Nigel Bennett
Encyclopedia
Nigel Bennett is an English
actor
/director
/writer
who has been based in Canada
since 1986. He is best known for playing the vampire
patriarch Lucien LaCroix in the TV series Forever Knight
, for which he won the Canadian Gemini Award
for best supporting actor in a dramatic series.
and The Skulls, and many, many other TV series. He had recurring roles in Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
and Lexx
. He also starred in a series of Oatmeal Crisp cereal commercials in the 1990s.
Teaming up with writer P. N. Elrod
, Bennett co-authored a series of acclaimed "James Bond with fangs" vampire adventure novels for Baen Books. The "Lord Richard, Vampire" trilogy includes Keeper of the King, His Father's Son, and Siege Perilous. He also contributed the short story "Wolf and Hound" to "Dracula's London," a collection edited by Elrod for Ace Science Fiction.
In 2006, he appeared in the Ken Finkleman
miniseries At The Hotel
, for which he was nominated for a Gemini Award
.
Bennett keeps himself busy with additional film and TV roles, stage work, convention and charity appearances. He was the artistic director of the world-renowned Atlantic Theatre Festival
in Wolfville, Nova Scotia
, Canada, from 2006–2007.
He has four children. His first, Matthew, is married with children and lives in Spain
. The second, Michael, a graduate of the King's College
in Halifax, Canada
, now attends university in London, Ontario
. Sam Bennett is attending high school in Toronto and Hannah, his daughter, lives with her mother and Nigel in Nova Scotia.
Bennett's acting bug first bit him at age eleven when he played a Roman citizen in a school play—Shaw's Antony and Cleopatra. He graduated from the University of Wales
with a degree in theatre, and taught for a year and a half before beginning acting full time. He had fifteen years of stage experience in England prior to moving to Canada. He attended Tettenhall College
in Wolverhampton
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
/director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
/writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
who has been based in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
since 1986. He is best known for playing the vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
patriarch Lucien LaCroix in the TV series Forever Knight
Forever Knight
Forever Knight was a Canadian television series about Nick Knight, an 800-year-old vampire working as a police detective in modern day Toronto. Wracked with guilt for centuries of killing others, he seeks redemption by working as a homicide detective on the night shift while struggling to find a...
, for which he won the Canadian Gemini Award
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
for best supporting actor in a dramatic series.
Life and career
Bennett has also been in a number of major films such as Murder at 1600Murder at 1600
Murder at 1600 is a 1997 thriller film starring Wesley Snipes, Diane Lane, Dennis Miller, Ronny Cox, Daniel Benzali, and Alan Alda. The 1600 in the title refers to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the address of the White House. The film is based on the novel Murder in the White House by Margaret Truman,...
and The Skulls, and many, many other TV series. He had recurring roles in Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues is a spin-off of the 1972-1975 television series Kung Fu. David Carradine and Chris Potter starred as a father and son trained in kung fu - Carradine playing a Shaolin monk, Potter a police detective. This series aired in syndication for four seasons, from January 27,...
and Lexx
Lexx
Lexx is a science fantasy television series that follows the adventures of a group of mismatched individuals aboard the organic space craft Lexx. They travel through two universes and encounter planets including a parody of the Earth....
. He also starred in a series of Oatmeal Crisp cereal commercials in the 1990s.
Teaming up with writer P. N. Elrod
P. N. Elrod
Patricia N. Elrod is an American novelist specializing in urban fantasy. She's written in the mystery, romance, paranormal, and historical genres with at least one foray into comedic fantasy. Elrod is also an editor, having worked on several collections for Ace Science Fiction, DAW, Benbella Books,...
, Bennett co-authored a series of acclaimed "James Bond with fangs" vampire adventure novels for Baen Books. The "Lord Richard, Vampire" trilogy includes Keeper of the King, His Father's Son, and Siege Perilous. He also contributed the short story "Wolf and Hound" to "Dracula's London," a collection edited by Elrod for Ace Science Fiction.
In 2006, he appeared in the Ken Finkleman
Ken Finkleman
Ken Finkleman is a Canadian television and film writer, producer and actor.In Canada, Finkleman is best known as the writer, creator and producer of the CBC Television series The Newsroom, in which he starred as television news producer George Findlay...
miniseries At The Hotel
At The Hotel
At the Hotel is a Canadian drama-comedy-musical mini-series concerning the goings-on at an illustrious Montreal hotel, known for its favourable treatment of struggling artists. Created by Ken Finkleman and produced by One Hundred Percent Television, the series aired on CBC Television in 2006. The...
, for which he was nominated for a Gemini Award
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
.
Bennett keeps himself busy with additional film and TV roles, stage work, convention and charity appearances. He was the artistic director of the world-renowned Atlantic Theatre Festival
Atlantic Theatre Festival
The Atlantic Theatre Festival was a professional theatre company located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Theatre Festival presented a "broad range of critically acclaimed theatre classics" during the summer in Wolfville's Festival Theatre, the former town hockey arena which was converted...
in Wolfville, Nova Scotia
Wolfville, Nova Scotia
Wolfville is a small town in the Annapolis Valley, Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada, located about northwest of the provincial capital, Halifax. As of 2006, the population was 3,772....
, Canada, from 2006–2007.
He has four children. His first, Matthew, is married with children and lives in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The second, Michael, a graduate of the King's College
University of King's College
The University of King's College is a post-secondary institution in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. King's is a small liberal arts university offering mainly undergraduate programs....
in Halifax, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, now attends university in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
. Sam Bennett is attending high school in Toronto and Hannah, his daughter, lives with her mother and Nigel in Nova Scotia.
Bennett's acting bug first bit him at age eleven when he played a Roman citizen in a school play—Shaw's Antony and Cleopatra. He graduated from the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
with a degree in theatre, and taught for a year and a half before beginning acting full time. He had fifteen years of stage experience in England prior to moving to Canada. He attended Tettenhall College
Tettenhall College
Tettenhall College is a mixed independent school located in the Wolverhampton suburb of Tettenhall.-History:The College was founded in 1863 by a group of prominent local businessmen and industrialists, most of who were associated with the Queen Street Congregational Church. Tettenhall Towers was...
in Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
.
Filmography
- The Summit (TV mini-series) (2008), Ian Greene
- Burn Up (TV mini-series) (2008), Jerry
- The BorderThe Border (TV series)The Border is a Canadian drama airing on CBC Television and 20 other TV networks worldwide. It was created by Peter Raymont, Lindalee Tracey, Janet MacLean and Jeremy Hole of White Pine Pictures. The Executive in Charge of Production is Janice Dawe. Episodes in the first season were directed by...
(2008), Andrew Mannering - 4 episodes - The State Within (2006), Charles Macintyre - 7 episodes
- Reversible ErrorsReversible Errors (film)Reversible Errors is a 2004 2 episode television miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Scott Turow.It was directed by Mike Robe, who previously directed Scott Turow's The Burden of Proof. Filming was done in and around Halifax, Nova Scotia, and featured shots of Halifax City Hall and...
(2004), Talmadge - Too Young to Be a DadToo Young to Be a DadToo Young To Be A Dad is a made-for-television movie about teen pregnancy that aired in May 2002 on Lifetime.-Plot summary:The film opens with 15 year old Matt Freeman becoming the youngest member to be inducted into his school's Honor Society...
(2002), Dr. Howell - AndromedaAndromeda (TV series)Andromeda is a Canadian-American science fiction television series, based on unused material by the late Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, developed by Robert Hewitt Wolfe, and produced by Roddenberry's widow, Majel Barrett Roddenberry. It starred Kevin Sorbo as High Guard Captain Dylan Hunt...
(TV) Paroo - Interceptor Force 2, Jack Bavaro
- CypherCypher (film)Cypher , is a 2002 science fiction thriller film starring Jeremy Northam and Lucy Liu. The film was written by Brian King and directed by Vincenzo Natali. The film was shown in limited release in theaters in the USA, and released on DVD on August 2nd 2005.-Plot:Morgan Sullivan, a recently...
(2002), Finster - LexxLexxLexx is a science fantasy television series that follows the adventures of a group of mismatched individuals aboard the organic space craft Lexx. They travel through two universes and encounter planets including a parody of the Earth....
(TV) (Series Regular) (2000–2002), Prince - The Crossing (2000), Gen. Horatio Gates - TV
- The Skulls (2000), Dr. Rupert Whitney
- Top of the Food ChainTop of the Food ChainTop of the Food Chain is a 1999 Canadian film directed by John Paizs, starring Campbell Scott, Fiona Loewi, and Tom Everett Scott. It was released on video in the US under the title Invasion! It is a parody of alien invasion movies, where mysterious carnivorous beings invade a small town....
(1999), Michel O'Shea - Psi Factor: Chronicles of the ParanormalPsi Factor: Chronicles of the ParanormalPsi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal is a Canadian science fiction drama television series which was filmed in and around Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and aired 88 episodes over four seasons from 1996 to 2000...
(1996–1999), Frank Elsinger - TV, 29 episodes - War of 1812War of 1812The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
(TV mini-series) (1999). Winfield Scott - One Tough CopOne Tough CopOne Tough Cop is a 1998 crime film written by Jeremy Iacone and directed by Bruno Barreto. The movie stars Stephen Baldwin as the protagonist and first-person narrator Bo Dietl, a New York City detective who wrote the book that the film is based on. Chris Penn costars as Dietl's partner...
(1998), Inspector Bassie - Strike!The Hairy BirdThe Hairy Bird , also released under the titles Strike! and All I Wanna Do , is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Sarah Kernochan...
(1998), Harvey Sawyer - La Femme Nikita (1997), Egran Petrosian
- GottiGottiGotti: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Mafia Don is a 1996 HBO original movie made for television directed by Robert Harmon. It features Armand Assante, as the infamous Gambino crime family Boss John Gotti, William Forsythe, and Anthony Quinn. The film was the highest rated original telefilm in...
(1996), Bruce Mouw - Darkman III: Die Darkman Die (1996), Nico (Rooker's #1 henchman)
- The ArrowThe ArrowThe Arrow is a four-hour miniseries produced for CBC Television in 1996, starring Dan Aykroyd as Crawford Gordon, experienced wartime production leader during World War II and president of A. V. Roe Canada during its attempt to produce the Avro Arrow supersonic jet interceptor. The film also stars...
(1996), Aeronautical Engineer Jim Floyd, Mini-series (CBC) - Kung Fu: The Legend ContinuesKung Fu: The Legend ContinuesKung Fu: The Legend Continues is a spin-off of the 1972-1975 television series Kung Fu. David Carradine and Chris Potter starred as a father and son trained in kung fu - Carradine playing a Shaolin monk, Potter a police detective. This series aired in syndication for four seasons, from January 27,...
(1993), John Mitchell - TV - Forever KnightForever KnightForever Knight was a Canadian television series about Nick Knight, an 800-year-old vampire working as a police detective in modern day Toronto. Wracked with guilt for centuries of killing others, he seeks redemption by working as a homicide detective on the night shift while struggling to find a...
(1992–1996), Lacroix - TV series regular - Harrison BergeronHarrison Bergeron (film)Harrison Bergeron is a 1995 cable television movie film loosely adapted from Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 short story of the same name. It was produced for Showtime, and first screened on August 13, 1995.-Premise:...
(1995), Dr. Eisenstock - TV - A Child's Christmas in WalesA Child's Christmas in WalesA Child's Christmas in Wales is a prose work by the Welsh writer Dylan Thomas. Originally emerging from a piece written for radio, the poem was recorded by Thomas in 1952. The story is an anecdotal retelling of a Christmas from the view of a young child and is a romanticised version of Christmases...
(1987), Father (past) - TV - BBC2 Playhouse (1981–1982), Mr. Ring - TV, 3 episodes
- Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
(1977), Colin Bailey - TV, 1 episode - Play for TodayPlay for TodayPlay for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted...
(The Happy Hunting Ground) (1976) - TV