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Michael Benz

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Michael Benz
Born1981 or 1982 (age 42–43)
England
EducationGeorgetown University
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
OccupationActor

Michael Benz (born 1981 or 1982)[1] is an English-American actor.[2]

Early life and education

Benz was born in England to American parents Thomas and Margaret Benz.[3] He attended The American School in London before graduating from Georgetown University in 2004 and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London in 2007.[4]

Career

Benz was cast as Mike in the popular British sci-fi TV sitcom Mike and Angelo. Benz participated in six series of the program and appears in 60 episodes. Benz has also provided voice work for the British-American animated adventure comedy film We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story. Benz also appeared as the title character in the BBC 6-part miniseries Little Lord Fauntleroy, based on the English children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and adapted by Julian Fellowes. Upon graduation from RADA, Benz made his professional stage debut in the Shakespeare's Globe production of The Winter's Tale playing Paulina and the Young Shepherd.[5] Also for Shakespeare's Globe, Benz appeared in Love's Labour's Lost, As You Like It, and the world premiere production of A New World: A Life of Thomas Paine.[6] In the summer of 2012, Benz played the title role in the Globe's production of Hamlet, directed by artistic director Dominic Dromgoole and Bill Buckhurst.[7] During the fall of 2012, the production toured the United States and Benz was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor at the Helen Hayes Awards in Washington, DC.[8] Benz made his West End theatre debut in 2011 playing Horatio in Trevor Nunn's production of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket.[9] Benz worked with Nunn again later that year, playing Ferdinand opposite Ralph Fiennes' Prospero, in The Tempest also at Theatre Royal, Haymarket.[10] Other stage appearances by Benz include Lee Baum in Arthur Miller's The American Clock[11] and Christopher in the premiere of Oohrah! by Bekah Brunstetter,[12] both at the Finborough Theatre; Simon Bliss in Noël Coward's Hay Fever at the West Yorkshire Playhouse;[13] and Balthasar in Romeo & Juliet for the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).[14] Benz was a guest player in the season four Christmas Special of Downton Abbey that was broadcast on 25 December 2013 in the UK (season 4, episode 9 in the US). Benz played Ethan, the American valet to guest star Paul Giamatti's character Harold Levinson.[citation needed] In 2019, Benz played a Wall Street executive in the thriller Joker, in which his character is harassing Arthur on the Subway.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1993 We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story Voice role
2009 Sam and Jenny Go to a Play Old Sage Short
2010 'As You Like It' at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Silvius
The Newest Pledge Futuristic Party Go-er
2012 City Slacker Well Presented Man
2015 The Importance of Being Earnest LIVE John Worthing
2016 Snowden CIA Student
2017 The Wife White
2019 Joker Wall Street Three
2020 Greyhound Lieutenant Carling

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1993-1998 Mike and Angelo Mike Mason Series regular
1994 The Tomorrow People Vinny Episode: "The Monsoon Man"
1995 Little Lord Fauntleroy Cedric Errol Mini-series
2013 Downton Abbey Ethan Slade Episode: "The London Season"
2017 Time After Time Smythe Episode: "Pilot"
2021 For All Mankind Gary Piscotty 7 episodes

References

  1. ^ Isherwood, Charles (4 October 2012). "Yes, a Blended Family Can Be a Pain, but That Danish Prince Tries His Best". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 December 2022. At 30, Mr. Benz is one of the youngest actors I've seen in the role...
  2. ^ Marks, Peter (23 August 2012). "At Folger, 'Hamlet' will be a homecoming for Georgetown grad Michael Benz". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2 April 2022. When Anglo American actor Michael Benz was 12...
  3. ^ "Georgetown Alumnus Reaches Shakespearian Heights—Georgetown University". Georgetown University. 25 October 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  4. ^ "Michael Benz—RADA". Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  5. ^ "The Winter's Tale / Shakespeare's Globe". Shakespearesglobe.com. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  6. ^ "Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Bankside, Southwark, London / Shakespeare's Globe". Shakespearesglobe.com. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  7. ^ "Hamlet / Shakespeare's Globe". Shakespearesglobe.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  8. ^ "The Washington Post". Articles.washingtonpost.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  9. ^ "» Trevor Nunn Season 2011 – 2012". Trh.co.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  10. ^ Michael Billington. "The Tempest – review | Stage". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  11. ^ "The American Clock - Productions 2012". Finborough Theatre. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  12. ^ "Finborough Theatre". Finborough Theatre. 6 April 2009. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  13. ^ Clare Brennan. "Hay Fever | Theatre review | Stage | The Observer". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  14. ^ "Romeo and Juliet · British Universities Film & Video Council". Bufvc.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
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