Ben Shenkman
| Ben Shenkman | |
|---|---|
 Shenkman at 2009 Comic-Con | |
| Born |
Benjamin Shenkman September 26, 1968 New York City, New York, USA |
| Years active | 1990s-present |
| Spouse(s) | Lauren Bennett Greilsheimer (2005-present)[1] |
Benjamin "Ben" Shenkman (born September 26, 1968) is an American television, film and stage actor, who is best known for his role as one of HankMed's concierge doctors, Dr. Jeremiah Sacani, in USA Network's TV series, Royal Pains.
Personal life
Shenkman was born in New York City, the son of Katherine, who was an associate at a law firm, and Shepard A. Sheinkman, who worked for a consulting company.[1] He graduated from Brown University, and obtained a Masters of Fine Arts in 1993 from New York University's Graduate Acting Program at the Tisch School of the Arts.[1][2] Shenkman's sister, Elizabeth, is married to British publisher Jamie Byng.[3]
Career
He began his professional acting career with a small role in the 1994 film Quiz Show directed by Robert Redford and a guest-starring role on Law & Order, his first of seven appearances throughout the run of the show.[4] He also began working in theatre, portraying Louis Ironson in Tony Kushner's play Angels in America at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre.[5]
While still at New York University, Shenkman played the role of Roy Cohn in a workshop production of the play, and he would reprise the role of Louis eight years later in the HBO miniseries adaptation, earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Throughout the 1990s, Shenkman combined work in off-Broadway productions in NY with small roles in films such as Eraser (1996), The Siege (1998), π (1998), and Jesus' Son (1999), Chasing Sleep (2000), and Requiem for a Dream (2000). In 2000, Shenkman gained success in the theatre, co-starring with Mary-Louise Parker in the Manhattan Theatre Club production of Proof, for which he received a 2001 Tony nomination. After the release of HBO's Angels in America miniseries, he returned to Manhattan Theatre club in 2004 in Sight Unseen opposite Laura Linney.
As his career continued, Shenkman moved between studio films such as Must Love Dogs (2005) and Just Like Heaven (2005), and independent movies such as Then She Found Me (2008), Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2008), and Breakfast with Scot (2008), a gay-themed film made in Canada for which the NHL notably endorsed the use of a team's logo and uniforms.[6] In 2010, he appeared with Michael Douglas in Solitary Man and the Sundance premiere Blue Valentine.
He also acted on TV as a series regular in the 2008 Julianna Margulies legal drama Canterbury's Law on Fox, and in recurring roles on Grey's Anatomy, Burn Notice, Damages, Drop Dead Diva, and FX's Lights Out.[4] He co-starred in the short-lived NBC sitcom The Paul Reiser Show, which was a midseason replacement for the 2010-11 television season.[7]
In 2012 he joined USA network's "Royal Pains" as the recurring character Dr. Jeremiah Sacani, and was promoted to series regular the following season, the show's fifth. In fall 2015 the series wrapped production of its final season, which will air in Summer of 2016. 2015 also saw Shenkman on Broadway opposite Larry David, and later Jason Alexander, in David's hit comedy Fish in the Dark, which had a sold-out six month limited run at the Cort Theater.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–2009 | Law & Order | Nick Margolis | 7 episodes |
| 1994 | Quiz Show | Childress | |
| 1996 | New York Undercover | Gabe Green | 1 episode: 'Sympathy for the Devil' |
| Eraser | Reporter | ||
| 1997 | Camp Stories | Yehudah | |
| 1998 | Pi | Lenny Meyer | |
| The Siege | INS Agent Howard Kaplan | ||
| 1999 | Thick as Thieves | Veterinarian | |
| Jesus' Son | Tom | ||
| 30 Days | Jordan Trainer | ||
| 2000 | Table One | Scott | |
| Joe Gould's Secret | David | ||
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Max Knaack | 1 episode: 'Chat Room' | |
| Requiem for a Dream | Dr. Spencer | ||
| Chasing Sleep | Officer Stewart | ||
| Bed | Short film | ||
| 2001–2003 | Ed | Frank Carr/Andy Bednarik | 3 episodes |
| 2002 | Personal Velocity: Three Portraits | Max | |
| People I Know | Radio announcer (voice) | ||
| Roger Dodger | Donovan | ||
| Stella shorts 1998-2002 | Hans | ||
| 2003 | Angels in America | Louis Ironson | 6 episodes Nomination - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nomination - Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film |
| 2004 | Waking Dreams | Charles | Short film |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | Irv Kressel | 2 episodes |
| Must Love Dogs | Charlie | ||
| Stella | Carl | 1 episode 'Meeting Girls' | |
| Just Like Heaven | Brett | ||
| 2006 | Twenty Questions | Brian | |
| Americanese | Steve | ||
| Love Monkey | Scott | 6 episodes | |
| 2007 | The Key Man | Martin | |
| Wainy Days | Clovie | 1 episode: 'My Turn' | |
| Then She Found Me | Dr. Freddy Epner | ||
| Breakfast with Scot | Sam | ||
| 2008 | Canterbury's Law | Russell Krauss | 6 episodes |
| 2009 | Body Politic | Jim Sperlock | |
| Brief Interviews with Hideous Men | Subject 14 | ||
| Private Practice | Rob Harmon | 1 episode: 'Ex-Life' | |
| Grey's Anatomy | Rob Harmon | 3 episodes | |
| Burn Notice | Tom Strickler | 4 episodes | |
| Solitary Man | Pete Hartofilias | ||
| 2010 | Lights Out | Mike Fumosa | 5 episodes |
| Blue Valentine | Sam Feinberg | ||
| Damages | Curtis Gates | 11 episodes | |
| Love Shack | Skip Blitzer | ||
| The Paul Reiser Show | Jonathan | Series regular | |
| 2011 | Drop Dead Diva | Dr. Bill Kendall | Recurring role |
| 2012 | Royal Pains | Dr. Jeremiah Sacani | Main Cast (Season 5-present), recurring previously (Season 4). |
| 2013 | Concussion | Graeme | |
| Breathe In | Sheldon |
References
- 1 2 3 "Lauren Greilsheimer and Ben Shenkman." New York Times. September 18, 2005.
- ↑ "NYU Graduate Acting Alumni". 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
- ↑ "Elizabeth Sheinkman and James Byng". The New York Times. July 3, 2005.
- 1 2 "Ben Shenkman". IMDb.
- ↑ Harvey, Dennis (October 31, 1994). "Angels in America Theater Review". Variety.
- ↑ DeGroot, Martin. "Queer Film Festival Hopes to Involve More of Public", Toronto Star, March 4, 2008.
- ↑ "NBC Unveils 2010-11 Primetime Schedule Accented by Five New Comedies, Seven New Dramas and New Alternative Program". The Futon Critic. May 16, 2010. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
External links
- Ben Shenkman at the Internet Broadway Database
- Ben Shenkman at the Internet Movie Database
- Interview with Ben Shenkman by Beth Stevens on Broadway.com
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