Actor Ben McKenzie has come a long way from the time he had to work part-time jobs wherever he could find them while he was searching for his breakthrough acting role. As things would pan out, the University of Virginia graduate would go ahead to land a career-shaping role in the television series The O.C. (2003-2007) which earned him multiple Teen Choice Award nominations.
In recent time, Mckenzie has added writing and directing to his resumé. He carried out all three functions in his most recent project, Gotham, where he plays the character of James Gordon.
Biography (Age)
Ben McKenzie was born Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan, one of three boys to Frances Victory and Pieter Meade Schenkkan, on the 12th of September, 1978, in Austin, Texas. His mother was a poet while his father worked as an attorney. He is of Dutch-Jewish, English, and Scottish ancestry.
McKenzie attended middle school at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, where he notably played football and was friends with future NFL player and Super Bowl MVP, . He later enrolled at Stephen F. Austin High School, where he continued playing football. After graduating in 1997, McKenzie followed in the footsteps of his father and paternal grandfather to attended the University of Virginia where he studied Foreign Affairs and Economics, graduating in 2001.
After completing his education, Ben McKenzie moved to New York to begin his career as an actor. He later moved to Los Angeles for the same reason and found luck there as he caught his big break when he was cast to play the role of Ryan Atwood in The O.C. (2003-2007). The show was a huge hit and propelled him to great success as he was nominated for numerous Teen Choice Awards. During his time on the show, McKenzie made his feature film debut in Junebug (2005) and then starred alongside in 88 Minutes (2007).
Following the end of The O.C., McKenzie earned critical acclaim for his performance in Johnny Got His Gun (2008). He then went on to land the main cast role in Southland (2009-2013) before bagging the role of Captain James Gordon in Gotham (2014-present).
Ben Mckenzie’s Net Worth
With a net worth of around $13 million, Ben Mckenzie is doing very well for himself. He was able to amass such wealth through his career both in front and behind the camera. In his early days, when he had just broken onto the scene as a part of the cast of The O.C., he was reportedly earning around $15,000 and $25,000 per episode of the show. That figure has since more than quadrupled as he today takes home more than $100,000 per episode from his work on Gotham.
Family – Wife, Daughter
Ben Mckenzie is married to actress , who stars alongside him in Gotham, portraying the character of Dr. Leslie Thompkins. It is not clear if the pair began their romance on the set of Gotham as they had in 2006 appeared together in the teen drama series The O.C., suggesting that they had at least known each other for a while.
Mckenzie and Baccarin’s relationship was not without controversy as their romance looked to have begun during her first marriage to film producer and director Austin Chick who she exchanged vows with on November 2011. They welcomed a son almost a year later in October 2013 and appeared to be very happy with each other until July 2015 when they took the public unawares with the news that Chick had filed for divorce. A few months later, during legal declaration, Baccarin announced that she was pregnant with McKenzie’s child and was intending to wed him. The divorce proceedings were concluded on the 18th of March, 2016, a few weeks after Baccarin gave birth to her and McKenzie’s child, a daughter named Frances Laiz Setta Schenkkan, on the 2nd of March, 2016.
In late 2016, McKenzie and Baccarin announced their engagement and then went on to exchange vows on the 2nd of June, 2017 in Brooklyn, New York.
Height
Ben McKenzie stands at 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) and weighs 76 kg (167.5 lbs). The light brown haired and blue-colored eyed actor further has body measurements of Chest – 44 inches (112 cm), Arms / Biceps – 16 inches (41 cm), and Waist – 34 inches (86 cm).
Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.
