Benny Safdie
Safdie in 2025
Born	Benjamin Safdie (1986-02-24)February 24, 1986 (age 39) New York City, U.S.
Education	Boston University (BS)
Occupations	Film director producer screenwriter film editor actor
Years active	2007–present
Spouse	Ava Rawski ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	2
Relatives	Josh Safdie (brother) Moshe Safdie (great-uncle) Oren Safdie (first cousin once removed) Dov Charney (first cousin once removed)

Benjamin Safdie (born February 24, 1986)^[1] is an American filmmaker and actor, most known for hisfilm collaborations with his elder brother,Josh, inHeaven Knows What (2014),Good Time (2017) andUncut Gems (2019).

His solo career includes the co-created satirical seriesThe Curse (2023), and his solo directorial debutThe Smashing Machine (2025), for which he won theSilver Lion at the82nd Venice International Film Festival.

For his role inGood Time as Nick, Safdie was nominated for theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male, and has since starred inLicorice Pizza (2021),Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (2023),Oppenheimer (2023), andHappy Gilmore 2 (2025), as well as in the television showThe Curse (2023–24).

Safdie's parents are Amy and Alberto Safdie. He is ofSyrian Jewish descent on his father's side, andAshkenazi Jewish descent on his mother's side.^[2] He was raised in New York.^[3] When their parents divorced, he and brother Josh divided their time between their father inQueens and their mother and stepfather inManhattan.^[3] He attendedColumbia Grammar & Preparatory School^[3] and graduated from theBoston University College of Communication in 2008.

The Safdies' first feature was the 2009 filmDaddy Longlegs: they also wrote the screenplay and edited the film together.^[4] The film was showcased in theDirectors' Fortnight at the2009 Cannes Film Festival.^[5] In 2013, they debuted the documentary filmLenny Cooke at theTribeca Film Festival,^[6] a documentary they became attached to after Cooke approached them to review the footage.^[7] In 2014, the pair premiered their next filmHeaven Knows What at the71st Venice International Film Festival.^[8] In February 2016, the brothers began filming their crime thriller filmGood Time, which Benny starred in alongsideRobert Pattinson, inNew York City.^[9] It premiered at the2017 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for thePalme d'Or.^[10] Benny, for his performance, was nominated for theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male.^[11]

Uncut Gems, Josh and Benny's next film, starredAdam Sandler,Lakeith Stanfield andJulia Fox;Martin Scorsese was executive producer.^[12] The brothers won theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Director, and Benny shared theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Editing withRonald Bronstein, with whom he has co-edited all the Safdie brother films.^[13]

Safdie andNathan Fielder co-created in theShowtime seriesThe Curse, which premiered in November 2023.^[14] The show, in which they also starred, received critical acclaim,^[15][16] and Safdie earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination forBest Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series.^[17]

Safdie then, in his first directorial endevour without his brother and his first solo writing credit, directed the MMA themed filmThe Smashing Machine, starringDwayne Johnson as former wrestler andMMA fighterMark Kerr. The film premiered and the82nd Venice International Film Festival, where Safdie won theSilver Lion for Best Direction. The film received a theatrical release in October 2025 byA24.

Safdie is currently attached as writer, director and producer to a film adaptation ofDaniel Pinkwater'sLizard Music forAmazon MGM Studios'United Artists, reteaming with Johnson.

In 2017, Safdie began taking on performances not directed by himself or Josh, appearing in a role in the filmPerson to Person.^[18] In 2020, he appeared inPieces of a Woman,^[19] and in 2021 he took on a significant supporting role in thePaul Thomas Anderson filmLicorice Pizza.^[20]

In 2022, Safdie appeared inClaire Denis' romantic thrillerStars at Noon,^[21] and as Nari in theDisney+ miniseriesObi-Wan Kenobi.^[22] In 2023, he starred in the film adaptationAre You There God? It's Me, Margaret.,^[23] and appears asEdward Teller inOppenheimer, directed byChristopher Nolan.^[24]

In 2025, he appeared inHappy Gilmore 2,^[25] and is set to reunite with Nolan onThe Odyssey in 2026.^[26] He will also voiceBowser Jr. inThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie.^[27]

Safdie isJewish. His father was born in Italy and raised in France, and is ofSephardic-Jewish andSyrian-Jewish descent.^{[3][28][29][30]} His mother is ofRussian-Jewish descent.^[31] His great uncle is architectMoshe Safdie. His cousin once removed is playwrightOren Safdie.^[32]

He is married to Ava Safdie (née Rawski), with whom he has two sons.^[33]

Film

Television

• Benny Safdie atIMDb
• Red Bucket FilmsArchived November 21, 2019, at theWayback Machine

• 1986 births
• Film directors from New York City
• American male screenwriters
• American film editors
• Jewish American male actors
• American people of Russian-Jewish descent
• American people of Syrian descent
• American people of Syrian-Jewish descent
• Syrian Jews
• Boston University College of Communication alumni
• Best Director Independent Spirit Award winners
• Living people
• Primetime Emmy Award winners
• Male actors from Queens, New York
• People from Manhattan
• Mass media people from Queens, New York
• Safdie family
• Venice Best Director Silver Lion winners
• 20th-century American Sephardic Jews
• 21st-century American Sephardic Jews
• 21st-century American male actors
• Best Editing Independent Spirit Award winners

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