London: Actor Jay Benedict, best known for his roles in the film Aliens and TV show Emmerdale, has passed away due to complications arising from coronavirus. He was 68. The actor died on April 4, a week before his 69th birthday, following a battle with the COVID-19 virus, Jay Benedict’s management team announced Monday.
In a statement shared on Twitter, Benedict’s management team said, “It is with profound sorrow that we must announce Jay’s death on the 4th of April due to complications arising from COVID-19 infection.”
The American actor was best known for playing Russ Jordan in James Cameron’s 1986 sci-fi epic Aliens, also featuring Sigourney Weaver and Bill Paxton. The actor starred in British soap opera Emmerdale in 1997, in which he played businessman Doug Hamilton.
Born in California, Jay Benedict’s family left the United States for Europe when he was a child.
In a career spanning four decades, Benedict also appeared in The Dark Knight Rises and played the role of John Kieffer, the US Army officer and friend of detective Christopher Foyle in British period drama Foyle’s War. He also has UK shows such as The Bill, Jonathan Creek, and Casualty to his credit.
Benedict is survived by his actor-wife Phoebe Scholfield and their two sons Leopold and Freddie. The actor also had another daughter from a previous relationship.
Agencies