Benjamin Hendrickson (August 26, 1950 - July 3, 2006) was an American actor known for playing Harold "Hal" Munson, Jr., the Chief of Detectives for the mythical town of Oakdale on the daytime soap opera, As the World Turns.
In the 1986 movie Manhunter, he played the role of Dr. Frederick Chilton.
Hendrickson made appearances on daytime television in the early 1980s; his credits included Another World, Texas, and a notable role on Guiding Light as the villainous Silas Crocker. Years later, he also appeared as a judge on Boston Legal.
However, Hendrickson was best known for playing Harold "Hal" Munson Jr., the Chief of Detectives for the mythical town of Oakdale on the long-running daytime soap opera As the World Turns.
He played Hal for over 20 years, from October 1985 to September 2004 and from June 2005 to July 2006. Hal was initially a short-term role, but as Hendrickson joked, when he "impregnated the leading lady" (the character of Margo, then played by Hillary B. Smith), he signed a contract with a longer term.
Hendrickson won the Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Supporting Actor" for playing Hal in 2003. During his acceptance speech, he honored his source of moral support with a joke: "To my mother, who scrimped and saved to send me to Juilliard to study the classics... I'm sorry."