John Lendale Bennett

John Lendale Bennett was a stuntman and stunt actor who portrayed three characters in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Two of his appearances were as Klingons. In addition, he worked as a stunt double, photo double, and stand-in for Avery Brooks on Deep Space Nine and as stunt double for Tim Russ on Star Trek: Voyager. One of his costumes as double for Brooks was sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. Bennett previously appeared in an early episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation and performed a hightower fall stunt in another TNG episode.

He was one of the photo doubles, alongside Todd E. Slayton, Steve Wilson, and Jennifer Berlant, who filled in for the actors for the wide shots in the desert of Palmdale in California for the episode. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Bennett initially considered joining the priesthood, graduating from Quigley Preparatory Seminary South. While there, he performed in a number of high school plays. He also won a statewide oration competition for his rendition of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

He then attended Ohio State University, where he played college football. After returning to Chicago and working as a conductor, he moved to California to become an actor.

Bennett also had acting roles on the science fiction television shows Space: Above and Beyond and Seven Days. As a stuntman, he performed in such films as Face/Off (1997), Stuart Baird's U.S. Marshals (1998), Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000), The Replacements (2000), and Minority Report (2002).

Bennett died of his fourth heart attack in 2006. He was 54 years old. He is remembered as an "adrenaline junkie", a man who loved to take risks, yet his only serious injury was a broken arm. (Jim Ritter, "Action movie stuntman was 'adrenaline junkie,'" Chicago Sun-Times, 24 Apr. 2006)

Further appearance

 * as stunt double for Avery Brooks
 * as photo double for Avery Brooks
 * as photo double for Avery Brooks

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John Lendale Bennett