Benteen

"Frederick William Benteen can best be described as an enigma. To George Armstrong Custer, Benteen was a nefarious subordinate, a man who doubted every decision, questioned every order. To his own men, the cavalrymen with whom he served, Benteen was a courageous and honorable man, a leader in whom they held the greatest respect and trust." ~Wild West Magazine, June 12, 2006

"An enigma."

I like that. A lot. 

I mean, if you're going to portray a real life person you don't want some boring, blank canvas. You want layers and texture...and enigma.  

I am currently playing Frederick William Benteen for a docu-series for The Fox Channel. The series will premier in April and should run for about twelve weeks. 

In addition to my role as Benteen, I will also appear in episode that will focus on "Wild Bill" Hickok. I will be playing David McCandles, the first person Hickok shot and killed. 

It is in my role as Benteen though where I will hopefully be able to stretch myself and explore this controversial, real life, character from history. 

"Frederick William Benteen (August 24, 1834 – June 22, 1898) was a military officer during the American Civil War and then during the Indian Campaigns and Great Sioux War against the Lakota andNorthern Cheyenne. Benteen is best known for being in command of a battalion (Companies D, H,& K) of the 7th U. S. Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in late June, 1876.

While scouting the area, Captain Benteen received an urgent note from his superior officer George Armstrong Custer ordering him to bring up the ammunition packs and join him in Custer's surprise attack on a large Native American encampment. Benteen's failure to promptly comply is one of the most controversial aspects of the famed battle, which resulted in the death of Custer and the complete annihilation of the five companies of cavalrymen which comprised Custer's detachment." ~Wikipedia

Benteen was either a hero or a cowardly deserter. There are many opinions regarding that very question. It depends on who you talk to or read. 

There is no real, solid evidence to say with 100% certainty Benteen willfully disregarded Custer's orders to come to his aid. What is certain is that Benteen saved the men under his charge from a certain death. Certain. 

This isn't a history blog, however, or a blog about Little Bighorn, Custer or The American West. There are much more qualified people out there who can tackle those subjects. 

I'm an actor who sometimes writes. 

I'm excited about the prospect of not only playing a real life person, but also a figure who is surrounded by so much controversy. There's some meat there to sink my teeth into and relish. 

I've done some research. I think that's required of any actor playing a real person, past or present. You owe it to the person and you owe it to the performance. There must be truth in your actions and words. 

I haven't watched any movies on the subject. I can't seem to find any documentaries on NETFLIX. All the better, I think. I certainly don't want to see someone else's interpretation of Benteen based on how much or how little research they did. It doesn't matter to me. This has to be about my research, my gut and what the director, and writer, want me to do or say.

I don't look much like Frederick Benteen so the challenge is doubled for me to represent him and his part of the Little Big Horn Story truthfully...to the best of my ability. 

Benteen did not like Custer. Custer did not like Benteen. Animosity, therefore, must be one of the textures of my performance. I've already filmed one scene with the actor playing Custer. The scene was based on real events and shows, quite clearly, there was no love lost between the two men. 

I've got a lot to think about. My role as Benteen will be my biggest to date. I want to do my best. I want to make sure I capture the essence of the man. 

All the other stuff, the really cool stuff, will fall into place. 

I imagine I will be on horseback for most of the shoot. I more comfortable on horseback now than I have been in the past. I'm not too worried. As long as the script doesn't call for "Benteen, on horseback, leaps the gorge, pistols raised, as arrows fly past his head." I don't have a stunt double. If the script did have that direction in it, it would be me up there, gorge leaping and ducking arrows and raising pistols. 

You have to love the challenge. Right? Love the challenge and try not to piss your pants. Wardrobe hates that. 

"Shooting a period piece is all blood, rain and horse shit."

~Director Randall Wallace, Point of Honor. 

Oh yes. There will be horse shit tomorrow. 

The National Weather Bureau isn't calling for rain, however. 

Blood? Gee I hope not. Not the real kind, anyway. 

I've got my work cut out for me the next few days, for sure. 

History buffs will be dissecting every second of this series. Which is fine. It's what they do. I have no doubt the production team creating this series hasn't done their homework. The i's have been dotted. The t's have been crossed. 

Still, there will be some Jack wagon in a basement in Idaho who will watch the series and make himself miserable because a button is wrong. I'm not going to concern myself with that guy. 

I'm going to do what I do every time I step onto set. 

I'm going to be on time and know my marks. 

I'm going to be in character and give the director what he wants and take as many takes as we need to accomplish that. 

It's not a race. 

It's about truth. 

Sometimes truth takes more than one take. 

I have done all the research on Benteen I can do on the time allowed. I don't have a script in front of me (AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!) so I'm not sure exactly how my part of the story we're telling will play out. 

(AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!) 

Sorry. Just had to get that out of my system. 

At some point tomorrow, and over the course of the next three or four or six or seven days, it will all come together for me. Benteen will speak to me and I will listen. Then the two of us will get to work telling his part of the story. 

Hopefully I will do him justice. 

Hopefully people will enjoy my performance. 

Hopefully all my buttons will be perfect. 

Just keeping it reel. 

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