Benjamin was born in 1977 in Perth, Western Australia, to a visual artist mother, Kerry, who is Australian, and an architect father, Joost, who is Dutch. Growing up, Ben was drawn to drama and dance, and at the age of 14, he joined his high school dance team to compete in the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge, where he and his ensemble won the state Grand Final.
Ben's passion for music and performance led him to start DJing at parties and nightclubs, and he later went on to study Broadcasting at the Academy of Radio in Perth. He filled guest spots as a live DJ/Announcer at Perth community and commercial radio stations, honing his skills in the field.
In 2008, Ben relocated to Brisbane, Queensland, and enrolled in an Advanced Diploma of Arts - Acting at the Southbank Institute of Technology. He focused on the world of Theatre, studying its history, theory, practice, and icons such as Stanislavski, Grotowski, Chekov, Brecht, and Artaud. He also learned vocal techniques and movement training, including the Suzuki Method of Actor Training.
Ben's education continued at Griffith University, where he pursued a Bachelor Degree in Contemporary & Applied Theatre. During this time, he maintained a strong focus on screen acting, with numerous credits including the role of Sixer in Spielberg's TV series Terra Nova, Cogzy in the gangster comedy Nice Package, and the physically demanding role of boxer Derrick Langley in the feature film The Silent City.
In addition to his screen work, Ben has toured internationally with THE ILLUSIONISTS as a stunt-actor and stage technician from 2001 to 2013. He has also performed in various productions, including a lead role in Perth Writer/Director Tom Jeffcote's Armour at the Blue Room Theatre and an undercover cop in a segment for Australia's prime-time airing current affairs show Sunday Night entitled To Catch a Killer.
Currently, Ben is studying Broadcasting and Stage Combat to complete his Performing Arts degree at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. He is also expanding his solo theatre performance Awakenings, with plans to tour it internationally, and is working on a subversive and satirical new work with Perth-based theatre makers for the Fringe Festival 2017.
