Biografie

Berenger's earlier career before he became an actor was as a flight attendant for the now-defunct Eastern Air Lines.

Berenger's interest in Civil War history has led him to collect items on and research the American Civil War era in his personal life as well. One of his favorite roles was as Lt. General James Longstreet in Gettysburg (1993).

He was offered his role in Stephen King's Alpträume (2006) and had 24 hours to decide if he wanted. He agreed without even getting a chance to read the script. He read it for the first time on the flight to Australia for the filming.

Lives in Beaufort, South Carolina, when he is not appearing in films.

Prior to acting, he was also a bellman at the former Alameda Plaza Hotel (now the Inter-Continental Hotel) in the Country Club Plaza section of Kansas City, Missouri.

[on playing bad guys] I enjoy playing them. I find something human in them, with the exception of Looking for Mr. Goodbar. It was such a slimy character with no redeeming qualities. To me it was like playing Charles Manson. I had nightmares after I finished shooting it. I felt dirty. Bad guys are interesting, even if you don't like them.

[in 1975] I first started thinking about being an actor when I was in college at the University of Missouri. I auditioned for a television play, and the director, who has some professional New York credits, encouraged me to pursue acting. In college I had a double major--drama and film editing. I worked with 16 millimeter film upon graduating, and from Kansas City I went on to Dallas. All of this time I suppose I had an unrealized commitment to acting. But then, I guess I ran away from acting. I was afraid of the business--I still am.

Even my agents say, 'We don't know what this business is anymore.' These days, you can do a TV series for five years and all of a sudden be on top of the business. Features don't even run in theaters very long anymore before going right to television. And every other movie is one of those action things. I mean, Lost in Space (1998)? - a bunch of good actors running around shooting at special effects on a soundstage? I took my kids to see that and almost felt like I was on an acid trip. Most of what gets made now, you laugh your way through, go home and forget you've seen it.

[in 2002] Since the '70s I've seen myself as a poet. Sometimes I express that poetry through acting, sometimes through cooking, and sometimes just having a good chat, you know, one of those chats you have when you're stoned and the hour is getting late. I don't know what's gonna come my way, but I think Berenger's gonna be big these next couple years.

[on Charlie Sheen] I've always liked him, and I always worry about him like his parents do. He was always a good listener, which is probably why he is a real good actor.