Bernard Behrens

{{Infobox person

| name = Bernard Behrens

| image = Bernard_Behrens_in_Hill_Street_Blues_1982.jpg

| caption = Bernard Behrens in Hill Street Blues 1982

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1926|9|28}}

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2012|9|19|1926|9|28}}

| death_place =

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 1961–2010

| spouse = Deborah Cass

| website =

}}

Bernard Behrens (September 28, 1926 – September 19, 2012) was a British-Canadian actor.Paul King, "Bernard Behrens is The Drummer Boy's swingingest performer". The Globe and Mail, January 30, 1968. He was most noted as a two-time Gemini Award winner, winning Best Actor in a Television Film or Miniseries at the 6th Gemini Awards in 1992 for his performance in the dramatic anthology series Saying Goodbye,"Here are just some of the Gemini winners". Vancouver Sun, March 9, 1992. and Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Program or Series at the 9th Gemini Awards in 1995 for the television film Coming of Age.Tony Atherton, "Geminis come of age: Due South, Browning show score big". Ottawa Citizen, March 6, 1995.

Early life

Born and raised in London, England, he moved to Canada at the start of World War II. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he cofounded a theatre company there with Bill Walker, Helene Winston and Peggy Green in 1951.Herbert Whittaker, "Behrens: the trouble with Canadian theatre". The Globe and Mail, January 30, 1971.

Career

Although he often had supporting or guest roles in film and television, he was principally associated with stage roles, for theatre companies such as the Dominion Drama Festival, the Canadian Players and the Stratford Festival, as well as sometimes returning to the United Kingdom to perform at the Bristol Old Vic.

In addition to his two Gemini wins, he was also a nominee on two other occasions, being nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Program or Series at the 1st Gemini Awards in 1986 for the television film Turning to Stone,Sid Adilman, "Anne leads field in Geminis race". Toronto Star, October 16, 1986. and Best Guest Actor in a Drama at the 20th Gemini Awards for an appearance on This Is Wonderland."Who will step up to the podium?". Playback, November 7, 2005.

From the 1960s to the 1970s, Behrens appeared in numerous television series such as Great Performances, The Bionic Woman, and Starsky & Hutch.

In 1981 he voiced the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in a radio dramatization of Star Wars for National Public Radio.{{cite book |last1=Tenuto |first1=Maria Jose |last2=Tenuto |first2=John |title=The Star Wars Radio Dramas: Brian Daley and the Serialization That Saved NPR |date=29 July 2024 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9781476695631 |page=66 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0vYYEQAAQBAJ}}Elina MacNiven, "Star Wars zaps the air waves". The Globe and Mail, July 3, 1981.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Behrens continued appearing in television movies and series such as Counterstrike (1990), and Incident in a Small Town (1994).{{cite book |last1=Edelman |first1=Rob |last2=Kupferberg |first2=Audrey |title=Matthau: A Life |date=4 September 2002 |publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing |isbn=9781461625193 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_-jwSzbgpWgC |access-date=27 May 2025}}

Personal Life

Behrens was married to Canadian actress Deborah Cass. He died in 2012, just 9 days prior to his 86th birthday.

Filmography

=Film=

Behrens appeared in more than twenty theatrical films, including:{{cite book |last1=Malone |first1=Peter |title=Screen Priests: The Depiction of Catholic Priests in Cinema, 1900-2018 |date=19 August 2019 |publisher=ATF Press |isbn=9781925872910 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ag-5DwAAQBAJ |access-date=27 May 2025}}{{cite book |last1=Senn |first1=Bryan |title=Fantastic Cinema Subject Guide: A Topical Index to 2,500 Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy Films |date=16 October 2024 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9781476619026 |page=32 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K5MuEQAAQBAJ |access-date=27 May 2025}}{{cite book |last1=Mavis |first1=Paul |title=The Espionage Filmography: United States Releases, 1898 Through 1999 |date=8 June 2015 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9781476604275 |page=211 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ehkcZFT8fMoC}}{{cite book |last1=Nash |first1=Jay Robert |last2=Ross |first2=Stanley Ralph |title=The Motion Picture Guide: 1993 |date=1993 |publisher=Cinebooks |page=26 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x7gzAQAAIAAJ |access-date=27 May 2025}}

1981: Galaxy of Terror as Commander Ilvar
1990: Beautiful Dreamers as Dr. Winslow
1996: Mother Night as Dr. Lionel Jones
2000: Waking the Dead as Father Stanton

=Television=

Year	Title	Role	Notes
class="wikitable sortable" \|+ {{Screen reader-only\| Bernard Behrens television credits}}
1975 \| Great Performances \| Sir Peter Teazle \| 1 episode
1977 \| Little House on the Prairie \| Bailey Farrell \| Episode: "The Creeper of Walnut Grove" {{small\|(S4.E6)}}
1977 \| The Bionic Woman \| Beaumont / Major Petrov \| 2 episodes
1978 \| Starsky & Hutch \| Haley Gavin \| 1 episode
1978 \| Columbo \| George O'Connell \| 1 episode
1982 \| Hill Street Blues \| Bank Manager \| 1 episode
1985 \| Highway to Heaven \| Dr. Sheaffer \| 1 episode
1986	Turning to Stone	Professor Campbell	TV movie
1990 \| Counterstrike \| Dr. Burns \| Episode: "Mindbender" {{small\|(S1.E17)}}
1992	Saying Goodbye
1993	Coming of Age	Arthur Stone	TV movie
1993–1996 \| Kung Fu: The Legend Continues \| Andrei / M. Desjardin / George \| 3 episodes
1994	Incident in a Small Town	Judge Greeves	TV movie
2005 \| This Is Wonderland \| Fred Spreewell \| 2 episodes