Paul Benjamin (born 1938) is an American actor.
Benjamin was born in Pelion, South Carolina. He 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 extensive television work in the 1970s.
A few notable exceptions were a major role in Barry Shear's Across 110th Street, and smaller parts in Gordon Parks' biopic Leadbelly, Arthur Marks' Friday Foster, and Don Siegel's prison film Escape from Alcatraz. He gave exceptional performances in the TV adaptations of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and Gideon's Trumpet. He later starred in the HBO movie The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains, based on the novel by Robert E. Burns.
On the big screen in the 1990s, 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.
He recently made a special appearance in the independent film The Talk Man, directed by Gene Gallerano.
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2007
as Sam
2005
as Cody
2003
as Henry Styles
2003
as Otis
2002
as Perry
2001
as Minister
2000
as Teddy Branson
1999
as Fellow Resident
1999
as Clerk
1997
as Whispers
1997
as James Carrier
1994
as Al Ervin
1992
as Henry Brown
1990
as Lonnie Jackson
1989
as ML
1989
as Rashad
1987
as Harry Harrison
1987
as Big Sam
1987
as Cooper
1985
as Homer Williams
1985
1983
as Lester
1982
as Leon
1980
as Artis
1979
as Mr. Carter
1979
as English
1979
as Freeman
1978
as John LeFlore
1976
as Wes Ledbetter
1976
as Ramsey
1975
as Senator David Lee Hart
1975
as Sgt. Elwood Horne
1975
1975
as Swan Stebeney
1974
1974
as Pops
1973
as Jacob
1973
as Willie Daniels
1973
1973
as Lt. Valentine
1972
as Jim Harris
1971
as Fixer
1971
as Jimmy
1969
as Bartender
1951
as Arlis