Soap Actor's Death Ruled Suicide

Actor Ben Hendrickson, who starred on the daytime drama "As The World Turns" for more than 20 years, committed suicide this week with a gunshot to the head at his home in Huntington, N.Y., police said.

After calls from neighbors, Suffolk County police officers found Hendrickson dead in his bed on Monday.

CBS and Procter & Gamble Productions announced Hendrickson's death in a joint statement Wednesday, but did not reveal any details at the time.

Hendrickson, 55, won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in 2003 for his portrayal of Chief of Detectives Hal Munson on the show.

In addition to his work on daytime television, Hendrickson appeared on Broadway in the 1984 revival of "Awake and Sing," "Strider" and in the title role of "The Elephant Man." His film credits include "Spanking the Monkey," "Regarding Henry," "Consenting Adults" and "Manhunter."

When he first joined "As The World Turns" in 1985, Hendrickson thought he'd only be there for a short time. "Benjamin always joked that he was hired for one day — then before he knew it he'd impregnated the leading lady and had to sign a contract," said Christopher Goutman, the show's executive producer. "He intended to stay with the show for one year. How lucky for us and the fans that we had him for 21 years. We will continue to mourn his passing."

Hendrickson was born Aug. 26, 1950, in Huntington, N.Y. He attended the Juilliard School where he was a member of the first class of the drama division, that included actors Kevin Kline and Patti LuPone. Hendrickson was also a founding member of The Acting Company, under the late John Houseman.

His last air date on "As The World Turns" will be on July 12, 2006. The program airs on CBS (which also owns TheShowbuzz.com).
By Judy Faber