Brian Benben's first role was in a TV miniseries called The Gangster Chronicles in 1981, but his career really took off with Dream On. He starred as Martin Tupper on the HBO series about a divorced editor and single dad with an active imagination from 1990 to 1996. The actor went on to have his own short-lived series, The Brian Benben Show, and appear in several popular shows and movies. And while Dream On isn't as frequently discussed as some other HBO shows from the '90s, it definitely still has a cult following. Read on to learn more about what Benben has been up to since the comedy went off the air 26 years ago.
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He’s happily married to a fellow actor.
Barry King/WireImageBenben and Short Cuts star Madeline Stowe remain together after tying the knot way back in 1982, having met shooting The Gangster Chronicles. In 1996, they had their one and only child, a daughter named May. The couple live outside of Austin, Texas and, judging by Stowe’s Instagram, are very much in love. Recently, a friend tagged them in a picture of the judging panel for the 2022 Fred Rochlin Creative Arts Scholarship for Graduating Seniors of Nogales High School, something they have been doing together for a couple of years.
He doesn't act much onscreen anymore.
Newsmakers/Getty ImagesAfter Dream On and his self-titled show, Benben took a bit of a break. In the 2000s, he popped up in a made-for-TV movie called The Flamingo Rising, the crime drama Kingpin, and the anthology series, Masters of Horror. Fans might also recall that Benben played Dr. Sheldon Wallace on Private Practice, a Grey’s Anatomy spinoff. He came onto the show as a recurring character in Seasons 2 and 3 and was made a main character for the rest of the show’s tenure, which ended in 2014.
The next decade, Benben guested on a 2014 episode of Scandal and a 2015 episode of Grace and Frankie and played a recurring role on the music drama Roadies. He stepped back into the lead for his most recent major credit, the Bravo TV series The Imposters, which you can find on Netflix, playing a career scammer. There doesn't appear to be much in the works for him right now, but keep your eyes peeled.
He and his wife have weathered some tough times.
Amanda Edwards/WireImageOne scary moment for the couple occurred back in 2016, when an attacker broke into their home and held Stowe at gunpoint, per TMZ. The robber left with $75,000 worth of jewels—and with Stowe unharmed—and was later caught. Benben was asleep throughout the ordeal and chose to not make a statement to reporters, a testament to just how private he really is.
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He keeps a low profile on social media.
If Benben has a social media presence, it must be under a pseudonym, because he doesn’t seem to have an Instagram, Facebook, or any other social accounts. That being said, he pops up on his wife’s Instagram every so often. The most recent post of hers to feature him shows Benben goofing around in a Christmas wreath. “It’s all day, every day with this one,” she captioned it.
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