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Batman: Year One (2011)
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010)
The Glass Menagerie (2010)
Southland (2009-2010)
Sin Bin (2010)
The Eight Percent (2009)
Johnny Got His Gun (2008)Ben McKenzie and Regina King on Good Day LA 5/13/09
Ben during “In Front” to meet the stars of NBC’s new shows at Universal Studios Hollywood on May 12, 2009 in Universal City, California.
The gallery was also updated with some old pictures of Ben and actress Kerry Washington campaigning for Barack Obama at the University of Texas.
“In Front” meet the stars of NBC’s new shows – May 12, 2009
Ben and Kerry Washington at the University of Texas – February 28, 2008
The O.C. heartthrob is finally acting his age. After scowling his way to teen idoldom as Ryan Atwood, the 30-year-old now plays rookie cop Ben Sherman on NBC’s gritty drama Southland. He talks about ditching the wifebeater and showing up Dennis Franz.
This does seem like a pretty bold career transition — was it part of your plan?
I planned it all along. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha. No, I played the cards I was dealt. When I got The O.C., I needed a job. I would’ve taken anything I got. But I did think it was gonna work as a show.
So why this project?
I thought it was a good opportunity to play an adult, a character that I think is quite different from Ryan Atwood. He’s the rich kid going to the poor area instead of the poor kid going to the rich area. In some ways, he’s more similar to me. I grew up in Texas in a lovely upper-middle-class childhood. Idyllic, you might say.
We were a little too excited to see you in the Southland premiere arresting Taylor Handley, who played the much-hated Oliver in The O.C.’s first season.
It was quite funny. We were filming the scene on Sunset Boulevard. I’m arresting this guy who played my nemesis on The O.C. He’s calling me by my character’s name, which is also my real name. And just out of frame is a Starline tour bus with all the tourists taking pictures of us filming. It was about as surreal as it gets.
There’s one key similarity in your roles on both shows, though: You barely talk.I tend to play characters who are guarded and then open up to people. Or maybe I have limited capacity to memorize lines. [Laughs]
Did you have to prove yourself for the Southland gig?
I had a meeting with the producers where I offered to read. So, technically an audition. It was frustrating for me post-O.C. for a year or two. You get to a certain age and it’s almost comic, trying to stay in a high school world. I guess I got blessed with genes that let me play younger than I am, but I shouldn’t be playing 10 years younger!
Did you turn down any roles in between?
It was a lot of, I call it ”Ryan Atwood on film.” A friend of mine called me from a movie he was doing and was like, ”Dude, they want me to be you! Get me a white wifebeater.”
But Southland is clearly not The O.C. — it uses profanity, for one thing, even though it’s bleeped out.
I think the nice thing is NBC is willing to take a gamble on certain things. We’re somewhat free to make the show we want to make.
Does this mean Franzian nudity is in the offing?
Dennis Franz ain’t got nothing on me. I used to watch NYPD Blue when I was way too young to, and I have the image of his naked ass seared into my memory. I’m going to try to show him up.
Ben and co-star Michael Cudlitz on the film set of “Southland” in Hollywood, California. May, 4 2009.
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On the Set of Southland – May 4, 2009
Ben will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live next Wednesday, May 13th. Other than Ben the show will also feature actor Matthew Fox (LOST).
Be Sure to Tune in!
Looks like the cops on “Southland” will be back on the beat in the fall. Word is that NBC has picked up the Warner Bros. TV/John Wells Prods. drama for 13 episodes, probably for a fall slot.
NBC execs are hunkered down in New York this weekend making fall pickup decisions in advance of Monday’s “Infront” programming presentation to advertisers in Gotham.
The ensembler “Southland” has delivered solid numbers to NBC in the Thursday 10 p.m. time slot since its debut April 9, and the show has been warmly received by critics. Hard-boiled cop drama will presumably slide to a 9 p.m. berth in the fall, as NBC plans to strip “The Jay Leno Show” Monday-Friday at 10 p.m. hour.
