

(written from a Production point of view Real World article

John Lendale Bennett (27 November 1951 – 27 February 2006; age 54) was a stuntman and stunt actor who portrayed three characters in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Two of his appearances were as Klingons. In addition, he worked as a stunt double, photo double, and stand-in for Avery Brooks on DS9 and as stunt double for Tim Russ on Star Trek: Voyager. One of his costumes as double for Brooks was sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. [1] Bennett previously appeared in the TNG second season episode "The Icarus Factor" [2] and performed a high tower fall stunt in another TNG episode.

He was one of the photo doubles, alongside Todd Slayton, Steve Wilson, and Jennifer Berlant, who filled in for the actors for the wide shots in the desert of Palmdale in California for the seventh season episode "Shadows and Symbols". (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Bennett initially considered joining the priesthood, graduating from Quigley Preparatory Seminary South. While there, he performed in a number of high school plays. He also won a statewide oration competition for his rendition of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

He then attended Ohio State University, where he played college football. After returning to Chicago and working as a conductor, he moved to California to become an actor.

Bennett also had acting roles on the science fiction television shows Space: Above and Beyond and Seven Days. As a stuntman, he performed in such films as Face/Off (1997), Stuart Baird's U.S. Marshals (1998), Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000), The Replacements (2000), and Minority Report (2002).

Bennett died of his fourth heart attack in 2006. He was 54 years old. He is remembered as an "adrenaline junkie", a man who loved to take risks, yet his only serious injury was a broken arm. (Jim Ritter, "Action movie stuntman was 'adrenaline junkie,'" Chicago Sun-Times, 24 Apr. 2006)

Contents show]

Star Trek appearances

Stunt double appearances

Further appearance