Texas. He is the son of Freda Ann (née Benson), a singer, actor and business promotions manager, and Jerry Segal, a writer. When Robby was five, his family moved to New York City, where he grew up. He appeared in television commercials and stage productions before establishing himself as a film star.
At the age of ten, Robby adopted his mother's maiden name as his stage name. He attended the Lincoln Square Academy in Manhattan, where he graduated as class valedictorian. By the time he was 12, Robby was co-starring with Ed Begley Jr. on Broadway in a play called. Zelda. He left the production to star in the film Jeremy. He also began writing scripts, and by the time he was 18, he'd sold his fourth script to Warner Brothers.
Robby became popular in the 1970s as a teen idol. Young audiences identified with his coming of age films. In the romantic drama Jeremy (1973), he co-starred with Glynnis O'Connor as two high school students who have a month-long romance. In Ode to Billie Joe (1976), based on Bobbie Gentry's hit song, he played the title role of Billie Jo McAllister, with Glynnis O'Connor once again played his love interest. In One on One (1977), Robby portrayed basketball star Henry Steele in the sports drama he co-wrote with his father, Jerry Segal.
Robby then melted hearts as Nick Peterson in the 1978 romantic drama Ice Castles, the story of the rise and fall of a young figure skater played by Lynn-Holly Johnson. Robby, who had never skated before, learned how to skate for the film. "The best thing is interacting with people," he said. "If you stop and look into their eyes, nothing gets out of hand. That happened on Ice Castles."
Robby surfaced recently in the recurring role as creepy Dr. Mauer on Apple TV's Severance. He told People that working on the series was a dream. He praised Ben Stiller as the best director he'd ever worked with. "From the costume designers to the makeup artists . . . Ben Stiller knows what he wants and he shoots it until he gets it, and it's fantastic."
Robby Benson, now 70 years old, leads a private life, focusing on his family and health advocacy. However, he continues to work as an actor and a voice-over artist. He also gives instruction on film at universities.
On July 11, 1982, Robby married singer, actress and voice artist Karla DeVito, in Karla's hometown of Mokena Illinois. The couple celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in 2023. In the course of Karla's music career, she has sung many genres, from heavy metal to musical theatre to pop. She and Robby have two children, a daughter, Lyric Benson (born August 4, 1983) and a son, Zephyr Benson (born March 23, 1992). Robby and Karla met in 1981 when they were both performing in Pirates of Penzance on Broadway. Robby was playing Frederic and Karla had replaced Linda Ronstadt in the role of Mabel. "I fell in love with her immediately and begged her to marry me for a year," Robby told People magazine in 2025. "I took a year of begging, and it's just the greatest thing that's ever happened to me."
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| Robby and Karl |
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* Robby Benson was diagnosed with a heart murmur during his teenage years, the result of an aortic valve defect. He has undergone four heart surgeries, since age 28, including a bovine valve transplant, to correct congenital aortic valve defects. Robby credits Karla for keeping him alive. As a result of his surgeries, he became an activist and fundraiser for cardiac research. He published a memoir in 2012, detailing his medial issues and his open heart surgeries. It's titled I'm not dead . . . yet!
* In 1975, Robby screen-tested for the role of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, but Mark Hamill was chosen for the part.
- Joanne
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