Benjamin Thomas Barnes, a talented British actor, was born in Cambridge, England, to Patricia Becker, a relationship therapist, and Thomas Barnes, a professor of psychiatry. His mother hails from South Africa, while his father is of English descent. Barnes has a brother named Jack.
He pursued his education at Homefield Preparatory and King's College, both prestigious independent all-boys schools. Prior to his formal training, Barnes began his acting career in musical theatre, including performances with the National Youth Music Theatre and as a member of the boy band Hyrise.
In 2004, Barnes graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree from Kingston University, where he studied drama and English literature. His academic pursuits laid the foundation for his subsequent success in the entertainment industry.
In 2006, Barnes took to the stage, playing the role of Dakin in The History Boys, and made his television debut on the series Doctors in the same year. His breakthrough film role came in 2007 with Matthew Vaughn's Stardust, followed by the epic fantasy film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian in 2008, in which he portrayed Prince Caspian.
Barnes continued to solidify his reputation as a versatile actor, starring alongside Jessica Biel in the film Easy Virtue in 2008, and reprising his role as Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010. He also appeared in the films Dorian Gray in 2009 and played the title role in Ol Parker's adaptation.
In 2011, Barnes co-starred with Robert Sheehan in the film Killing Bono, playing brothers, and had major roles in the films The Words in 2012 and The Big Wedding in 2013.
In 2015, Barnes took on the title role in the fantasy adventure film Seventh Son, opposite Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore. The same year, he portrayed American founding father Sam Adams in the History Channel mini-series Sons of Liberty.
