Ben McKenzie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ben McKenzie
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)
Occupation	Actor commentator
Years active	2002–present
Spouse(s)	Morena Baccarin ​ (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

Television

Audio

Theater

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Benjamin McKenzie para niños