Nat Benchley

NAT BENCHLEY is the performing scion of three-and-a-half generations of Benchleys in the Arts.

After a tour with the U. S. Naval Security Group in Southeast Asia during The Unpopular War, he settled in Washington, D. C., in the early 70s. There, he worked for Public TV for four years before launching a freelance acting and writing career which has –so far— spanned more than three decades and ranged from DC to LA and New York.

He has hosted talk shows and children’s educational programs, as well as scores of (very) informational videos and educational films. His distinctive voice is still heard on documentaries on The Discovery Channel and National Geographic.

National audiences remember him most vividly for his portrayal of the dipsomaniacal Detective Augie Polk on HBO’s cult series “The Wire.”

Washington audiences also recall his several turns on stage as Peter Cook’s reincarnation in “Beyond the Fringe” and “Good Evening.”

Picking up the family pen, he has written films for various clients (including The FBI National Academy and the Florida Attorney General) and articles for various magazines.

He wrote and has performed a one-man stage piece titled “Benchley Despite Himself.” And he has recorded two audio CDs reading the stories of his grandfather, Robert, titled “Benchley on Benchley, Volumes 1 & 2” (he thought of those titles himself).

In 2009, he and co-editor Kevin C. Fitzpatrick published “The Lost Algonquin Round Table,” a collection of previously little-known writings by the members of the fabled New York literary (and social) gang.

To the best of his knowledge, he has never been featured in any gossip columns (although that could soon change).

He currently lives in New York with his wife, the ever-patient Kathleen Peacock Benchley.