Born September 21, 1970, Rob Benedict has acted and sung his way into the hearts of many throughout the years. Whether they know him as Felicity‘s Richard Coad, Supernatural‘s Chuck Shurley, or as singer for Louden Swain and The Station Breaks, one thing is for sure, his fans love him and he loves them right back. Today, our staff celebrates our favorite Supernatural prophet turned Rock God with some of our favorite Rob moments. Happy Birthday, Rob!
Briar
As the owner of the site, I often get to see and enjoy when writers write about the people they are interested in, the movies they like, or the bands they love. While I do personally have some favorite Rob moments, I want to talk about the impact he has made on our staff.
We started writing about Rob for various things, like Supernatural, conventions, and eventually Kings of Con and Louden Swain. As a result of writing, one of the most exciting things to see is when the person you are writing about, either posts an article, or tweets about it, etc. Rob has done all of that and more for all of us. He’s posted our articles, tweeted about our website, always granting us interviews, which is incredibly kind, especially when he is extremely busy. When we all meet him in person, he takes in genuine interest in who we are and what we do. He makes all of us feel important.
As we started writing more and more, more of our staff became fans of Rob. Whether it be because they connected with a character he played, connected with his music, found joy in an interview or convention appearance, or connected with his personal struggles, such as anxiety and his stroke. He has championed fans, encouraged them, applauded them. It is one of the things we look up to Rob most about. His character. He’s an amazing actor, plays incredible music, writes heartfelt songs and brilliant scripts, but what fans love the most is who he is as a person.
So, Happy Birthday, Rob. Thank you from all of us for your dedication to what you do, and for making us all feel welcomed and accepted. We hope you have the best birthday yet!
Finn
One of my favorite memories of Rob is from January of this year. Right after the amazing two nights in Atlanta seeing Louden Swain play at Eddie’s Attic, they announced a last minute show in Los Angeles, CA. I immediately made plans to drive out there from my home in Arizona. The show was at a place called The Silverlake Lounge, a tiny bar/music venue. Swain was one of four or five bands playing that night. Before the show started, I ended up speaking with Rob alone for a few minutes. It was so nice to see him away from big crowds, not being rushed by anyone or any time limit. I felt like we were both truly at ease in that moment.
Rob is one of the most genuinely heartfelt people I have ever met. If you are a fan of his, new, long time, somewhere in between, it does not matter to him. He will treat you with kindness and respect. I am happy and proud to be a fan of his and I know he is happy and proud to have us as his fans.
Kayla
I am thankful to say I have a few favorite memories with Rob, but one that stands out was in June of last year when I went with my mom and best friend to see The Station Breaks in Virginia. We were milling around after the show hoping to chat with the guys because they did not have a VIP or meet up planned. I peeked back into the venue and saw Rob’s hat. My mom had already gone outside and I ran back out and just started yelling, “Hat! Hat!” So we went back in, and a line had formed to talk to Rob. I was not really nervous because I had met Rob a few times before but my mom was. So, after we took a selfie I introduced my mom to Rob, and told him that even though she didn’t watch Supernatural she was a big fan of Louden Swain and The Station Breaks. And he just lit up, and was of course super nice to my mom. Rob is always so kind, and attentive to everyone and having experienced it first hand, it was especially awesome to see with my mom.
Brianna
Unfortunately, I have never met Rob (though believe me I have tried), but one of my favorite moments was when I first heard “Fare Thee Well” on Supernatural. I was binge watching the show at the recommendation of a friend, and had yet to really cry though the Winchesters had died many times already.
Rob had only sung a few words of “Fare Thee Well” before I had chills all over and tears running down my face. The scene was powerful, yes, but I distinctly remember thinking how beautiful Rob’s voice was and hoping that there was a recorded version somewhere.
I watched the scene a couple times and then immediately texted my friend and asked about Rob. I knew there was no way someone with that kind of voice did not make music professionally and she would have the details. She told me I was in for a treat because he had a band and performed at cons, so there were many online videos. She was not wrong. I alternated between watching Supernatural, SNS videos and listening to Louden Swain music for the rest of that weekend.
I have been a fan of Rob’s and Louden Swain since that day in 2016. I am so glad my friend introduced me to the incredible talent that is Rob, and I wish him a very happy birthday!
Sarah
What can I say about Rob Benedict? He is a remarkable actor, writer and a gifted musician. I thoroughly enjoy each character he brings to life in shows like Felicity, Birds of Prey, Head Case, The Sidekick, Supernatural and of course Kings of Con. But my most memorable moments have come from his music, the powerful lyrics and emotion in his voice give me chills. There have been some key points of my life that his music with Louden Swain has been there and helped me through.
Although I have yet to meet Rob in person, from what I have heard from others and watched on videos, I cannot wait to have the chance and get lost in his music live.
Please continue to light up the world with your dreams and voice. Happy birthday Rob, cheers!
Deb
The thing I most love about Rob Benedict is his self deprecating sense of humor. He is not afraid to put himself in the punchline of his jokes. He does not shy away from a funny story even if the laughter is at his expense.
Every time I see Rob at a con, the love he has for his friends and fans is obvious. He truly loves spending time amongst his people, it makes him happy and that happiness is contagious. It spreads through the crowd like wildfire. It is impossible to stay in a bad mood when Rob is around.
My favorite Rob moment happened at my first Supernatural Con last year. A friend of mine had been unable to go to the con at the last minute and she gifted me her ops. So, unexpectedly, I had a Louden Swain op that I shared with another friend.
When we went in for the photo, I told Rob that I just wanted him to wrap me up in a hug and he was happy to oblige. To be honest, that could have been a Rob solo op, because all I remember is his smiling face and his arms wrapped tightly around me. Who could blame me, I was being hugged by the Rock God himself after all.
Rock on, Rob! Happy birthday, I hope your day shines as brightly as you do.
Kari
I have a lot of great Rob moments, including one that I told him that I would deny if he ever told anybody. This is my very favorite.
My favorite Rob moment is when he helped me come out of the closet with a photo op where I was holding a sign that read “God is bi and so am I!” while we fist bumped. When I asked him if he would help me with it, he got very serious and said yes immediately. He was so supportive at the whole convention. Rob even wrote that he was proud of me when he signed the photo op.
I did not expect anything more of it, but when he saw me six months later, he asked me how it went with my parents! The fact that he remembered really meant a lot.
The Supernatural fandom is honestly so lucky to have someone as caring and supportive as Rob Benedict. I am happy that we have him.
Happy Birthday, Rob. You are truly a gift that makes the world better.
Hailee
Rob has a smile that can make any gray day bright and sunny, and a musical talent that can melt any heart. My favorite moment of seeing Rob in person has to be at my most recent convention in Charlotte when I was right next to the band for the acoustic jam in the Vendor’s Room. Seeing him and Louden Swain perform that close was a beautiful experience. I loved watching Rob sing his heart out! And the huge grin on his face while we blew our kazoos to the tune of “Medicated” is something I will never forget.
Before I ever met or saw Rob in person, I read his chapter in Family Don’t End with Blood. As a nurse, reading his chapter hit me harder than any of the others. I cried my way through reading it, with my understanding of the medical knowledge behind his story giving me a different perspective than others who read it. It is incredible that Rob is even alive, let alone that he made a full and complete recovery. Rob Benedict is truly a miracle, and I could not be more grateful for him to continue to share his radiance with all of us.
Happy birthday, Rob!
Tanya
I first saw Rob in person at Supernatural‘s Denver, CO con in 2015. It was my first SPN convention and I had no idea what to expect. I knew some of the cast and crew were also musicians, but I was blown away by Rob’s on-stage performances. As a professor who regularly puts on a “performance version” of myself in the classroom and as someone who grew up with a musical family, I could appreciate how much he was balancing. Rob managed to convey genuine kindness and authenticity in his interactions. At one point, when I was cosplaying as Jody Mills, I went up with my son to Rich’s autograph line and Rob was there. He turned around, noticed me, smiled and said very kindly “I like your outfit.” I think I reacted like a normal human in the moment but later I had zero chill and took to my social media accounts with posts consisting of “GOD LIKED MY COSTUME, Y’ALL.”
Later, I learned about Rob’s stroke and when I read his chapter “Stroke of Luck” in Family Don’t End with Blood, my heart broke a little bit. My husband became gravely ill in 2009 with complications due to Swine Flu (H1N1) and had to be put into an induced coma. For a month, I was left to care for three children – then ages 7, 5 and 3, and deal with my own fears about losing my husband. So when I read Rob’s chapter, it was eye opening to see things from the perspective of someone going through a traumatic and mysterious illness. I also happened to read it around the anniversary of my husband going into the coma and I think I cried like a baby. On an airplane. We are also grateful for the coma – grateful to have survived and had it show us exactly what matters in life, and what does not. Coincidentally, when reading the chapter I learned that my husband and I also married in 1995 at the same chapel in Illinois as Rob and his wife. Guess it was a good year for marrying the love of your life.
Thank you, Rob, for sharing your incredible talent and kind heart with us. Happy Birthday!
Tricia
I have had some pretty great interactions with Rob over the last few years. He is always so attentive with his fans that I feel like each time we have seen each other has been memorable. However, my favourite by far is when I won a Skype call with Rob from a Stands campaign. It was not long after No Time Like the Present was relased and I had been listening to it in the car almost non-stop. My kids, Tucker (four at the time) and Kaylee (five), really liked some of the songs, so when I won the Skype call they wanted to be there too. Rob played a few songs for us at my children’s requests, first “She Waits” and then “Amazing.”
As our Skype call went on, my kids lost interest in the conversation and instead started making faces at the camera and sticking their tongues out, but Rob just played along with them the whole time. I told Rob that my youngest was a big fan but I do not think he quite believed me…right until Tucker started singing off-key and at the top of his lungs. Rob’s smile spread so big he almost could not form words around it, and I am sure you will understand when I say that moment melted my heart, which is why it is my all-time favourite Rob moment. He was so great and really gave us all a personalized experience and a moment that I will never forget.
Happy birthday, Rob!
Kailey
I have not had the honor or pleasure to meet Rob but I feel like I know him because of how much our site loves and adores him. Constantly, we talk about how wonderful he is as a person and catch each other up on everything Rob. He is genuinely a nice guy, loves his fans, and puts his heart into everything that he does. He kicked butt in Supernatural playing none other than God himself and sung beautifully for a truly touching moment on the show. He cares about people and wants to interact and show fans his appreciation for their support. He has made such an impact on the SPN Family and I have loved watching him grow with the band Louden Swain and all of his success is heartwarming. Rob, if I ever meet you, I just want to say thank you for being a kind and caring person. See you in December in Jax!
Em
For this writer, summarizing how much Rob Benedict means to me is nearly impossible. From the first moment I met him he has been nothing but incredibly kind. His first reaction upon hearing I was a fan was a humble “Oh really?” and an immediate hug. Another time, after the first night of Louden Swain shows at Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta, GA, he was hugging all the fans who had waited to see him. He bypassed me, one of the last ones, and began chatting with another fan. To my surprise and without any warning, as he continued to speak with them he leaned back and over and squeezed me into a tight side hug to make sure I was not left out. That is the kind of person he is. He cares about all of his fans and takes the time to make sure they know they are loved and appreciated.
If I had to choose one particular favorite moment, though, I would choose the one that happened this year during the Supernatural convention in Nashville, TN. I write poetry and I had put that poetry into two books that I was presenting to Rob that weekend. One was an R2M (Rob, Richard Speight Jr. and Matt Cohen) book that I was having him sign and the other was a Louden Swain book that I was giving each member of the band. To say I was nervous about showing them to him is an understatement. Most of my poetry revolves around Rob’s band Louden Swain so their book in particular was incredibly close to my heart. I was absolutely terrified.
When I got to Rob’s autograph table he smiled kindly up at me, looked down and when he saw the book I was having signed his entire expression changed. His eyes got wide and he repeated “OH MY GOD” several times before asking who had written the book. I shakily explained to him that I had and he wondered if I had brought him a copy to keep. I informed him I had mailed one and he asked about that, all while flipping through, reading the book and making “aw” faces. Finally he grabbed a pen, signed the book with the sweetest message and stood up to hug me. I handed him his copy of the Louden Swain book and he assured me he would read it later. I assumed he meant after the con when he had time but the next day during Louden Swain autographs he smiled really big at me and told me he had read it. He told me he thought I was talented and looked at me like he wanted to make sure I was not just hearing the words but believing them as well.
Each time I saw him that weekend he either made a point to say something else about the book or to make me feel like I mattered. He has a goodness and light about him and he uses that to make sure his fans know they are important to him. I love him as an actor and a singer but I admire him greatly as a human being. I am thankful every day that I discovered his work and became his fan.
All of us at Nerds and Beyond are wishing Rob the best birthday today. May it be filled with lots of happy memories!