| Ben Kurland | |
|---|---|
| Born | Benjamin David Kurland Newton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupation | Actor, producer |
| Years active | 2006–present |
Benjamin David Kurland (born May 1, 1984) is an American actor. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts to parents Jim and Robyne Kurland. He and his older brother Zack Kurland grew up in Newton, Massachusetts.
He first started acting at age 11, performing in a local theatre production of Anne of Green Gables. During the summer, he attended the prestigious Walnut Hill School. While in 7th grade at The Fessenden School, Ben was encouraged by a teacher to try out for a part in the all school play, Little Shop of Horrors. Despite his young age, Ben was cast as the lead in the show. The following year, Ben was performing again in Oliver! while simultaneously working with cousin Jaime Ray Newman in Boston University's production of Stop the World: I Want to Get Off. Before attending high school, Ben had been in over a dozen plays.
At Choate Rosemary Hall, Ben continued to pursue acting. He was cast as Jerry in a production of The Zoo Story, which was guest directed by Edward Albee himself. This made national news when an article featuring Kurland and Albee was published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times. After graduation, Ben attended Emerson College's Theatre program. However, he soon transferred to the University of Southern California School of Theatre. While at USC, he was briefly on the USC Ice Hockey Team, and performed in several student films. He graduated from USC in 2006.
In his final year at USC, Ben starred in TAPS, and won first prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in 2006. Since then, Ben has been seen on TLC, Spike TV, and starred in Sinners, a drama from Eleven Eleven Pictures (Best Picture, Swansea Bay Film Festival 2007). In 2007 He worked on a pilot MANHATTAN MASSAGE for Proud Films and ROADS, a film from the director of TAPS. In 2008 Ben was cast in a supporting role in the film Fire Bay, alongside veteran actor Michael Biehn (Aliens, Terminator, The Abyss) and Academy Award Nominee Robert Forster. Ben most recently was in The Artist starring John Goodman, James Cromwell and Penelope Ann Miller.
www.imdb.com/name/nm2273287