Ben Chaplin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ben Chaplin
Chaplin at the IFFR 2015
Born	Benedict John Greenwood (1969-07-31) 31 July 1969 (age 56) Windsor, Berkshire, England
Alma mater	Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1990–present

Benedict John Greenwood (born on July 31, 1969), known as Ben Chaplin, is a British actor. He is famous for his roles in many films. These include Feast of July (1995), The Thin Red Line (1998), Birthday Girl (2001), Murder by Numbers (2002), The New World (2005), and Snowden (2016). He has also appeared in TV shows like Soldier Soldier (1991), World Without End (2012), and The Nevers (2021–2023).

Early Life and Start in Acting

Ben Chaplin was born on July 31, 1969, in Windsor, England. His mother, Cynthia, was a teacher, and his father, Peter Greenwood, was a civil engineer. Ben has a sister named Rachel and a brother named Justin.

He became interested in acting when he was a teenager. He performed in school plays at the Princess Margaret Royal Free School. When he was 17, he went to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Before becoming a full-time actor, he worked odd jobs. He was an office worker and even a statistician for the London Transport Authority for a while.

Acting Career Highlights

Ben Chaplin chose his mother's maiden name, Chaplin, as his stage name. He started his acting career in the 1990s. He appeared in small roles in BBC TV dramas and some movies.

Early Roles and Breakthrough

In 1992, he got his first big role in a TV show called Bye Bye Baby. He also appeared in The Remains of the Day as a servant. In 1995, he played Con Wainwright in Feast of July. He also received good reviews for his role in the play The Glass Menagerie. He was even nominated for an Olivier Award for it. That same year, he played Matthew in the British TV comedy Game On.

Hollywood Films and Notable Performances

Ben Chaplin moved on to Hollywood films. In 1996, he starred in the romantic comedy The Truth About Cats & Dogs. He played a photographer caught between two women. In 1997, he was Morris Townsend in Washington Square. This film got good reviews.

He then appeared in the war film The Thin Red Line in 1998. In 2001, he starred with Nicole Kidman in Birthday Girl. He played a quiet bank clerk who gets a Russian mail-order bride. The next year, he worked with Sandra Bullock in the crime thriller Murder by Numbers. He played her partner investigating a series of killings.

In 2004, Ben Chaplin played George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham in Stage Beauty. This movie was about British theatre in the 1660s. He also had roles in Chromophobia (2005) and The New World (2005). In The New World, he had a small part in a film about Pocahontas.

Later Work in Film and Television

In 2006, he was one of four siblings in the comedy-drama Two Weeks. They returned home to say goodbye to their sick mother. He also appeared in the children's fantasy film The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007). In 2009, he played the actor George Coulouris in Me and Orson Welles.

Ben Chaplin has also continued to work in television. He was in the miniseries World Without End in 2012. In 2015, he played Cinderella's father in the live-action film Cinderella. In 2017, he starred with Emily Watson in the TV series Apple Tree Yard. He also played Duncan Allen, a newspaper editor, in the BBC series Press in 2018. From 2021 to 2023, he was a main cast member in the TV series The Nevers. His most recent film is September 5, released in 2024.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Ben Chaplin para niños