Tyrone Benskin
Tyrone Benskin is an English-Canadian actor, theatre director and politician. He was elected Member of Parliament in the Jeanne-Le Ber riding, in Montreal, Quebec, in the 2011 Canadian federal election and served as an MP until 2015.
Life and career
Benskin was born in Bristol, England but moved to Canada in 1968 at age nine.
Artistic career
Having studied theatre at both CEGEP and university levels in Montreal, Benskin has become a significant presence in theatre, film, television and music. His theatre credits include features appearances on such celebrated stages as the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, the National Arts Centre and the Centaur Theatre in Montreal.
Benskin also supplied the voice of Kobalt in the 1996 animated series of Flash Gordon and Bo and Wimzie's father Rousso in the children's television series Wimzie's House.
In politics
On 30 January 2011, Benskin was announced as the federal New Democratic Party candidate in the Montreal-area riding of Jeanne-Le Ber in the 2011 federal election. During the election, his candidacy was seen as one of the NDP's better chances for a gain in Quebec, and NDP leader Jack Layton described him as having minister potential. On 2 May 2011, he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada with a substantial margin, defeating Bloc Québécois incumbent Thierry St-Cyr.
Benskin was named the Official Opposition's critic for Canadian Heritage, and later transferred to the Official Languages file as deputy critic. He was dropped from the shadow cabinet after party leader Thomas Mulcair learned that Benskin owed the Quebec revenue agency $58,000 for unpaid taxes from 2007 to 2011. Benskin apologized, attributing the non-payment to having precarious employment as an artist prior to becoming an MP. Benskin did not stand as a candidate in the 2015 federal election, having lost the local party's nomination to Allison Turner.
Filmography
Film
Killing 'em Softly as 2nd Black manAdam's Wall as MostafaAftermath as Arnold RossThe Amityville Curse as Video TechnicianBears as NarratorBlind Fear as GuardCanvas as Detective AustinCargo as RadioCriminal Law as JacksonDead Like Me: Life After Death as Police Commissioner CusekDeath of a Ladies' Man as Jonathan HébertEnemies: A Love Story as CabbieFais danser la poussière as LawyerFull Disclosure as FBI Special Agent DraperI'm Not There as Mr. AvrinIsland of the Dead as Dwight TrumanJack Paradise: Montreal by Night as Winston WhiteThe Kiss as Railway Station DoctorLotto 6/66 as LandlordMoney as 3rd BrokerRelative Fear as CopThe Killing Machine as Doctor #2Soul Survivor as JeromeThe Wrong Woman as MitchumMarked Man as Detective BoydSci-fighters as Dr. Gene WashingtonStranger in the House as SlovitzPeepers as HelmanScanners II: The New Order as Store OwnerStolen Babies, Stolen Lives as NarratorSunday Afternoon as MontyVolcanos of the Deep Sea as Narrator10.5: Apocalypse as Jackson, The Bartender300 as Persian EmissaryEvergreen$ - 2023 as Morgan
Television
Night Heat as Mitch MalloyShades of Love: The Man Who Guards the Greenhouse as WorkmanThe Phone Call as Police Officer #2The Final Heist as JuanUrban Angel as Agent #1 / TravisThe Boys of St. Vincent as Dr. MaynardRace to Freedom: The Underground Railroad as WardTekWar: TekLords as Dr. BrimellMy Breast as Dr. Henry BalmerReady or Not as Mr. EdwardsForever Knight as JonahConvict Cowboy as CurtisCagney and Lacey: The View Through the Glass Ceiling as Dr. NasserSide Effects as Detective WatsonSpenser: A Savage Place as StevensonJohnny and Clyde as HadleyDark Eyes as Bill MarsdenDue South as Mr. Shawl / Jeff StoreyWimzie's House as Rousso Are You Afraid of the Dark? as Jack PalmerA Husband, a Wife and a Lover as Dr. CarpenterF/X: The Series as JudgeWe the Jury as Noland JamesRiverdale as MikeA Taste of Shakespeare as Prince of Morocco / Tubal / Duke of VeniceEarth: Final Conflict as Frank RiceThe Long Island Incident as Colin FergusonThanks of a Grateful Nation as Superintendent MeekerNaked City: Justice with a Bullet as DonovanLive Through This as 'Sparky'Big Wolf on Campus as Male Nurse St. JacquesRadio Active as Coach HadressThe Killing Yard as Haywood BurnsTales from the Neverending Story as CaironLargo Winch as Waldo BuzettiRedeemer Obsessed as Judge Tyrone WolfDeacons for Defense as ArchieThe Newsroom as Mr. TaylorThe Wool Cap as ClarenceNaked Josh as Tyrone Charpentier15/Love as Mr. WhiteMind Over Murder as Julian HastyCharlie Jade as Karl LubinskyProof of Lies as Robert HunterThe Rival as Detective MartinSuperstorm as Murray MichaelsDurham County as RanjitChristie's Revenge as Detective HogueThe Dead Zone as Orderley Dewey MorrisThe Love of Her Life as Officer KingmanSophie as Mr. ByrdThe Christmas Choir as BobFinal Verdict as Detective LewisMy Nanny's Secret as Detective DrabantSummer Villa as Dominic BaroneJupiter's Legacy as Willie SmallDebris as George JonesDan Brown's The Lost Symbol as Warren BellamyThe Boys as Elijah
Animation
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective – Additional VoicesAnatoleAnimal CrackersBad Dog – Judge BiglyBelphegor – Additional VoicesBirdz – Additional VoicesDiabolikDog's WorldDragon HuntersFlash Gordon – KobaltFlight SquadFreaky StoriesIvanhoeJim Button – Additional VoicesKassai and Leuk – Additional VoicesMalo Korrigan – Additional VoicesManivald – MooseA Miss Mallard Mystery – Additional VoicesPatrol 03 The Country Mouse and the City Mouse Adventures Mythic Warriors: Guardians of the Legend as ElpenorTripping the Rift The Legend of Sarila as Itak Ned's Newt – Additional VoicesThe Neverending StoryOcean TalesPet PalsPig CityPrincess Sissi – Joseph, DaniaRescue Heroes – Additional VoicesRipley's Believe It or Not! – Roger GlapionSilver SurferSuperplants – NarratorThe Tofus – Additional VoicesX-Chromosome – Additional VoicesX-DuckX – Additional Voices
Video games
Jagged Alliance Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games Jagged Alliance 2 Wizardry 8 Evolution Worlds as Federico / Infantryman #4Rainbow Six: Vegas Far Cry 2 Splinter Cell as Lucias GaillardSplinter Cell: Conviction as Lucious Galliard