Ben McKenzie

Benjamin McKenzie
Born	Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan

Benjamin McKenzie (born Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan on September 12, 1978) is an American actor best known for playing Ryan Atwood on the television series The O.C.

Biography

Early life

McKenzie was born in Austin, Texas to Pieter Meade Schenkkan and Mary Frances Victory, a prize-winning poet. His uncle is the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan. He played football at Austin High School before attending the University of Virginia, where he majored in Foreign Affairs and Economics. He got into acting during his first few years at the university, and moved to Los Angeles in late 2001 to look for acting opportunities.

Career

McKenzie appeared in minor television roles before being cast as Ryan Atwood, a troubled teen thrust into a new life in Newport Beach, on The O.C., which was a ratings success during the first few seasons, but was later canceled due to low ratings. The O.C. ended on February 22, 2007.

During the first season of The O.C rumors began to spread about McKenzie dating co-star Mischa Barton; however, they never announced they were a couple.

McKenzie has volunteered as an actor with the Young Storytellers Program.

He is a fan of Major League Baseball, specifically a fan of the Boston Red Sox, as he stated on the August 12, 2006 episode of This Week In Baseball.

He is also known to be a Tottenham Hotspur fan and enjoys English football.

On a promotional tour to the UK in 2005 he appeared on MTV and was asked if he was going to see any bands while he was over there, he responded that he really wanted to see Oasis but they were sold out.

As of 2005, he became the third star of The O.C. to appear on Punk'd. He set up his co-star Adam Brody in 2004, and he appeared again on Punk'd in 2005, this time getting punk'd by Kutcher's crew members.

During the 2004 Democratic National Convention and in support of presidential candidate Senator John F. Kerry, McKenzie gave a speech appealing to young Americans to go out and vote.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2008	The Stanford Prison Experiment		pre-production
	Johnny Got His Gun	Joe Bonham	completed
2007	88 Minutes	Mike Stemp
2005	Junebug	Johnny Johnsten
2004	Mad TV	Ryan	1 episode
2003	The O.C.	Ryan Atwood	92 episodes
	JAG	Petty Officer Spencer	1 episode
2002	The District	Tim Ruskin	1 episode