The Eccentric... John Levene

[Pip Madeley]

Saw this on Roobarbs and had to post it here. Check out John's website:

http://john-levene.com/main/

We would like to share, inform and update you more on the man behind Sgt. John Benton, take you to parts of his past, seeing and hearing things from his perspective. Let us take you a little further behind the magic curtain of the other-worldly world of Doctor Who, through the eyes of a passionate and complex man, known by many names. All this man’s names come down to the character he played on Doctor Who, that of Sgt. John Benton.

You will all, of course, have observed the enormity of this multi-media world we now have to exist in. Almost any human anywhere can now project a part of their personality to any one, whether it be the written word, a photo, a video clip, a montage, and more. So with that in mind, we are happy indeed to announce a revitalization of the Sergeant-at-Arms web site. We wish to continue to share with each of you that bother to visit us here, some insight into what life has been like, having been in this television phenomenon called Doctor Who.

We will endeavour to entertain you with a wider spectrum of my life as John Woods, a resident in Hollywood; John Levene, the actor who couldn’t use his real name because somebody more famous was already in possession of it; John Anthony Blake, the producer, M.C. and entertainer; and Sgt. John Benton, the character who started it all for me. I thank God, Douglas Camfield, Barry Letts, and Derrick Sherwin for casting me in the role of Benton, and for giving my life this whole new, exciting existence on earth. What more, in reality, could a man from the village of West Harnham, in Salisbury, Wiltshire, ask for? To be given the outside opportunity of belonging to an event such as Doctor who can only be called luck (bolstered by the appropriate quantity of effort and talent required for a supporting role).

Doctor Who is back in a big way, and it is about time.

Love to you all,
John Levene/Sgt. Benton

Perhaps this should be in the Absurdity thread. I think the most fantastic I've seen for ages is these clips of his stand-up routine. I think we should try and rent him for the next PS meet up.

[Dave Tudor]

I think we should try and rent him for the next PS meet up.

I think he'd be up for it, too! I met him at Memorabilia the other week, and I have to say he's perhaps the nicest, funniest, and most considerate bloke I've met from 'Doctor Who' circles. What he wrote there might come across as a bit pretentious, but he does seem genuinely humbled and grateful for the chance to have appeared in the show.

Oh, and yes, he is completely bonkers, too.

[Larry]

have to say in the few appearances he has made on the dvd extras on several stories I'v never known quite what to make of him to me he dose come across as some one who is a bit to full or their own self importance.

[Pip Madeley]

Whereas back in the late 60s he was by many accounts the most timid person alive.

[Pip Madeley]

He's back...

John "Sgt. Benton" Levene's Tour of Salisbury

and

John "sings" Jon Pertwee's Who Is The Doctor

The second video is rather sweet... if embarrassing.

[Simon R]

We went to Salisbury last year. It had an olde fashioned Woolworths and a charity shop with a modest display of Spice merchandise in the window. I wonder if John saw those?