Ben Nelson (Actor)

Benjamin (Ben) Wyngarde Nelson (September 7th, 1929-- ) is an American actor best known for playing the role of Donald Hart on the ABC soap opera Secrets for the show's entire 30 year run. He is also well-known for his role as the vengeful father in the infamous 1973 horror film, The House of Blood.

Early Life
Ben Nelson was born on September 7th, 1929 in Los Angeles, California. He is the son of the silent film actress Myrtle Gaynes and her second husband, the English jockey Winston Nelson. Nelson grew up in Los Angeles, London, and New York and served in the U.S. Army as a medic during the Korean War. Following his discharge from the army and inspired by Marlon Brando's performance in The Wild One, he relocated to New York, took classes at the famous Actor's Studio, and pursued his own career as an actor.

As Don Hart on Secrets
After a few small and bit roles on Broadway (including a highly acclaimed turn as Benvolio in Levi Strand's 1957 staging of Romeo and Juliet), Ben was cast as the scheming ne'er-do-well Don Hart on the ABC soap opera, Secrets. Ben would play the role from the very 1st episode in 1960 all the way to show's final episode in 1990. Ben had the distinction of being the only actor to appear on Secrets, in the same role, over the entire course of the series. He also had the distinction of appearing in the 1st scene of the first episode and the last scene of the last episode. Six years after the show was cancelled, Nelson told Inside the Actor's Studio's James Lipton that playing the character of Don Hart as he transformed from being an irresponsible playboy to a dedicated heart surgeon to one of the pillars of Grover's Meadow was, "perhaps the most rewarding experience that an undeserving fellow such as I could ever hope to have."

Other Work
Even while Nelson was playing Don Hart, he found time to make guest appearances on several primetime shows. One of his most popular guest starring roles was on a 1974 episode of Good Times in which he played a stuffy school teacher who attempts to hold Michael back a grade before being shown the error of his ways.

From 1975 until 1983, he was the official commercial spokesman for United National Insurance Company. His delivery of the line, "Can you risk not calling?" at the end of each of these commercials was frequently parodied by late night comedians and was even referenced on Secrets.

Film Career
Ben Nelson made his film debut in The Longest Day (1962) in which he plays a G.I. who, on D-Day, storms the beaches of Normandy with Fabian Forte, Tommy Sands, and Paul Anka. It has often been rumored that his only line was cut from the picture but a careful viewing reveals that he can be heard shouting, "DOWN!" at one point.

Subsequent film work includes small roles in Chicago Confidential (1964), The Arch Kook (1967), ''What Did I Do Last Night? (1970), and Escape From The Planet of the Apes (1971'').

His most notorious film was perhaps The House of Blood (1973), a gory horror film in which he played Dr. Martin Young, a Utah doctor who -- after his six daughters are raped and murdered -- proceeds to inflict his own sadistic vengeance on the murderers. Though his performance in the film is often criticized as being over the top and melodramatic, his final chainsaw battle with the main villian (played by Robert C. Benson) is considered to be a highlight.

(According to Benson, he and Nelson did not get along and there was some fear that Nelson would actually try to kill Benson during the final fight.)

While House of Blood was a huge commercial success, Nelson has never been a fan of the movie, calling it "sadistic" and "sleazy." He pointedly refused to be interview for the film's DVD release and, when asked about the film by James Lipton, reportedly responded by saying a profane word and walking off the set of Inside The Actor's Studio.

Nelson has also had roles in Agatha Christie's Murder In Yorkshire (1982), Angel Dust (1984), The Girls In Cell Block 69 (1985), and Working Stiff (1996).

After Secrets
After the cancellation of Secrets, Nelson played Henry Hastings on the CBS soap opera Love from 1991 through '93. Unhappy with his storylines, Nelson asked to be released from his contract early. In order to do so, the character of Henry Hastings was written out of the show. (It was explained that he had been eaten by a giant sea serpent a la Jonah.) The fan response to this was so extremely negative that Nelson reportedly hired a bodyguard.

From 1996 until 1997, he played the role of Talmadge St. Clair on another CBS soap opera The Bold And The Beautiful.

Present Day
Nelson describes himself as being retired though he did recently say that he is still available if a good role comes along. He also added, "Once you get past 70, there aren't that many interesting parts left." He currently lives in an undisclosed location in Connecticut with his third wife and a poodle named Hercules. He maintains a MySpace page which he updates infrequently and on which he lists his current hobbies as "drawing, sketching, and tracing."