Perry Benson: British Character Actor of You Rang, M’Lord
Perry Benson has been a fixture of British sitcoms for over three decades, yet his name remains largely unknown outside dedicated fan circles. This profile separates his verified credits from the many online claims that are harder to pin down.
Born: 9 April 1961 ·
Birthplace: St Pancras, London, England ·
Known For: You Rang, M’Lord?; Oh, Doctor Beeching!; This Is England ·
Notable Films: Sid and Nancy (1986); This Is England (2006) ·
Profession: British character actor
Quick snapshot
- Born 9 April 1961 in St Pancras, London (The Movie Database (TMDB))
- Regular roles in You Rang, M’Lord? (1988–1993) and Oh, Doctor Beeching! (Perry Benson’s official website)
- Grange Hill, Quadrophenia, Blackadder, and Benidorm appearances lack confirmation in provided sources (community-edited encyclopedia Wikipedia)
- Key anchor: You Rang, M’Lord? ran from 1988 to 1993 (official actor website)
- No upcoming projects announced on official channels (official actor website)
Five key facts, one pattern: Perry Benson’s career is built on ensemble British sitcoms and cult films that span four decades, yet much of his personal and disputed credit information remains scattered across online platforms.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Perry Benson |
| Born | 9 April 1961 |
| Birthplace | St Pancras, London, England |
| Occupation | Actor and writer |
| Known For | You Rang, M’Lord?; Oh, Doctor Beeching!; This Is England |
What is Perry Benson famous for?
Who is Perry Benson?
Perry Benson is a British character actor recognised by his official actor website (first-party source) as a performer with regular television roles. He was born on 9 April 1961 in St Pancras, London, according to The Movie Database.
Perry Benson’s career is a textbook British character-actor path: consistent sitcom work between 1988 and 2000, plus a handful of turn-of-the-millennium film credits that keep him in the public eye.
Why is Perry Benson described as a character actor?
The official website states his better-known television work is concentrated in British sitcoms. That pattern — appearing in multiple series without being the starring lead — is exactly what defines the British character actor category. IMDb editorial database also identifies him as both actor and writer, a combination that often accompanies actors who move between recurring TV roles and film appearances.
The implication: if you recognise Perry Benson, it’s because he was a fixture of British sitcoms for the better part of two decades — not because he played a single iconic character.
What has Perry Benson been in?
What TV shows has Perry Benson appeared in?
- You Rang, M’Lord? — regular role from 1988 to 1993 (official actor website; channel was BBC)
- Oh, Doctor Beeching! — regular role from 1995 to 1997 (The Movie Database)
- Operation Good Guys — regular role from 1997 to 2000 (official actor website; channel was BBC)
- Benidorm — role listed with a run of 2014–2015 (official actor website; channel was ITV)
What films has Perry Benson been in?
The film credits with the strongest cross-verification — appearing on both IMDb editorial database and Rotten Tomatoes aggregated critic platform — include Sid and Nancy (1986), Scum (1979), and This Is England (2006). Apple TV digital storefront listing reinforces the same cluster of credits.
IMDb also lists Love, Honour and Obey, Last Resort, and Mum & Dad. Wikipedia’s entry adds Quadrophenia, Vinyl, Get Santa, and Accident Man (community-edited encyclopedia), but these citations lack tier-2 cross-validation in the provided research.
The gap between IMDb and Wikipedia on Quadrophenia is the key dispute. Readers who verify against the official website will find only the carousel of sitcom and film credits approved by the actor himself.
The pattern: a reliable filmography emerges when you restrict to sources that are either first-party (official website) or editorial databases (TMDB, IMDb). Anything on Wikipedia that doesn’t also appear on those platforms remains unconfirmed by the provided evidence.
Was Perry Benson in Grange Hill?
The official website and IMDb do not list Grange Hill among Perry Benson’s credits. No provided source (Wikipedia, official site, IMDb) contains that show.
Did Perry Benson appear in Blackadder?
No — Blackadder is absent from IMDb’s known-for list and from the official website’s TV credits. The claim remains unconfirmed.
Did Perry Benson appear in Benidorm?
Yes — the official website lists Benidorm with a run of 2014–2015. This contradicts the earlier statement that the provided source snippets from the content plan did not list it; the official website itself does list the show. This credit is therefore confirmed.
Why this matters: the Grange Hill, Blackadder, and Quadrophenia questions are the most commonly searched because they reflect the pattern confusion between Perry Benson and Peter Benson (1943–2018), the actor who played Arthur in Lovejoy and Albert Rix in Dad’s Army. The two men share a surname and age proximity but are not the same person.
For a British actor with four decades of work, the most frequently asked questions are about roles he likely never played. That’s the cost of sharing a generation with actors like Peter Benson — the search algorithms blur them together.
Was Perry Benson in Quadrophenia?
The provided research does not contain a confirmed source crediting Benson in Quadrophenia. Both the IMDb and official website filmographies omit it. Wikipedia’s entry does list it, but that citation is exclusively from Wikipedia and lacks cross-validation from TMDB or Rotten Tomatoes in this evidence set.
Does Perry Benson’s IMDb page include Quadrophenia?
No — the IMDb page provided in the research does not list Quadrophenia among his credits. The Rotten Tomatoes filmography also omits it.
Does the official site mention Quadrophenia?
No — the official website makes no mention of Quadrophenia.
The honest answer is unconfirmed, highlighting how easily credit claims spread without primary source backing. Checking a complete filmography like IMDb and cross-referencing with the official site provides the actor-verified subset.
The pattern: the four most disputed credits — Grange Hill, Blackadder, Benidorm, Quadrophenia — all reflect the same internet tendency to conflate British character actors of a certain vintage. Of the four, only Benidorm is confirmed by the evidence set.
What are Perry Benson’s most memorable roles?
No provided source ranks a single role as Perry Benson’s definitive most famous credit. But the official website and The Movie Database both emphasise his regular sitcom roles — You Rang, M’Lord? and Oh, Doctor Beeching! — over any single film performance. IMDb, by contrast, elevates Sid and Nancy and This Is England in its “known for” display.
What is Perry Benson’s most famous role?
Based on the dual weighting of the official website and IMDb, the most defensible answer is the sitcom role of Henry Livingstone in You Rang, M’Lord?. It appears in every primary source and ran for five series, giving Benson the most screen time of any single credit in his filmography.
Why is Perry Benson considered a familiar face in British comedy?
Because he appeared in ensemble sitcoms at a time when BBC comedy broadcast to millions. You Rang, M’Lord? aired on BBC1 in primetime, and the official website explicitly describes him as being “widely described as best known for his regular role” in that show. The implication: recognition isn’t about a single scene-stealing moment — it’s about consistent, long-running exposure on the UK’s biggest channel.
Where does Perry Benson live?
Perry Benson’s birthplace is St Pancras, London, per TMDB. His current residence is not stated in any provided source.
How tall is Perry Benson?
The provided sources do not state Perry Benson’s height. This is a common data point for actors that gets reproduced across fan wikis; in this case, no reliable source in the evidence set mentions it.
Is Perry Benson still alive?
Yes — the official website is still active, and no death notice appears in the provided research. This is a straightforward confirmation.
Who is Perry Benson’s wife?
The provided sources do not name a wife. This absence is worth noting because it illustrates the gap between the personal data people search for and what is publicly documented for a working character actor who has not courted celebrity press.
The catch: the four personal-data queries — residence, height, wife, net worth — all return empty in the evidence set. That’s not unusual for a British character actor who has not pursued the tabloid or influencer career track. The hard distinction to maintain is between Perry Benson (born 1961) and Peter Benson (1943–2018), the actor who played Albert Rix in Dad’s Army. The two names are regularly confused online.
Timeline
- 9 April 1961 — Perry Benson born in St Pancras, London, England (The Movie Database (TMDB))
- 1986 — Film credit in Sid and Nancy (IMDb editorial database)
- 1988–1993 — Regular role in You Rang, M’Lord? (Perry Benson’s official website)
- 1995–1997 — Regular role in Oh, Doctor Beeching! (The Movie Database)
- 1997–2000 — Regular role in Operation Good Guys (official actor website)
- 2006 — Film credit in This Is England (IMDb editorial database)
- 2014–2015 — Role in Benidorm (official actor website)
Confirmed facts vs. what remains unclear
Confirmed
- Born 9 April 1961 in St Pancras, London.
- British character actor.
- Regular roles in You Rang, M’Lord? and Oh, Doctor Beeching!.
- Film credits in Sid and Nancy (1986) and This Is England (2006).
- Role in Benidorm (2014–2015) per official website.
- Still alive as of compilation date.
What remains unclear
- Grange Hill, Blackadder, and Quadrophenia appearances.
- Current residence.
- Height (not stated in provided sources).
- Wife or marital status (not stated in provided sources).
- Net worth (not stated in provided sources).
- Early-career details before Sid and Nancy.
Quotes about Perry Benson’s career
“Perry Benson is a British character actor born 9 April 1961 in St Pancras, London. He is best known for his regular roles in British television sitcoms and feature films.”
The Official Website of Perry Benson (first-party actor biography)
“He is widely described as best known for his regular role in You Rang, M’Lord?”
The Official Website of Perry Benson (first-party actor biography)
“Perry Benson is an English character actor, best known for his regular roles in You Rang, M’Lord? (1988-1993), Oh, Doctor Beeching! (1995-1997), and Operation Good Guys (1997-2000).”
The Movie Database (editorial filmography database)
“Known for Sid and Nancy, This Is England, and You Rang, M’Lord?”
IMDb (editorial filmography database)
tvtropes.org, reportdesk.uk, watch.plex.tv, tv.apple.com, kinomia.com.ua, benidorm.fandom.com
Frequently asked questions
What is Perry Benson’s net worth?
Perry Benson’s net worth is not stated in any provided source. No financial disclosures appear in the official website, IMDb, or TMDB records included in this evidence set.
What was Perry Benson’s early career like?
The provided sources do not detail Perry Benson’s early career before his film credit in Sid and Nancy (1986). The closest anchor is Scum (1979), listed on Rotten Tomatoes.
How old is Perry Benson?
Born 9 April 1961, making him 64 as of 2025, per TMDB.
Is Perry Benson the same actor as Peter Benson?
No. Perry Benson (born 1961) is a different person from Peter Benson (1943–2018). The provided sources show no overlap in credits or biographical details. The confusion arises because both are British actors of a similar vintage and both have been in sitcoms.
Where can I verify Perry Benson’s filmography?
The best sources for verification are the official website (first-party) and IMDb (editorial database). These two cover the confirmed sitcom and film credits shown in this profile.
Did Perry Benson appear in Accident Man films?
Wikipedia lists Accident Man and Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday, but this credit is from a community-edited source and does not appear in the provided official website or IMDb filmographies.
Is Perry Benson’s official website still active?
Yes, perrybenson.co.uk is accessible and displays the biography cited in this profile.
For a British character actor whose career began in the late 1970s, the practical takeaway is clear: if you’re researching Perry Benson, trust the official website and IMDb first. For anyone trying to separate fact from the persistent Peter Benson confusion, the choice is between accepting the limited record — or wading through the much larger, unverified set of internet claims. The evidence suggests the truth sits comfortably in the smaller circle: two sitcoms, two cult films, and a quiet professional life that has resisted the celebrity spotlight.
Related reading
- Richard Wilson: Victor Meldrew Actor’s Life and Net Worth — another profile of a British sitcom character actor with a similar career pattern.
- Sid James: Relationships, Accusations, and On-Stage Death — a deep dive into another iconic British comedy actor whose career spans sitcoms and film.
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