Veteran Soap Opera Actor Nick Benedict Dead at 77

Nick Benedict, best known for his roles on daytime drama, including Curtis Reed on Days of our Lives, has died. He was 77.

In Memoriam: Nick Benedict

The actor was born Nicholas Joseph Sciurba on July 14, 1947, in Los Angeles. He is the son of the late actor/director Richard Benedict (Mission: Impossible; Get Smart).

Ironically, Benedict passed away on his birthday. (Conflicting reports indicate the actor was either 76 or 77 at the time of his passing.) His death was reported on Jake’s Steakhouse Facebook page. His wife, Ginger, worked at the restaurant located in Tehachapi, CA.

A GoFundMe established prior to Benedict’s death set up to benefit Ginger shares that her husband had undergone spinal cord surgery on July 2. Two days later, he entered hospice care, paralyzed from the neck down. He was surrounded by his loved ones including Ginger when he died.

Benedict made his debut in the TV series Wiretapper as a child actor. As a 17-year-old, he appeared in Mike and the Mermaid. He made his daytime debut in 1973 as Phillip Brent, a Vietnam veteran, on All My Children. He played the part for many years, earning a Daytime Emmy Award nomination in 1979 in the category of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

The actor moved to the West Coast and took on the role of Michael Scott on The Young and the Restless. Michael made the misstep of falling in love with Julia Newman (Meg Bennett), the wife of Victor Newman (Eric Braeden). After learning of the affair, Victor imprisoned Michael in his basement and fed him rats so he wouldn’t starve to death!

Next, Benedict played Ron Washington on the religious-based syndicated soap opera Another Life. His other credits include The Dukes of Hazard, Tales from the Darkside, and Memories of a Murder.

Daytime came calling again in 1993 when Benedict was cast as DAYS’ Curtis Reed, the abusive father of Billie Reed (Lisa Rinna) and Austin Reed (Patrick Muldoon). Stefano (Joseph Mascolo) killed Curtis, however, he returned on occasion as a spirit.

His last screen appearance was playing the role of Julie’s Father in the film A Beautiful Friendship. That same year, he appeared as himself on the Oprah Winfrey Show on February 9, 2011. AMC’s Susan Lucci was the guest and Benedict, along with eight other actors who played Erica’s many husbands over the years, dropped by to surprise their former TV wife.

Soap Hub sends sincere condolences to Ginger Benedict and the rest of the actor’s family, friends, and fans at this difficult time.