Benedict Wall

{{Infobox person

| name = Benedict Wall

| image = Actor Benedict Wal.png

| caption = Wall in July 2017

| birth_date = 17 June{{cite web|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/shortland-street/get-know-benedict-wall-4215761|title=Get to know: Benedict Wall|publisher=Television New Zealand|access-date=7 November 2016}}

| birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand

| nationality =

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 2007–present

| spouse = {{marriage|Jessica Grace Smith|2020}}

}}

Benedict Wall (born 17 June) is a New Zealand film, theatre and television actor. From 2011, Wall played Owen Sutherland in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He has also appeared in Outrageous Fortune, Underbelly: Badness, Breaker Morant: The Retrial and Pirates of the Airwaves. Wall co-wrote and directed the short film Best Mates. In 2016, he took over the role of Duncan Stewart in the Australian soap opera Home and Away. He also appeared in the Network Ten miniseries Brock.

Early and personal life

Wall was born in Auckland and grew up in Wellington. Wall spent three years completing a bachelor's degree in journalism. Six months after graduating, he decided to pursue a career in acting and won a scholarship to the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City.{{cite news|url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/entertainment/a/32044220/alf-stewarts-son-makes-unexpected-return-to-summer-bay/|title=Third time lucky for promising Home and Away star|last=Williams|first=Vanessa|date=13 July 2016|work=The West Australian|access-date=8 November 2016}}

Wall has been in a relationship with actress Jessica Grace Smith since 2010. The couple live in Sydney.{{cite web|url=https://nz.lifestyle.yahoo.com/life/a/25161949/jessica-grace-smith-home-and-totally-away/#page1|title=Jessica Grace Smith: Home and totally away!|last=McConnochie|first=Trudie|date=2 October 2014|work=New Idea NZ|access-date=8 November 2016}} Wall and Smith got engaged in November 2019,{{cite web|url=https://www.nowtolove.co.nz/lifestyle/sex-relationships/westside-actress-jessica-grace-smith-engaged-benedict-wall-43739|title=Westside actress Jessica Grace Smith's romantic beachside proposal|last=McLachlan|first=Marilynn|date=10 November 2019|work=Woman's Day|access-date=3 March 2020}} and they married in New Zealand on 8 February 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.nowtolove.com.au/lifestyle/weddings/home-and-away-jessica-grace-smith-benedict-wall-62887|title=Home and Away stars Jessica Grace Smith and Benedict Wall tie the knot after 10 years together|date=3 March 2020|work=TV Week|access-date=3 March 2020}} In July 2021, they announced they were expecting their first child.{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/home-and-away/a37175148/home-and-away-benedict-wall-jessica-grace-smith-baby/|title=Former Home and Away co-stars Jessica Grace Smith and Benedict Wall expecting first baby together|last=Houghton|first=Rianne|date=30 July 2021|publisher=Digital Spy|access-date=3 August 2021}}

Career

Wall played Ben on Outrageous Fortune in 2007. He also had roles in The Amazing Extraordinary Friends, Reckless Behavior: Caught on Tape and John Safran's Race Relations.{{cite web|url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/person/benedict-wall|title=Benedict Wall|publisher=NZ On Screen|access-date=11 November 2016}} In 2011, Wall received an audition for the medical soap opera Shortland Street and he was cast in the recurring role of ED consultant Owen Sutherland. The following year, he starred in the short film Ten Thousand Days, alongside Morgana O'Reilly.{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10821496|title=Dominic Corry: Cabins, imposters and airships at the Film Fest|last=Corry|first=Dominic|date=23 July 2012|work=The New Zealand Herald|access-date=11 November 2016}} He also made a guest appearance in Underbelly: Badness.{{cite web|url=http://www.tvweeklogieawards.com.au/news/articles/2016/4/benedict-wall-joining-home-and-away/|title=Benedict Wall joining Home And Away|date=26 April 2016|work=TV Week|access-date=8 November 2016}}

Wall portrayed Breaker Morant in Breaker Morant: The Retrial, a television documentary filmed in Charters Towers.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-17/morant-rides-again-in-charters-towers/4577838|title=Breaker Morant rides again in Charters Towers|last=Lewis|first=Peter|date=16 March 2013|work=ABC News|access-date=8 November 2016}} He starred as pirate radio host Rick Grant in the 2014 docudrama Pirates of the Airwaves, which tells the story of the founding of Radio Hauraki.{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/10278036/Kiwi-stars-forced-to-go-moonlighting|title=Kiwi stars forced to go moonlighting|last=Robinson|first=Michelle|date=20 July 2014|publisher=Stuff.co.nz|access-date=8 November 2016}} The following year, he appeared in James Raue's low budget feature film Psychoanalysis.{{cite web|url=http://if.com.au/2016/02/11/article/First-time-director-tackles-the-world-of-psychoanalysis-in-micro-budget-feature/LTKRXOOADL.html|title=First-time director tackles the world of psychoanalysis in micro budget feature|last=Windsor|first=Harry|date=11 February 2016|work=If Magazine|access-date=9 November 2016}} He was also cast in the Australian feature film The Pretend One, alongside Geraldine Hakewill and David Field. The film was shot in Queensland and released in 2016.{{cite web|url=http://if.com.au/2015/10/28/article/DOP-reveals-The-Pretend-One-shoot-secrets/IXNNGMDQKD.html|title=DOP reveals The Pretend One shoot secrets|date=28 October 2015|work=If Magazine|access-date=10 November 2016}}

Wall and fellow actor Tai Hara co-wrote the black comedy film Best Mates. Wall also directed and acted in the short, alongside Hara and Jessica Grace Smith. Best Mates received a nomination for Best Live Action Short Film at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.{{cite web|url=http://sbiff.org/best-mates/|title=Best Mates|publisher=Santa Barbara International Film Festival|access-date=9 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216065828/http://sbiff.org/best-mates/|archive-date=16 February 2016|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/01/santa-barbara-film-festival-lineup-full-list-of-movies-1201681132/|title=Santa Barbara Film Festival Lineup Set: Terrence Malick's 'Knight Of Cups' To Bow|last=N'Duka|first=Amanda|date=12 January 2016|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=10 November 2016}}

In 2016, Wall took over the role of Duncan Stewart in Home and Away. The character had not been part of the show for ten years.{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/tv-guide/82547451/Home-And-Aways-latest-Kiwi-import-Benedict-Wall-on-playing-Alf-Stewarts-son|title=Home And Away's latest Kiwi import Benedict Wall on playing Alf Stewart's son|last=Harvey|first=Kerry|date=29 July 2016|publisher=Stuff.co.nz|access-date=7 November 2016}} Wall had auditioned for Home and Away several times before he was cast as Duncan. He received a recall for the part of Martin Ashford, and he also auditioned for the role of Justin Morgan. In the same year, Wall appeared in the miniseries Brock as Tony Roberts.{{cite web|url=https://tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/brock/episode-1-credits|title=Episode 1 Credits|publisher=Tenplay|access-date=8 November 2016}} Wall plays the role of Jones in 2020 television drama Operation Buffalo, a friend of Major Leo Carmichael played by Ewen Leslie.{{cite magazine|date=22 June 2020|title=Dark clouds in the desert – Who's who in Maralinga?|magazine=TV Soap|issue=13|pages=42–43}}

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| Notes
scope="row"\| 2007 \| The Amazing Extraordinary Friends \| Damon \| Episode: "Captain X-posed"
scope="row"\| 2007 \| Reckless Behavior: Caught on Tape \| Cliff \|
scope="row"\| 2007 \| Outrageous Fortune \| Ben \| Episode: "What Did You Enact?"
scope="row"\| 2008 \| Jinx Sister \| Faceless Lover \|
scope="row"\| 2009 \| John Safran's Race Relations \| Jeremy Weinstein \|
scope="row"\| 2011 \| Shortland Street \| Owen Sutherland \|
scope="row"\| 2012 \| Ten Thousand Days \| Darby \| Short film
scope="row"\| 2012 \| Underbelly: Badness \| Ben Dokic \|
scope="row"\| 2013 \| Breaker Morant: The Retrial \| Breaker Morant \|
scope="row"\| 2014 \| Pirates of the Airwaves \| Rick Grant \|
scope="row"\| 2015 \| Psychoanalysis \| Paul Symmonds \|
scope="row"\| 2015 \| Ready for This \| Officer Waters \| Episode: "A Wonderful Day"
scope="row"\| 2016 \| Best Mates \| Dom \| Also co-writer and director
scope="row"\| 2016 \| Brock \| Tony Roberts \|
scope="row"\| 2016 \| Home and Away \| Duncan Stewart \|
scope="row"\| 2016 \| The Pretend One \| Guy \|
scope="row"\| 2017 \| James Patterson's Murder is Forever \| Andrew \|
scope="row"\| 2020 \| The Flood \| Kelly Mckay \|
scope="row"\| 2020 \| Operation Buffalo \| Jones \|
scope="row"\| 2020 \| Shadow in the Cloud \| Tommy Dorn \|
scope="row"\| 2022 \| No Exit \|Ron Hill \|

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes

scope="row"| 2007

| The Amazing Extraordinary Friends

| Damon

| Episode: "Captain X-posed"

scope="row"| 2007

| Reckless Behavior: Caught on Tape

| Cliff