Robby Benson Hopes to Be 'Best' Granddad after 'Nightmarish' Hospital Experience — He Makes Grandkids Smile Now

• Robby Benson said his fans may be stunned that he is still alive after undergoing four open-heart surgeries.

• The actor was misdiagnosed and had difficulty breathing until he eventually found a doctor who helped him.

• Now at age 66, Benson enjoys being a grandfather.

Hollywood legend Robby Benson has had a thriving acting career and daunting health issues. Despite numerous health scares, the veteran is a living miracle.

Former teen idol Robby Benson said his fans may be surprised that he is still alive following four open-heart surgeries. The actor underwent several operations to correct the congenital disability.

In June 2012, Benson got candid about his multiple health scares while noting that he had had a successful showbiz career.

"I have eclectic fans because I've had a very eclectic career. I'm never sure what might surprise them the most. Maybe the fact that I'm still alive," he said.

Benson began his Broadway career at age 12. He appeared in the drama series "One on One," and the movies "Ice Castles" and "Beauty and the Best."

He is an accomplished composer, musician, and bestselling author. The Texas native has directed several television shows, including the American sitcom, "Ellen."

When reflecting on his past experiences, Benson shared he had experienced some horrific ones and some he previously had trouble openly talking about them:

"It's not just the bad and good experiences I've had – and I've had some nightmarish experiences – but I've also mishandled things. I've also had cardiac depression, and it took me forever to allow myself to discuss it."

Benson's Healing Process

Benson had his first open-heart surgery when he was 28 years old in 1983. He went under the knife to replace a defective aortic valve with a bovine valve. He instantly recovered, although the entertainment industry sidelined him post-op.

However, "The Chosen" star managed to get back to what he does best and wrote screenplays. After that, Benson earned an honorary doctorate and began teaching filmmaking at the University of South Carolina.

Apart from reinventing himself, he also ensured that he remained physically active by running, playing basketball, and skiing. Still, 13 years later, the same heart issue resurfaced, and between 1998 and 2010, Benson underwent three more open-heart surgeries.

Out of the three procedures, he learned that the first one was botched and had been performed by a Los Angeles surgeon. Immediately after the operation, Benson could tell that something was wrong with him but was told that he imagined it:

"I knew the minute I woke up in the ICU that, unlike my 1984 surgery, something was wrong. I could not breathe. My doctor and surgeon told me it was in my head."

Even so, he was forced to pick up the pieces yet again and continued to provide for his family. He taught graduate courses at Cal Arts for some time and relocated to North Carolina with his wife and kids.

Subsequently, Benson penned two books and a musical, and during those six years, he struggled to breathe normally. By 2004, he underwent his third open-heart surgery to replace what was believed to be stenosis – narrowing his pulmonic valve.

It later turned out to be the opposite of what doctors believed it could be. A surgeon told Benson's spouse that they had to reconstruct another poorly performed medical surgery involving the pulmonary valve.

Once again, Benson continued to live his life and taught senior-level screenwriting, filmmaking, and directing at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts between 2006 and 2010.

Still, near the end of 2010, he realized he needed another fourth heart surgery, but this time around, a friend suggested that Benson go to the Cleveland Clinic.

Fortunately, having approached the medical facility, the Hollywood star said it was a life-changing experience and expressed hope that he would never go through such again.

Benson as a Grandfather

Following "nightmarish experiences," Benson now enjoys life with his wife, Karla DeVito, and the couple's two children, Lyric and Zephyr Benson, including grandchildren.

In May 2019, the father of two gushed about his wife of 40 years in an interview with Closer Weekly, adding they now enjoy being grandparents:

"I am so grateful that I found her. Both of us love to laugh, even at ourselves. Karla's so much part of who I am and how I think, she's made my soul better, and hopefully, I can do that for her."

The lovebirds welcomed their first child together, daughter Lyric, in 1983. She is a singer and an actress. Benson and DeVito's second child, their son Zephyr arrived in 1992, and he is also a filmmaker.

Benson revealed that his son wrote, directed, and starred in a feature film called "Straight Outta Tompkins," which he, himself, executive produced.

The doting dad also disclosed that he produced his daughter's album "Lyric's Love Light Revolution," adding she is married with two kids.

When asked what it is like being a grandad to Aurora and Kinglsey, Benson said the experience made him "re-evaluate" how much he works and his "priorities" whenever he can:

"I hope I'm the best I can possibly be as a grandfather, father, and husband."

Benson and DeVito sometimes share images with their grandchildren, and in some of the posts dating back to June 2019, the proud grandad made his grandson give him a side eye and a smile.

In October 2017, DeVito gushed about her "all-time favorite" picture of Kinglsey on Facebook to mark his first birthday.

The singer said the smiley face of her grandson was the same face she had been "drawing on homemade stuffing Angels for the past 30 years!!"

Meanwhile, her husband, now aged 66, still keeps active by running three miles daily and swimming 2,500 meters four times a week.

When asked about some life lessons he has learned so far, Benson said he learned not to perceive himself as a "victim." He advised that one always has choices and only needs to make the right ones.

In addition, he revealed that his son once told him that he is "an artist" despite viewing himself as a worker, which he finds heart-warming.