Actress/comedian Rosalind Russell once said that acting was like standing up naked and turning around very slowly. When I mention this to Ben Stranahan, Hollywood film producer, actor, and musician, he bursts into a hearty laugh and needs a few minutes before he can respond. “I hadn’t heard that one,” he says, wiping his eyes. “Seriously, that was good. It’s true, though. When you act, you have hundreds of people watching and listening, judging how you’re doing, and that’s before the movie even gets into theaters. Then you really get ripped or, hopefully, applauded. Rosalind knew what she was talking about!”
Ben, as you can tell, doesn’t take himself too seriously. “I try not to,” he confirms. “It’s easy when you find success to get caught up in it and forget where you’ve come from. I try to stay real, though, because I’m in this for the long haul: I want to still be making movies when I’m old and grey.”
He’s off to a good start. Ben has produced eighteen movies and TV series, including the highly respected The Midnight Anthology and Calibre, which won awards at the 2015 New York Television Festival and 2018 BAFTAs, respectively. The industry is taking notice, with A-list stars like Christina Ricci (Monstrous) working with him to produce movies that have been well-received by the public and critics alike.
Next in theaters will be Better Than Yourself, for which Ben was both the producer and the lead. “That shows you how much I love the movies,” he laughs. “I took on the responsibility of both running the whole film as well as memorizing all those lines and doing take after take. I think that beach in Tahiti sounds really good right about now, but I’ve got more on my plate.”
That includes The Inventor, an animation about the life of Leonardo da Vinci, with Jim Capabianco. Ben voices one of its characters. “I think deep down inside, I’ve got a big kid in me,” says Ben. “I’ve been having a great time working on this because it’s got such a wonderful plot. Flying contraptions, war machines, cadavers, a French princess – who wouldn’t want to be on board? Besides, Daisy Ridley and Stephen Fry are a blast to be around.”
One of the most fun roles he has had was on “Exodite” from Games Workshop. “It’s set in the futuristic world of Warhammer 40,000, where warfare erupts,” Ben explains. “The people behind it are highly imaginative, and it was the first time that I had placed myself mentally as an actor in such a dark environment. In fact, it was one of the reasons I took the part: I am always trying to push myself with new genres so that I continue to evolve into a more versatile actor.”
As Ben’s resume grows, so does his reputation. Known around Tinseltown as the guy who is first on the set in the morning and the last to leave at night, he works hard and will do anything that is asked of him. “I think that comes from my parents, who modeled to me the importance of never being above doing something,” Ben recalls. “My dad in particular was a man who believed in service, so I try to do the same for my peers. Hollywood, as you can imagine, can be a pretty stressful place, so I try to convey to whoever I am working with that I am someone they can count on.”
One place he spends a lot of time is at Tip-Top Productions, where he is the producer. “Working there is a dream come true for me,” he confirms. “I am really fortunate to collaborate with Rob on some really incredible movies and to be able to bring them from conception to the big screen. One project was Monstrous, a thriller with Christina Ricci that will soon hit theaters. I am really proud of the work she and her costars did in that movie, and I think audiences are going to be impressed.”
As busy as he is, Ben still finds time to kick back at his beloved piano with his cat, Moose. “I am still a musician at heart,” he reveals. “I especially love jazz, and I could sit for hours, improvising on some chord while Moose hangs out and listens. Thankfully, when I screw up, he’s a kind critic.”
As we finish our interview, Ben laughs again, the quote by Rosalind Russell still on his mind. “I don’t know how I’m going to act in front of the camera without thinking about that,” he says, shaking his head. “If the time ever comes when I get too into my ‘Hollywood success,’ I’m going to remember that quote and bring myself down to Earth. That way, I’ll stay grounded and remember that in the end, a good laugh is just as important as a good performance.”