Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 1, 1993 TAG: 9310070398
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Susan King Los Angeles Times
DATELINE: HOLLYWOOD LENGTH: Medium
That's no secret to fans of HBO's award-winning adult comedy series ``Dream On,'' which begins its fourth season Wednesday. The one-hour opener, directed by executive producer John Landis, features Tom Poston, Tommy Smothers, Phyllis Diller, Jack Carter, Jason Alexander and James Woods.
As Martin Tupper, the divorced baby boomer book editor who grew up in front of the tube, Benben is one of the most physically adept comedic actors working today. In person, the easygoing actor is just as R-rated funny as his small- screen alter ego. And like Martin, he grew up watching old TV shows and movies.
``The television I was watching was mostly stuff from the '50s, repeat shows like `My Little Margie,' '' Benben says, during a break in filming. ``Of course, there was the `Million Dollar Movie,' so you got to see some of the classics.''
A major movie buff, Benben plasters the walls of his dressing room with such movie posters as ``Singin' in the Rain'' and ``Sex and the Single Girl.'' His favorite classic film, he says, is George Stevens' comedy ``The More the Merrier.'' And Benben does a mean impression of Tony Curtis in ``Spartacus.''
Until ``Dream On,'' Benben, married to actress Madeleine Stowe (``Last of the Mohicans''), was known primarily for his dramatic work in films (``Clean and Sober''), TV (``The Gangster Chronicles'') and theater (``The Slab Boys'').
``It seemed like really early on when I was in New York doing theater I always played some kind of slimy character,'' recalls Benben. Like his character in ``Slab Boys,'' whom he describes as ``a very officious kind of snob who had the worst skin in Scotland. That's the main memory of that character,'' Benben says, laughing. ``It was funny. Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon and Val Kilmer were in it, and they were all becoming these sort of young movie stars. They would walk on stage and the first 10 rows would be nothing but young women going, `Whew! Whew!' Then I could walk out and they would go, `Oh, God!'''
Benben wasn't really the ``Dream On'' producers' first choice for Martin. ``There was some thought of finding a `major star,' '' acknowledges executive producer Kevin Bright. That's until casting director Karen Rea brought Benben in to audition. ``When we saw Brian, that was it,'' Bright recalls. ``There wasn't any doubt in our minds, he was the character.''
``It was pretty fast,'' Benben recalls. ``I auditioned and we started to work.''
``From the beginning, it became very quickly apparent he was such a great physical comedian,'' Bright says. ``We knew he was a great actor and knew how to sell the joke, but the physical part of it is the unique talent.''
A good part of the show's charm comes from Benben's remarkable, subtle ability to react to the clips from vintage TV shows and movies that illustrate his inner thoughts, and which are a hallmark of the show.
The actor has genuine affection for Martin. ``It's funny because I have heard the character described to me as some kind of a zhlub,'' he says. ``I always take exception to that because that is not how I view him at all. He seems like somebody who is always fighting against things. He is always optimistic.''
For all its silliness, ``Dream On'' has tackled controversial subjects. Last season, it presented a tender episode in which Martin befriends a writer dying of AIDS. And in an upcoming show, Martin and his latest girlfriend, Kate (Roxanne Hart), break up because he supports her pregnant daughter's wish to have an abortion.
``It seems there is room for both'' kinds of shows, silly and serious, Benben says. ``We have some shows that are very issue-oriented, and there are those others which are just a sort of silly romp.''
Though there are still plenty of sex capades on ``Dream On,'' fans have noticed less nudity. ``As time goes by, we are more successful than not in making the nudity less germane,'' he says, adding with a wide grin, ``the older I get, the less I will be nude.''
by CNB