Earlier this week a friend told me the sad news that the remarkable actor Paul Benedict passed away on Monday at age 70.  Perhaps best known for playing The Jefferson’s quirky neighbor Harry Bentley, and more recently for a case of mistaken identity in Waiting For Guffman, Paul was a talented actor, a kind-hearted individual and will be missed by many.  I had the incredible fortune to perform with Paul this summer in a staged reading on Martha’s Vineyard, where he lived, and found him to be the warm and gregarious gentleman you might expect from some of his roles.  When it was rumored that Paul was coming to see one of my performances on the Vineyard, my fellow actors and I, giggling, would peer from backstage to see if “Guffman” had arrived to whisk us away to Broadway.  And while we will continue to wait, I know that Paul has moved on up to a better place.

Paul made countless appearances on stage and screen over the years, but I had trouble finding more clips to share than these below, so be sure to check out some of his other films.

And takepart by supporting the Actor’s Fund, which helps performers find housing and healthcare in times of need and crisis.  Right now the Fund is helping to build the Schermerhorn House, which will provide green affordable housing for low-income workers, people transitioning out of homelessness, and those living with AIDS/HIV.

Here Paul explains Richard III to Richard Dreyfuss in The Goodbye Girl:

You also may remember him fondly as the Mad Painter on Sesame Street:

Skip to minute 2 for a bit of Bentley in this clip from The Jeffersons: