Ben McKenzie Biography
Ben McKenzie is an actor from the United States well known for his starring television roles in the teen drama The O.C., on the crime drama Southland, and the crime drama Gotham.
How old is Ben McKenzie? – Age
He is 43 years old as of 12 September 2021. He was born in 1978 in Austin, Texas, United States.
Ben McKenzie Family – Education
He has Dutch-Jewish, Scottish, and English ancestors. He is one of three sons born to poet Frances Schenkkan and attorney Pete Schenkkan. He has two younger brothers, both of whom have previously worked as actors. Scout Tufankjian, a photojournalist, is his brother-in-law.
His grandfather, Robert F. Schenkkan, was a University of Texas at Austin professor who helped pass the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. Notably, he is the nephew of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan, who featured McKenzie in his 2019 work The Investigation. McKenzie is his paternal grandmother’s maiden name; he incorporates it into his stage name to avoid confusion with actor Ben Shenkman.
He went to St. Andrew’s Episcopal School for middle school, where he was friends with and flag football teammates with future Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees. He went to Stephen F. Austin High School, where he played wide receiver and defensive back for the football team. He studied foreign affairs and economics at the University of Virginia, his father’s and paternal grandfather’s alma mater, from 1997 to 2001.
Ben McKenzie Wife
Morena Baccarin revealed in a divorce legal declaration in September 2015 that she planned to marry her Gotham co-star, McKenzie, and that she was pregnant with their child. On March 2, 2016, their daughter was born. In November 2016, Baccarin and McKenzie announced their engagement. They married in Brooklyn, New York on June 2, 2017 (Baccarin’s 38th birthday). They announced that their son would be born in March 2021.
Ben McKenzie The O.C.
In all ninety-two episodes of the Fox drama series The O.C., he played the main character Ryan Atwood. Ryan is a nice guy who enjoys assisting others and defending people’s honor. As the product of an abusive home, he has difficulty trusting or emotionally connecting with others. He is devoted to his biological and adopted families, as well as those he cares about. Ryan can be quite open, “conveying[ing] everything with just a look.”
Ben McKenzie Southland
He appeared as Officer Ben Sherman, a young rookie officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. Ben Sherman is a driven, ambitious, and intelligent police officer with a strong work ethic who wants to help save the world. Ben’s attitude toward his law enforcement career has shifted since Season 4. He strikes a teenage girl with a closed fist after she repeatedly verbally harasses him and spits in his face. He also becomes dissatisfied with his inability to’make a difference,’ which he claims is why he wanted to become a cop.
Ben McKenzie Gotham
He played Jim Gordon on Gotham, the commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department while also directing several episodes. He is the late Peter Gordon’s son, Frank Gordon’s nephew, and Harvey Bullock’s ex-boyfriend. After being demoted to traffic duty, he later murdered Theo Galavan and was framed by Edward Nygma for Carl Pinkney’s murder. After escaping from prison and clearing his name, he decided not to rejoin the GCPD and instead set out to solve the mystery of who murdered the Waynes once and for all.
Ben McKenzie TV Shows
♦ 2022 – I Want You Back
♦ 2019 – The Report
♦ 2019 – Line of Duty
♦ 2014 – Some Kind of Beautiful
♦ 2013 – Goodbye World
♦ 2012 – Adventures in the Sin Bin
♦ 2012 – Decoding Annie Parker
♦ 2011 – Batman: Year One
♦ 2011 – The Blisters: How Three Became Four
♦ 2009 – The Eight Percent
♦ 2008 – Every Monday Matters
Ben McKenzie TV Shows
♦ 2017 – The Accidental Wolf
♦ 2014–2019 – Gotham
♦ 2013 – Men at Work
♦ 2013 – The Advocates
♦ 2011 – Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated
♦ 2009–2013 – Southland
♦ 2004–2005 – Punk’d
♦ 2004 – MADtv – Ryan Atwood
♦ 2003–2007 – The O.C.
♦ 2003 – JAG
♦ 2002 – The District