Richard Benedict

Richard Benedict, born Riccardo Benedetto on January 8, 1920, in Palermo, Italy, was an Italian-American actor and director who worked across Broadway, film, and television. Known professionally by the nickname "Pepe," he built a career spanning several decades before his death on April 29, 1984, in Studio City, Los Angeles, from a heart attack. He was interred at Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery in the Churchyard section, and was survived by three children, including actor Nick Benedict.

Benedict made his Broadway appearance in 1939, performing in Tell My Story. His work in the theater preceded a prolific screen career that took hold through the 1940s and continued into the 1960s, encompassing dozens of film and television roles. Among his most notable film appearances was Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole in 1951. He also appeared in the 1958 science fiction film It! The Terror from Beyond Space, in which he played the commander of the Mars rescue ship. In 1960, he joined Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack in Ocean's 11, portraying one of the eleven men who simultaneously rob five Las Vegas casinos.

His television work was equally extensive, with appearances on programs including Adventures of Superman, The Lone Ranger, Perry Mason, Zorro, Dragnet, Peter Gunn, and Hawaii Five-O. Benedict also moved into directing, with his credits including Impasse, an adventure film starring Burt Reynolds.