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Once one of the defining teen idols of the 1970s, Robby Benson<\/strong> won over audiences with his boy-next-door charm. Decades later, his life has moved far beyond that heartthrob era, shifting into new creative and personal chapters that may surprise fans.<\/p>\n The actor, who rose to fame in the television movies<\/a>Jeremy<\/em> and Ode to Billy Joe<\/em>, keeps a low profile. He has stepped back from the spotlight in recent years, but continues to work as an actor, voice-over artist, and director.In the 1970s, Benson was a film staple, and his soft-spoken voice, dark hair, and blue eyes made him a perfect teenage pin-up. Alongside Leif Garrett<\/strong>, Kristy McNichol<\/strong>, Shaun Cassidy<\/strong>, and Brooke Shields<\/strong><\/a>, Benson was part of a wave of young stars who defined teen idol culture during the decade.<\/p>\n Throughout the ’70s, Benson appeared in the feature films Death Be Not Proud<\/em>, Jory<\/em>, Our Town<\/em>, The End<\/em>, Ice Castles<\/em>, Walk Proud<\/em>, Ode to Billy Joe, The Chosen<\/em>, and Harry and Son<\/em>. Additionally, he appeared as a guest star on One Day at a Time<\/em>, wrote a soundtrack song for the film The Breakfast Club<\/em> (“We Are Not Alone”) with his wife, Karla DeVito<\/strong>, and completed voice-over work, along with numerous other guest appearances in both film and television.<\/p>\n Parade Daily\ud83c\udfac <\/strong>SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox<\/strong><\/a> \ud83c\udfac<\/strong><\/p>\n Benson remained a working actor, musician, and voice-over artist<\/a> for two decades before he was cast as the voice of the beast in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast<\/em> (the animated character has blue eyes<\/a> as a nod to his portrayer). That role led to a series of voice work projects for PJ Sparkles, <\/em>Batman<\/em><\/a>: The Animated Series, Wild West C.O.W., Lincoln<\/em>, and The Legend of Prince Valiant<\/em>.<\/p>\n While maintaining a busy career as a working actor, the former teen idol also stepped behind the camera, directing episodes of Evening Shade<\/em>, Family Album<\/em>, Monty<\/em>, Muddling Through<\/em>, Good Advice<\/em>, Exosquad<\/em>, Thunder Alley<\/em>, Ellen<\/em>, Sabrina the Teenage Witch<\/em>, Jesse<\/em>, 8 Simple Rules<\/em>, and Friends<\/em>, among others.<\/p>\n Most recently, Benson appeared as Dr. Mauer on Season 2 of the Apple TV+ series Severance<\/em>. He told PEOPLE Magazine<\/a> in March 2025, “I was very lucky that Rachel Tenner<\/strong>, who is the casting director for\u00a0Severance<\/em>, had a good idea to hire me. And so I did an audition on tape for Ben [Stiller]<\/strong>, and it went well, and he was so lovely. I mean, he’s such a good man.”<\/p>\n Robby Benson has been married to songwriter Karla DeVito for 44 years. They wed on July 11, 1982. They have two children together; a daughter, Lyric (1983), and a son, Zephyr (1992).<\/p>\n Related: Rarely Seen \u201980s Teen Icons Reunite for Beloved \u2018The Pirate Movie\u2019 Screening<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n This story was originally published by <\/em>Parade<\/em><\/a> on May 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the <\/em>Entertainment<\/em><\/a> section. Add Parade as a <\/em>Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n