Ben McKenzie Biography

Fast Facts

• Earned a degree in foreign relations and economics from the University of Virginia
• Began acting in college, making his theater debut as Friar Laurence in a controversial school production of "Romeo Juliet" that provided a commentary on race by casting black actors as the Montagues and white actors as the Capulets
• Made his TV debut in a 2002 episode of "The District․"
• Lived in New York and appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions before finding film and TV work
• Quote: "What's great about voice acting is that it's very similar on one level to live acting but there's a whole technique that I'm new to, that I'm learning as I go along․"
• Experienced a quick rise to stardom after being cast as bad boy Ryan Atwood on the hit TV series "The O․C․"
• Made his feature film debut in the 2005 comedy-drama "Junebug․"
• Went to middle school at St․ Andrew's Episcopal School in Austin, Texas, where he played on the same football team as future NFL quarterback Drew Brees