(written from a Production point of view)
Daniel Benzali (born 20 January 1950; age 74) is an actor who appeared as the Starbase surgeon in the Star Trek: The Next Generation second season episode "Samaritan Snare".
He has also had recurring roles on both L.A. Law (starring Corbin Bernsen and Larry Drake) and NYPD Blue (starring Sharon Lawrence, Gordon Clapp, and Michael Buchman Silver). He was a regular on the CBS series The Agency, airing from 2001 through 2003 and co-starring Ronny Cox and David Clennon. Perhaps his best known television role, however, was that of attorney Ted Hoffman in the first season of Murder One. Benzali received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance on the series, which co-starred the likes of John Fleck, Kevin Tighe, Barbara Bosson, Gregory Itzin, Donna Murphy, Stanley Kamel, Conor O'Farrell, Adam Scott, Ned Vaughn, Juliana Donald, Deborah May, Richard McGonagle, Victor Bevine, and Bruce Wright in regular and recurring roles. The show also featured guest appearances in its first season by Patti Yasutake, Marnie McPhail, Leland Orser, Jack Shearer, Thomas Kopache, Tony Plana, F.J. Rio, James Avery, Shelly Desai, Roy Brocksmith, Maury Ginsberg, Spencer Garrett, Miriam Flynn, Randy Oglesby, Benjamin W.S. Lum , John de Lancie, John Carroll Lynch, Stan Ivar, Hallie Todd, Concetta Tomei, Jeff Allin, Anne Haney, Natalia Nogulich, and Richard Riehle.
In addition, Benzali has appeared in a number of films, including A View to a Kill (1985, with Walter Gotell), White Nights (1985, with John Glover), Messenger of Death (1988, with Laurence Luckinbill and Jeff Corey), The Distinguished Gentleman (1993, with Noble Willingham), Murder at 1600 (1996, with Ronny Cox, Harris Yulin, and Charles Rocket), The End of Violence (1997, with Rosalind Chao), and The Grey Zone (2001, with Henry Stram). He also played a member of FEMA, along with Robert O'Reilly, in By Dawn's Early Light (1990, also featuring Glenn Morshower, Ann Gillespie, and Steve Rankin).
Benzali was once engaged to Kim Cattrall, but the two separated before going through with the marriage. The couple appeared together, playing husband and wife in a 1997 episode of The Outer Limits.
Benzali is also also an accomplished singer and recorded an album covering several popular jazz and blues hits.