Did You Recognize This ’70s ‘Ice Castles’ Heartthrob in ‘Severance’?
If you just watched the seventh episode of the second season of Severance, “Chikhai Bardo,” the sinister Dr. Mauer may look very familiar to you — especially if you’re a fan of sports dramas. Though actor Robby Benson‘s 50-plus year career has seen him do everything from voice the Beast in Beauty and the Beast to direct six episodes of Friends, he is most instantly recognizable from his time as a teen heartthrob in the late 1970s, when he starred in a number of coming-of-age films, including the beloved 1978 sports drama Ice Castles.
The road to Ice Castles
Columbia/ courtesy Everett Collection
Benson, who was born in 1956, was raised in a show business family, and began acting as a child, appearing on Broadway and the soap opera Search for Tomorrow. After showing up in television commercials and a dramas about teens, including playing the title role in 1976’s Ode to Billy Joe, Benson was cast in Ice Castles. The film follows Lexie (Lynn-Holly Johnson), a talented but poor figure skater who achieves sudden skating stardom, but just as suddenly loses her sight. Lexie regains her confidence and ability to skate with the help of Nick, her ice hockey-playing boyfriend, portrayed by Benson.
Benson was recruited to the film by director Donald Wyre — despite the fact that Benson had never ice-skated before. “[Wyre] said, ‘we’re gonna get you together with this speed-skating coach for the New York Islanders’ … and she taught me, in a matter of about five weeks … how to at least look like a hockey player,” Benson revealed in a 2024 interview. Surprisingly, he “loved it … I wanted to be a hockey player!” But an on-ice injury soon convinced him to stick to acting.
Benson continued to land major big-screen roles through the early ’80s; he starred in 1981’s The Chosen, and played opposite Paul Newman in 1984’s Harry and Son. But Benson, who had always been interested in behind-the-scenes work, soon pivoted to directing TV. He’s called the shot on episodes of TV shows including Friends, Ellen, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Burt Reynolds’ Evening Shade.
His major work from the early ’90s onward was behind the camera, with one important exception — he voice the titular Beast in Disney’s 1991 Beauty and the Beast.
How he became Dr. Mauer
Apple TV+
Benson’s character on Severance is a far cry from the sweet, sensitive young men he’s best known for portraying. In fact (spoiler alert!), Dr. Mauer conducts strange, sadistic experiments on Gemma (Dichen Lachman), who was once the wife of Mark (Adam Scott). Though Dr. Mauer traps Gemma in repetitive, torturous loops, the opportunity to appear on the show was far from torturous for Benson.
“Severance is my favorite show,” Benson told Decider. “As a fan, I can tell you that as excited as I am to watch it, that’s how excited I was to work on it.” After receiving a call from a casting director for the series, Benson was overjoyed: “At this at this point in my life and career, there aren’t a lot of things that make me go, “Oh yeah! Absolutely!” But honestly, Severance is one of my favorite shows. Actually, it is my favorite show. The work is just ridiculously good. And I’ve always wanted to work with Ben [Stiller].”
Benson recorded his own audition, sent it in, and then had a Zoom interview with executive producer Stiller. “I got the part. And in my six decades of work I’ve never experienced anything like this before,” said Benson. “The people I was working with were extraordinary. Ben Stiller is one of the all-time great human beings. He’s the best director and producer I have ever worked with. He takes care of the story and the show. And the way he takes care of his crew and his actors is just phenomenal. He’s so gifted, and so talented, and he runs a set with with pure love. I’m telling you, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been doing this all my life. So that’s how I got to be talking to you right now. I just got incredibly lucky.”
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