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Ben McKenzie
2022 - Centre Stage SAM 2362 (52476698985) (cropped).jpg
McKenzie in 2022.
Born
Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan

(1978-09-12) September 12, 1978 (age 46)
Alma mater University of Virginia (BA)
Occupation
  • Actor
  • commentator
Years active 2002–present
Spouse(s)
(m. 2017)
Children 2
Relatives Robert Schenkkan (uncle)

Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan (born September 12, 1978) is an American actor and writer. He is famous for his main roles in TV shows like The O.C., where he played Ryan Atwood, and Gotham, where he was James "Jim" Gordon. He also starred as Ben Sherman in the show Southland.

Besides acting, Ben McKenzie has written a book about cryptocurrency with journalist Jacob Silverman. The book, called Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud, came out in July 2023.

Early Life and Education

Ben McKenzie was born in Austin, Texas. He is one of three sons. His mother, Frances Schenkkan, is a poet, and his father, Pete Schenkkan, is a lawyer.

His middle name, McKenzie, comes from his grandmother. He uses it as his stage name to avoid being confused with another actor named Ben Shenkman.

For middle school, he went to St. Andrew's Episcopal School. There, he was friends and played flag football with Drew Brees, who later became a famous football player. Ben McKenzie then attended Stephen F. Austin High School, where he also played football.

From 1997 to 2001, he studied at the University of Virginia. He majored in foreign affairs and economics.

Acting Career

Starting Out and The O.C.

After finishing college in 2001, Ben McKenzie moved to New York City. He worked part-time jobs and acted in small theater plays.

Later, he moved to Los Angeles. Soon after, he got the role of Ryan Atwood in the TV show The O.C.. The show started on August 5, 2003, and was about wealthy teenagers in Orange County, California. The O.C. quickly became very popular and made McKenzie famous.

His acting in The O.C. earned him several awards and nominations, including "Choice Breakout TV Star – Male" at the Teen Choice Awards. He was also featured in magazines like People and Teen People. The O.C. ran for four seasons and ended in early 2007.

While working on The O.C., McKenzie also made his first movie appearance in Junebug (2005). This film was nominated for an Academy Award.

Southland and Gotham

In 2008, McKenzie received praise for his role in the film Johnny Got His Gun. He played Joe Bonham, a character previously acted by famous stars like James Cagney.

In 2009, he began starring as rookie police officer Ben Sherman in the TV drama Southland. The show was first on NBC, then moved to TNT. It ran for five seasons and ended in 2013.

After Southland, McKenzie returned to Fox in the Batman prequel TV show Gotham. The show started on September 22, 2014. In Gotham, he played James "Jim" Gordon as a young detective new to Gotham City. The series ran for five seasons and had 100 episodes, finishing in April 2019. McKenzie also directed three episodes and wrote two episodes of Gotham.

In 2017, he appeared in the web series The Accidental Wolf. In 2019, he starred in the action thriller movie Line of Duty.

Recent Projects and Theater

After Gotham ended in 2019, Ben McKenzie started focusing on new projects, including writing and directing.

On June 24, 2019, he took part in a special reading of The Investigation: A Search for the Truth in Ten Acts. He played roles like Michael Flynn and Donald Trump Jr. in this dramatic reading.

McKenzie made his Broadway debut on January 23, 2020, in the play Grand Horizons. He played Ben, one of two sons dealing with their elderly parents' divorce. The play ran until March 1, 2020.

In February 2022, it was announced that McKenzie would star in and produce a J-horror film called Bloat.

Personal Life

In September 2015, Ben McKenzie's Gotham co-star, Morena Baccarin, announced they were planning to get married and were expecting a child. Their daughter was born on March 2, 2016.

Ben McKenzie and Morena Baccarin announced their engagement in November 2016. They got married on June 2, 2017, in Brooklyn, New York. In March 2021, they welcomed a son. McKenzie also has a step-son, Julius, with Baccarin.

Filmography

Film

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 Eight Percent, TheThe Eight Percent John Keller Short film
2011 Batman: Year One Bruce Wayne / Batman (voice)
2011 Blisters: How Three Became Four, TheThe 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
2025 Bloat Jack

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2002 District, TheThe 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 CBS pilot
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

Audio

Year Title Role Notes
2020 Phreaks Audio book
2023 Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud Narrator/co-author Audio book

Theater

Year Title Role Venue Notes
2001 The Blue Bird Various Williamstown Theatre Festival Credited as Benjamin Schenkkan
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

Awards and Nominations

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 with Mischa Barton) Nominated
2012 PRISM Award Male Performance in a Drama Series Multi-Episode Storyline
Southland
Nominated
2015 People's Choice Awards Favorite Actor In A New TV Series
Gotham
Nominated
2016 Teen Choice Award Choice TV Actor Drama Nominated
2019 Choice Action TV Actor Nominated

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Benjamin McKenzie para niños

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