Bruno (bear actor)
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Bruno and Paul Newman in The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
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| Other name(s) | Ben, or Gentle Ben |
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| Species | American black bear |
| Sex | Male |
| Born | 1962 Near White Lake, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | c. 1981 Acton, California |
| Nation from | United States |
| Occupation | Bear Actor |
| Years active | 1965 - late 1970s |
| Owner | Ralph Helfer Ron Oxley |
| Weight | 600–800 pounds (272–363 kg) |
| Height | approx. 7' 6" (2.29 m) |
Bruno, also called Ben or Gentle Ben (1962− c. 1981) was a male American black bear actor best known for playing the leading role of Ben the bear in the 1967-1969 CBS television series, Gentle Ben. He also played the adult Ben in the feature film prequel to the TV series, Gentle Giant (1967). In 1968, Bruno received a first-place PATSY Award for his work on the Gentle Giant film and a second-place award for his work on the TV series. After the Gentle Ben series ended, Bruno made another well-received appearance in the 1972 John Huston-directed film The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, starring Paul Newman.
He is not related or otherwise connected to the earlier bear actor also named "Bruno the Bear" who appeared in several Mack Sennett comedies and similar comedy films, such as Her Week-End starring Gale Henry, during the 1910s and 1920s.
Bruno was acquired by Ralph Helfer's Africa U.S.A. animal ranch sometime before 1965. Africa U.S.A., at that time located in Soledad Canyon near Saugus, California, provided trained animals to Hollywood for film and television work, including many Ivan Tors productions. According to Ken Beck and Jim Clark, Bruno and a brother were orphaned in Wisconsin as cubs, and later acquired by Helfer from a private party. It was reported during the Gentle Ben series run that Bruno (who at that point had been renamed "Ben" for the run of the show) had been "discovered" in White Lake, Wisconsin and that he was 6 years old in 1968, making his birth year 1962. Ralph Helfer confirmed in 1970 that one of the bears who appeared in Gentle Ben was obtained from Ivan Walters' game farm in White Lake.
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