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Benjamin Walker (actor)
Encyclopedia
Benjamin "Ben" Walker is an American actor, best known for his film appearances in Kinsey
(as Alfred Kinsey
at age 19), Harlon Block in Clint Eastwood
's Flags of Our Fathers
, and his critically acclaimed portrayal of Andrew Jackson
in the Off- and On Broadway incarnations of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
.
, the Interlochen Arts Academy
in Traverse City, Michigan
, and the Juilliard School
in New York City
. He graduated from the Juilliard Actor Training Program in 2004. Walker became engaged to actress Mamie Gummer
, the daughter of Meryl Streep
, in 2009 and they were married in 2011.
opposite two-time Tony Award winners Christopher Plummer
and Brian Dennehy
, and Tony Award winner Denis O'Hare
, under the direction of Doug Hughes. The production of Inherit the Wind opened at the Lyceum Theatre on April 12 and enjoyed a 10-week run to a capacity house. Inherit the Wind was nominated for four Tony awards including best revival.
In April 2008, Walker appeared as the Chevalier Danceny in the Roundabout Theatre Company
's production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses
directed by Rufus Norris
and starring Laura Linney
, Ben Daniels
and Mamie Gummer
, Benjamin Walker played the inexperienced lover who becomes the sex pawn of the pernicious La Marquise de Merteuil (Linney). Described as the "definitive battle of the sexes" by Broadway World the production enjoyed a capacity house and was nominated for six Tony awards.
Walker's other theater credits include The Arrangements at the Atlantic Theatre Company (NYC - 2005), the Lincoln Center Theatre workshop of Spring Awakening (NYC - 2005), Lady Windermere's Fan
(Williamstown Theatre Festival
- 2005), and Romeo and Juliet
(Williamstown Theatre Festival - 2006).
Also a stand-up comedian, Walker has performed at Caroline's
(NYC), Comedy Village (NYC) and The Comedy Store
(Los Angeles). His comedy show, "Find the Funny", which features comics and taped short narratives and skits, is performed regularly in New York City.
, during its December 2007 world premiere at the Center Theatre Group
's Kirk Douglas Theatre
in Los Angeles, CA.
An irreverent rock musical retelling of the life and legacy of Jackson, Walker has continued to star in the show's numerous incarnations to great critical acclaim since its debut, including Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson: The Concert Version (a four week workshop run at New York's Public Theatre in March 2009), and its thrice-extended return engagement at The Public in March 2010. He went on to reprise his performance in the Broadway production at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre, which opened on October 13, 2010 to rave reviews. The production closed on January 2, 2011.
Walker appeared in two independent films in 2009: in Will Frears' Coach as "Andy" and in Ron Daniel's film adaption of Naomi Wallace's play The War Boys (2009) as "David".
On June 17, 2010, Walker was cast as Hank McCoy / Beast
in X-Men: First Class
, but as of July 15, 2010 he 'walked' out of the role to star in the Broadway musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
.
It was announced on January 28, 2011, that Walker would play the starring role in the film adaptation of Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
.
Kinsey (film)
Kinsey is a 2004 biographical film written and directed by Bill Condon. It describes the life of Alfred Kinsey , a pioneer in the area of sexology. His 1948 publication, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male was one of the first recorded works that tried to scientifically address and investigate...
(as Alfred Kinsey
Alfred Kinsey
Alfred Charles Kinsey was an American biologist and professor of entomology and zoology, who in 1947 founded the Institute for Sex Research at Indiana University, now known as the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, as well as producing the Kinsey Reports and the Kinsey...
at age 19), Harlon Block in Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
's Flags of Our Fathers
Flags of Our Fathers (film)
is a 2006 American war film directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood and written by William Broyles, Jr. and Paul Haggis. It is based on the book of the same name written by James Bradley and Ron Powers about the Battle of Iwo Jima, the five Marines and one Navy Corpsman who were involved...
, and his critically acclaimed portrayal of Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
in the Off- and On Broadway incarnations of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is a rock musical with music and lyrics written by Michael Friedman, and a book by its director Alex Timbers.The show is a comedic Wild West rock musical about the founding of the Democratic Party...
.
Education and personal life
Walker attended Cartersville High School in Cartersville, GeorgiaCartersville, Georgia
Cartersville is a town in Bartow County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 19,7314. The city is the county seat of Bartow County.-Geography:Cartersville was named for Colonel Farish Carter....
, the Interlochen Arts Academy
Interlochen Center for the Arts
Interlochen Center for the Arts is a privately owned, 1,200 acre arts education institution in Interlochen, Michigan, roughly 15 miles southwest of Traverse City...
in Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse...
, and the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He graduated from the Juilliard Actor Training Program in 2004. Walker became engaged to actress Mamie Gummer
Mamie Gummer
Mary Willa "Mamie" Gummer is an American actress, and the daughter of actress Meryl Streep.-Early life:Mamie Gummer was born to actress Meryl Streep, and sculptor Don Gummer...
, the daughter of Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
, in 2009 and they were married in 2011.
Stage work
In February 2007, Walker portrayed Bertram Cates in the Broadway revival of Inherit the WindInherit the Wind (play)
Inherit the Wind is a play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee. The play, which debuted in 1955, is a parable that fictionalizes the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial as a means to discuss the then-contemporary McCarthy trials.-Background:...
opposite two-time Tony Award winners Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer
Arthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
and Brian Dennehy
Brian Dennehy
Brian Mannion Dennehy is an American actor of film, stage and screen.-Early years:Dennehy was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Hannah and Edward Dennehy, who was a wire service editor for the Associated Press; he has two brothers, Michael and Edward. Dennehy is of Irish ancestry and was...
, and Tony Award winner Denis O'Hare
Denis O'Hare
Denis O'Hare is an American actor noted for his award winning performances in Take Me Out and Sweet Charity as well as the HBO television show True Blood. He is also known for his supporting roles in the films Charlie Wilson's War and Milk...
, under the direction of Doug Hughes. The production of Inherit the Wind opened at the Lyceum Theatre on April 12 and enjoyed a 10-week run to a capacity house. Inherit the Wind was nominated for four Tony awards including best revival.
In April 2008, Walker appeared as the Chevalier Danceny in the Roundabout Theatre Company
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in New York City.-History:The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist and Elizabeth Owens and now operates five theatres, all in Manhattan: the American Airlines Theatre ; Studio 54 ; the Stephen Sondheim Theatre The...
's production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Les Liaisons dangereuses is a French epistolary novel by Choderlos de Laclos.Les Liaisons dangereuses may also refer to:* Les liaisons dangereuses , a 1959 film adapted by Claude Brulé and directed by Roger Vadim...
directed by Rufus Norris
Rufus Norris
Rufus Norris is an award-winning British theatre director who trained as an actor at RADA before turning to directing.In 2001 he won the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Newcomer for his production of Afore Night Came at the Young Vic....
and starring Laura Linney
Laura Linney
Laura Leggett Linney is an American actress of film, television, and theatre. Linney has won three Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She has been nominated for three times for an Academy Award and once for a BAFTA Award...
, Ben Daniels
Ben Daniels
Ben Daniels is an English actor. A graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art , he has taken on roles in numerous productions...
and Mamie Gummer
Mamie Gummer
Mary Willa "Mamie" Gummer is an American actress, and the daughter of actress Meryl Streep.-Early life:Mamie Gummer was born to actress Meryl Streep, and sculptor Don Gummer...
, Benjamin Walker played the inexperienced lover who becomes the sex pawn of the pernicious La Marquise de Merteuil (Linney). Described as the "definitive battle of the sexes" by Broadway World the production enjoyed a capacity house and was nominated for six Tony awards.
Walker's other theater credits include The Arrangements at the Atlantic Theatre Company (NYC - 2005), the Lincoln Center Theatre workshop of Spring Awakening (NYC - 2005), Lady Windermere's Fan
Lady Windermere's Fan
Lady Windermere's Fan, A Play About a Good Woman is a four act comedy by Oscar Wilde, first produced 22 February 1892 at the St James's Theatre in London. The play was first published in 1893...
(Williamstown Theatre Festival
Williamstown Theatre Festival
The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a regional summer stock theatre on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, founded in 1954 by Williams College news director, Ralph Renzi, and drama program chairman, David C. Bryant. The theatre was conceived as a way to use the Adams...
- 2005), and Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
(Williamstown Theatre Festival - 2006).
Also a stand-up comedian, Walker has performed at Caroline's
Caroline's
Carolines on Broadway is a venue for stand-up comedy located in Times Square in New York City on Broadway between 49th and 50th Street. It is one of the most established, famous, and recognized stand-up comedy clubs in the United States. Its marketing slogan is "America's Premiere Comedy...
(NYC), Comedy Village (NYC) and The Comedy Store
The Comedy Store
The Comedy Store is a comedy club located in West Hollywood, California, at 8433 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip. It has a sister comedy club in La Jolla, San Diego, California.-History:...
(Los Angeles). His comedy show, "Find the Funny", which features comics and taped short narratives and skits, is performed regularly in New York City.
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Walker initially starred as Andrew Jackson in the Alex Timbers/Michael Friedman musical Bloody Bloody Andrew JacksonBloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is a rock musical with music and lyrics written by Michael Friedman, and a book by its director Alex Timbers.The show is a comedic Wild West rock musical about the founding of the Democratic Party...
, during its December 2007 world premiere at the Center Theatre Group
Center Theatre Group
Center Theatre Group is a non-profit arts organization located in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the largest theatre companies in the nation, programming subscription seasons year-round at the Mark Taper Forum, the Ahmanson Theatre and the Kirk Douglas Theatre...
's Kirk Douglas Theatre
Kirk Douglas Theatre
The Kirk Douglas Theatre is located in Culver City, California and in 2004, was acquired by the famed Center Theatre Group. The theatre is the most intimate of the group's three stages and seats 317 patrons at max occupancy.- History :...
in Los Angeles, CA.
An irreverent rock musical retelling of the life and legacy of Jackson, Walker has continued to star in the show's numerous incarnations to great critical acclaim since its debut, including Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson: The Concert Version (a four week workshop run at New York's Public Theatre in March 2009), and its thrice-extended return engagement at The Public in March 2010. He went on to reprise his performance in the Broadway production at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre, which opened on October 13, 2010 to rave reviews. The production closed on January 2, 2011.
Film roles
Walker starred in Will Frears' short narrative film, All Saint's Day (2007), which ran at Tribeca, Sarasota, and SCADs film festivals. The film was the Savannah College of Art and Design winner for the narrative short category.Walker appeared in two independent films in 2009: in Will Frears' Coach as "Andy" and in Ron Daniel's film adaption of Naomi Wallace's play The War Boys (2009) as "David".
On June 17, 2010, Walker was cast as Hank McCoy / Beast
Beast (comics)
Beast , Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy, is a comic book character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the mutant team of superheroes known as the X-Men...
in X-Men: First Class
X-Men: First Class
X-Men: First Class is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics starring the X-Men.-Publication history:The original series was an eight-issue limited series. It began in September 2006 and ended in April 2007. It was written by Jeff Parker and penciled by Roger Cruz...
, but as of July 15, 2010 he 'walked' out of the role to star in the Broadway musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is a rock musical with music and lyrics written by Michael Friedman, and a book by its director Alex Timbers.The show is a comedic Wild West rock musical about the founding of the Democratic Party...
.
It was announced on January 28, 2011, that Walker would play the starring role in the film adaptation of Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter is a 2010 mashup novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, released on March 2, 2010.-Plot summary:The epistolary-style book is written as a biography of Abraham Lincoln, based on "secret diaries" kept by the 16th President and given to the author by a vampire named Henry...
.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | My Favorite Fairy Tales Volume 2: The Three Little Pigs/The Ugly Duckling/The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids | Voice | Direct-to-video Direct-to-video Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television... |
| My Favorite Fairy Tales Volume 4: The Wizard of Oz; The Magic Carpet; Alibaba and Forty Thieves | Voice | Direct-to-video | |
| 2004 | Kinsey Kinsey (film) Kinsey is a 2004 biographical film written and directed by Bill Condon. It describes the life of Alfred Kinsey , a pioneer in the area of sexology. His 1948 publication, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male was one of the first recorded works that tried to scientifically address and investigate... |
Kinsey at 19 | |
| 2006 | Unconscious | John Stradlater | |
| Flags of Our Fathers Flags of Our Fathers (film) is a 2006 American war film directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood and written by William Broyles, Jr. and Paul Haggis. It is based on the book of the same name written by James Bradley and Ron Powers about the Battle of Iwo Jima, the five Marines and one Navy Corpsman who were involved... |
Harlon Block Harlon Block Harlon Henry Block was a United States Marine during World War II. Born in Texas, Block joined the Marine Corps in November 1943 and subsequently saw action during the Battle of Bougainville and the Battle of Iwo Jima where he was killed in action... |
||
| 2007 | Wasted NYC | Billy | |
| All Saints Day | Matthew | ||
| 2009 | The War Boys The War Boys The War Boys is a 2009 American independent drama film directed by Ronald Daniels. Its screenplay was written by Naomi Wallace and Bruce McLeod, based on the play of the same name by Naomi Wallace.... |
David | |
| 2010 | Coach | Andy | |
| 2011 | The Hot Potato | Danny | |
| 2012 | Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (film) Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a 2012 American supernatural film based on the 2010 mashup novel Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. The film is directed by Timur Bekmambetov and is produced by Bekmambetov and Tim Burton. The novel's author, Seth Grahame-Smith, wrote the adapted screenplay... |
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and... |
|
| 2012 | Paradise Lost Paradise Lost Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse... |
Michael Michael (archangel) Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael... |
|
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2006 | 3 lbs 3 lbs 3 lbs is a drama that aired on CBS from November 14 to 28, 2006, replacing the cancelled series Smith. The show itself was then canceled three weeks later due to poor ratings.... |
Nick Ross | 1 episode |