Ben McKenzie | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) McKenzie in 2022. | |
| Born | Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan (1978-09-12)September 12, 1978 (age 46) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Virginia (BA) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2002–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Robert Schenkkan (uncle) |
Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan (born September 12, 1978) is an American actor, author and commentator. He is best known for his starring television roles asRyan Atwood on the teen dramaThe O.C. (2003–2007), Ben Sherman on the crime dramaSouthland (2009–2013), andJames "Jim" Gordon on the crime dramaGotham (2014–2019). McKenzie made his film debut in the Academy Award-nominated filmJunebug (2005), before appearing in films including88 Minutes (2007),Goodbye World (2013),Some Kind of Beautiful (2014), andLine of Duty (2019). In 2020, he made his Broadway debut in theBess Wohl playGrand Horizons.
Outside of acting, McKenzie is noted for his critical commentary on thecryptocurrency bubble andfraud with journalist Jacob Silverman. Their book on the subject,Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud, was published in July 2023.
McKenzie was born inAustin, Texas.[1] He is one of three sons born to Frances Schenkkan, a poet, and Pete Schenkkan, an attorney.[2][3] He has two younger brothers, both of whom are former actors.[3][4] He is the brother-in-law of photojournalistScout Tufankjian.[5]
His grandfather, Robert F. Schenkkan, was a professor at theUniversity of Texas at Austin and worked on passing thePublic Broadcasting Act of 1967.[6][7] He is a nephew ofPulitzer Prize-winning playwrightRobert Schenkkan;[6] McKenzie appeared in his 2019 workThe Investigation. His middle name, McKenzie, is his paternal grandmother's maiden name; he uses it as part of hisstage name to avoid confusion with actorBen Shenkman.[8] His second cousin is actressSarah Drew.[9]
For middle school, he attendedSt. Andrew's Episcopal School, where he was friends andflag football teammates with future Super Bowl MVPDrew Brees.[10] He attendedStephen F. Austin High School, playing wide receiver and defensive back for the school's football team. From 1997 to 2001 he attended theUniversity of Virginia, his father and paternal grandfather'salma mater, where he majored inforeign affairs andeconomics.[11]
After graduating from college in 2001, McKenzie moved to New York City where he worked in part-time jobs and performed in someoff-off-Broadway productions.[12][13] During this period, he also participated insummer stock theater and theWilliamstown Theatre Festival.[13]
At age twenty-three,[14] he moved to Los Angeles where he waited tables and slept on the floor of his friendErnie Sabella's apartment.[15][12] He was soon cast asRyan Atwood inThe O.C.[12] On August 5, 2003,Fox premiered the television series, about affluent teenagers with stormy personal lives inOrange County, California. The show became an overnight success and made McKenzie famous. His performance inThe O.C. earned him "Choice Breakout TV Star – Male" and "Choice TV Chemistry" nominations in theTeen Choice Awards as well as "Choice TV Actor – Drama/Action Adventure" and "Choice TV Actor – Drama" wins. McKenzie reportedly earned between about $15,000 and $25,000 per episode throughout the show's run.
The O.C. was the first time McKenzie played whatThe New York Times later described as the "quiet, guarded leading man" role he would repeatedly portray.[12] As a result of the show's success, McKenzie appeared in magazines includingPeople,In Touch Weekly andUs Weekly. He was ranked No. 5 inIndependent Online's "100 Sexiest Men Alive" and twice appeared onTeen People magazine's annual list of "25 Sexiest Stars under 25". McKenzie was also voted one ofInStyle's "10 Hottest Bachelors of Summer" in July 2005.The O.C. dropped in ratings dramatically during its third and fourth seasons, and ended in early 2007.[16]
While appearing inThe O.C., McKenzie made his feature film debut in the Academy Award-nominated filmJunebug alongsideAmy Adams andEmbeth Davidtz. The film was nominated for "Best International Film" and "Outstanding Ensemble Acting" in theAmanda Awards and won theSarasota Film Festival award for "Outstanding Ensemble Acting". It also received high praise at the 2005Sundance Film Festival.[17] According toProduction Weekly, McKenzie was set to star in the thrillerSnakes on a Plane, formerly known asPacific Air 121, but later dropped out to film88 Minutes, which starredAl Pacino.[18]
In 2008, McKenzie earned critical acclaim for his solo performance in the "live on stage, on film" version ofDalton Trumbo's 1939 novelJohnny Got His Gun, his first starring role in a film. He stars as Joe Bonham, a role previously played byJames Cagney,Jeff Daniels, andTimothy Bottoms.[19] The movie premiered at theParamount Theater in Austin, McKenzie's hometown, while he was filming the pilot forSouthland. In 2009, he appeared in the short filmThe Eight Percent. The movie won theDelta Air Lines Fly-in Movie Contest and entered as an official selection on theTribeca Film Festival's Short film category.
McKenzie starred as rookie police officer Ben Sherman on theNBC dramaSouthland, which premiered on April 9, 2009. The show was canceled while in production on its second season.TNT bought the rights for the show and showed the seven episodes that had been produced. The show was subsequently renewed and ran for five seasons before being canceled in 2013. From September to October 2010, he starred in anoff-Broadway transfer ofThe Glass Menagerie at theMark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.[20]
Following the end ofSouthland, McKenzie was cast in theCBS dramatelevision pilotThe Advocates, oppositeMandy Moore.[21] The show was not produced. In late 2013, he was cast in the drama filmThe Swimmer, a Norwegian production that was not produced.[22] In October 2013, he signed an exclusive talent deal withWarner Bros. Television Studios, the home ofThe O.C. andSouthland.[23] A few months later, in February 2014, it was announced that McKenzie was cast in the pilot ofGotham.[24]
McKenzie returned to Fox in theBatman prequel television showGotham, which premiered on September 22, 2014. In the series, he portrayedJames "Jim" Gordon as a young detective new toGotham City.[25][12] After five seasons and 100 episodes, the show concluded in April 2019. In the same series, he made his directorial debut with theseason 3 episode "These Delicate and Dark Obsessions".[26] McKenzie went on to direct "One of My Three Soups" and write "The Demon's Head" from thefourth season.
In 2017, he appeared in the first season ofThe Accidental Wolf, a miniseries series created byArian Moayed and the theater production company Waterwell.[27] He shotLine of Duty, a real-time action thriller, inBirmingham, Alabama in early summer 2018; it was released in 2019.
Following the conclusion ofGotham in 2019, McKenzie indicated the end of one chapter in his career, turning to new efforts including writing and directing.[28]
On June 24, 2019, McKenzie, along with an ensemble cast, presentedThe Investigation: A Search for the Truth in Ten Acts, a dramatic reading of Special CounselRobert S. Mueller III'sReport on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election. McKenzie portrayed PresidentDonald Trump's former National Security AdvisorMichael Flynn, as well asDonald Trump Jr.[29]
McKenzie made his Broadway debut on January 23, 2020, in theSecond Stage production ofGrand Horizons at theHayes Theater.[30] McKenzie starred as Ben, one of two sons struggling with their elderly parents' divorce. A limited-run production, the play began previews on December 23, 2019[31] and closed on March 1, 2020. In February 2022, it was announced that McKenzie would star in and produceBloat, an internationally producedJ-horror film.[32] In February 2023, he was announced as a star in theABCmedical dramapilotThe Hurt Unit which was not picked up to series.[33][34]
Ben McKenzie @ben_mckenzieI'm just a former teen idol standing here (alone?) asking people to consider downside risk and the possibility of fraud. I hope I'm wrong, but pretty sure we'll find out soon enough. Good luck folks - don't take financial advice from celebs, including me.
February 4, 2022[35]
Since 2021, McKenzie has been an outspoken critic ofcryptocurrency.[36][37][38][39] He is noted as one of the few celebrity skeptics of the technology.[40][41][42] As such, he has been particularly critical of the proliferation of celebrity endorsements of unstable cryptocurrencies,their speculation, andNFTs.[43][44][45] McKenzie testified at theUnited States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing "Crypto Crash: Why theFTX Bubble Burst and the Harm to Consumers” in December 2022.[46]
McKenzie's debut bookEasy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud with journalist Jacob Silverman was released byAbrams Press on July 18, 2023.[47][48][49] The book includes a claim from McKenzie that the CIA "begged" him to explain cryptocurrency to them.[50] With Silverman, he has written a number of critical articles on crypto for publications includingSlate,The New Republic,The Washington Post, andThe Intercept.[51][52][53][54][55] They had a featured session on the topic at the 2022SXSW Festival and McKenzie atWSJ Tech Live 2022[56] and the 2022Web Summit.[57] McKenzie's cryptocurrency documentary,Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, will premiere atSXSW in London in June, 2025.[58]
As apundit, McKenzie has also appeared onCNN Business,CNBC,CBS News, andReal Time with Bill Maher to discuss the topic.[44][59][60][61][62][63] He has been a guest on podcasts likeWhat Next: TBD,Deconstructed, andChapo Trap House, and radio programsMarketplace Tech andMorning Edition.[64][65][66][67][68]
McKenzie attributes his initial interest in the subject to his undergraduate degree in economics and friends' interest in cryptocurrency, as well as coursework on theblockchain fromMIT professor andSEC chairmanGary Gensler andCapital in the Twenty-First Century by economistThomas Piketty.[36][37][38]
In September 2015, actressMorena Baccarin said in a legal declaration involving her divorce fromAustin Chick that she planned to marry herGotham co-star, McKenzie, adding that she was pregnant with their child.[69][70] Their daughter Frances Laiz Setta was born on March 2, 2016.[71] Sixteen days later, on March 18, Baccarin and Chick's divorce became official.[72] Baccarin and McKenzie announced their engagement in November 2016. They were married on June 2, 2017 (Baccarin's 38th birthday) in Brooklyn, New York.[73] They announced the birth of their son Arthur in March 2021.[74] With Baccarin, McKenzie has one step-son, Julius.[71]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Junebug | Johnny Johnsten | |
| 2007 | 88 Minutes | Mike Stempt | Credited as Benjamin McKenzie |
| 2008 | Every Monday Matters | Himself | Documentary |
| 2008 | Johnny Got His Gun | Joe Bonham | Filmed stage performance |
| 2009 | The Eight Percent | John Keller | Short film |
| 2011 | Batman: Year One | Bruce Wayne / Batman (voice) | |
| 2011 | The Blisters: How Three Became Four | Dave | Short film; also a producer |
| 2012 | Adventures in the Sin Bin | Michael | |
| 2012 | Decoding Annie Parker | Tom | |
| 2013 | Goodbye World | Nick Randworth | |
| 2014 | Some Kind of Beautiful | Brian | |
| 2019 | The Report | Scrubbed CIA Officer | |
| 2019 | Line of Duty | Dean Keller | |
| 2022 | I Want You Back | Leighton's Dad | |
| TBD | Bloat | Jack | Post-production[75] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The District | Tim Ruskin | Episode: "Faith" (credited as Benjamin McKenzie) |
| 2003 | JAG | Petty Officer Spencer | Episode: "Empty Quiver" (credited as Benjamin McKenzie) |
| 2003–2007 | The O.C. | Ryan Atwood | 92 episodes |
| 2004 | MADtv | Ryan Atwood | 1 episode |
| 2004–2005 | Punk'd | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2009–2013 | Southland | Ben Sherman | 43 episodes |
| 2011 | Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated | Odnarb (voice) | Episode: "The Wild Brood" |
| 2013 | Men at Work | Bryan | Episode: "Tyler the Pioneer" |
| 2013 | The Advocates | Henry Bird | CBSpilot |
| 2014–2019 | Gotham | James "Jim" Gordon | 100 episodes; director (3 episodes), writer (2 episodes) |
| 2017 | The Accidental Wolf | Webseries | |
| 2023 | The Hurt Unit | Danny | ABC pilot |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Phreaks | Audio book[76] | |
| 2023 | Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud | Narrator/co-author | Audio book |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The Blue Bird | Various | Williamstown Theatre Festival | Credited as Benjamin Schenkkan[77] |
| Street Scene | Neighbor | |||
| 2010 | The Glass Menagerie | Jim O'Connor | Mark Taper Forum | |
| 2011 | Marriage | Performer | Atlantic Theater | 10x25 Festival |
| 2019 | The Investigation: A Search for the Truth in Ten Acts | Michael Flynn /Donald Trump Jr. | Riverside Church | Reading |
| 2020 | Grand Horizons | Ben | Hayes Theater | Broadway |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Breakout TV Star – Male | The O.C. | Nominated |
| Choice TV Actor – Drama/Action Adventure | Nominated | |||
| 2005 | Choice TV Actor Drama | Nominated | ||
| Choice TV Chemistry(shared withMischa Barton) | Nominated | |||
| 2012 | PRISM Award | Male Performance in a Drama Series Multi-Episode Storyline | Nominated | |
| 2015 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Actor In A New TV Series[78][79] | Nominated | |
| 2016 | Teen Choice Award | Choice TV Actor Drama | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Choice Action TV Actor[80] | Nominated |
His wife, Frances Victory Schenkkan, is a prize-winning poet. One son, Ben McKenzie, who opted to use his middle name, sizzles on the TV cop dramaSouthland after melting hearts onThe O.C. His other sons, both former actors, are involved in nonprofits and the law.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)...spawning the era's first celebrity anti-promoter, actor Ben McKenzie, who began speaking out against the crypto space in general and endorsements from his fellow celebrities in particular
...the complexities of using advertising methods typically familiar in consumer packaged goods or entertainment for something as new and confusing as crypto [...] This is something that Ben McKenzie (yep, Ryan from The O.C.) also warned of early on.
| Preceded by | James Gordon Actor 2014 – 2019 With:J. K. Simmons inDCEU | Succeeded by |