Dirk Benedict Dirk Benedict Dirk Benedict (born Dirk Niewoehner on March 1, 1945) is an American movie, television and stage actor and author. He is best known for playing the characters Lieutenant Templeton "Faceman" Peck in "The A-Team" television series and Lieutenant Starbuck in the original "Battlestar Galactica" film and television series. He is the author of "Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy" and "And Then We Went Fishing". Benedict was born Dirk Niewoehner in Helena, Montana, the son of Priscilla Mella (née Metzger), an accountant, and George Edward Niewoehner, a lawyer. He grew up in White Sulphur Springs, Montana. He graduated from
Templeton Peck be a believable Vietnam veteran, and he was, at 6'5" (196 cm) much taller than the rest of the cast, particularly the show's 5'10" (178 cm) muscleman Mr. T. He was replaced by Benedict for the rest of the show's run. Bradley Cooper portrayed the character in the 2010 film, while Benedict appeared in a post-credits cameo. Originally serving as an infantry Soldier (thus earning a Combat Infantryman's Badge) "Face" commissioned as an Intelligence Officer assigned to support a Special Operations Force Team where he met his soon to be fugitive counterparts. Suave, smooth-talking, and hugely successful with women, Peck