Benjamin McKenzie Archives

Former O.C. stud Benjamin McKenzie stars as young rookie Ben Sherman in the new NBC drama called Southland.

The show is a raw and authentic look at the police unit in Los Angeles. From the beaches of Malibu to the streets of East Los Angeles, Southland is a series that will take viewers inside the lives of cops, criminals, victims and their families.

Southland will debut on @ 10PM ET/PT on Thursday, April 9 on NBC.

Also pictured: Michael Cudlitz, Regina King, Tom Everett Scott, Michael McGrady, Kevin Alejandro, Shawn Hatosy and Arija Bareikis.

Former O.C. star Benjamin Mckenzie gives a great big smile at the NBC Universal Pre-Super Bowl event at Portofino Bay Hotel on Saturday (January 31) in Orlando, Fla.

Ben, 30, plays young rookie Ben Sherman in the upcoming NBC crime drama. Michael Cudlitz (A River Runs Through It) plays John Cooper a seasoned Los Angeles cop assigned to train Ben. Cooper’s honest, no-nonsense approach to the job leaves Sherman questioning whether or not he has what it takes to become a police officer.

Southland will debut on @ 10PM ET/PT on Thursday, April 9 on NBC.

10+ pictures inside of Southland stud Ben McKenzie… More Here! »

OFFICER BEN

Former O.C. star Benjamin McKenzie shares a laugh with a costar while filming a new television pilot, LAPD, on Monday along Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, Calif.

In the ensemble cop drama, which follows a group of officers in Los Angeles, Ben, 30, plays a reserved rookie cop.

LAPD is expected to air midseason on NBC and will most likely replace ER (series finale airs February 2009).

Lately, Ben, who spoke at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, has been campaigning for Barack Obama.

20+ pictures inside of LAPD cop Benjamin McKenzie… More Here! »

Ben McKenzie makes a rare public appearance and attends the season two premiere of AMC’s hit series Mad Men at the Egyptian theater on Monday in Los Angeles.

The former O.C. actor, who turns 30 in September, is set to star in a film version of Dalton Trumbo’s 1938 novel Johnny Got His Gun.

In the film, Ben plays the narrator and title character, Joe Bonham, The novel mainly consists of his reminiscences of childhood and his current struggle to remain sane and, finally, to communicate.

No release date has been set for this movie yet. More Here! »

Benjamin McKenzie grabs lunch with a friend on Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles on Friday.

You can catch Ben, 29, starring opposite Al Pacino in his next project 88 Minutes, out April 18th.

But if you can’t wait until April, good news! McKenzie will make an appearance in the follow-up remix video of the Barack Obama “Yes, We Can” Song by Black Eyed Peas’ Will.I.Am.

Also set to appear in the video are Jessica Alba, Ryan Phillippe, Macy Gray, Black Eyed Peas’ Tabu and Beyoncé (if her schedule clears up). Expect to see the video released on the Internets soon!

Former O.C. hunk Benjamin McKenzie cozies up with a female friend at NYC hotspot Stereo on Saturday.

Is the blonde sitting on Ben’s lap??

The 29-year-old (!!!) actor also spent New Year’s in the Big Apple. Ben was seen partying with Kid Rock, Blake Lewis and Mena Suvari at the Rock-hosted New Year’s Eve Bash at the Hotel Gansevoort.

Let’s hope Ben starts lining up some work for 2008!

Former O.C. star Benjamin McKenzie stars as Joe Bonham in his upcoming film Johnny Got His Gun.

Here’s a little history about the film: Filmed on a bare stage with only a bench and a chair to work with, actor Ben McKenzie gives a riveting tour-de-force performance as an American soldier hit by an artillery shell on the last day of WWI. The movie takes place in the mind of Joe Bonham, a quadruple amputee who has also lost his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Regaining consciousness, Joe discovers that while his brain is healthy and able to reason, the rest of his body is irreparably shattered, leaving him trapped forever within the confines of his own imagination. He struggles to find some way to communicate with the outside world. Tapping his head in Morse code, he breaks through and pleads with his caretakers to be put on display as a living example of the cost of war.

The film is adapted from the 1982 Off-Broadway play, “Dalton Trumbo’s JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN.”

Johnny Got His Gun opens in theaters in 2008.

Former O.C. star Benjamin McKenzie steps out with a new girl on Saturday night at the new Hollywood hot spot Parc to celebrate a friend’s birthday.

The pair were spotted entering the nightclub holding hands.

Ben and his new female friend joined pal Adam Brody and couple Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz inside to sing “Happy Birthday” to the guest of honor.

Here are some curious questions:

1) Whose birthday was it?

2) What’s going on in the other pictures below?

Miss-I-Held-Ben’s-Hand looks seriously distressed when paparazzi were snapping pictures of Ben and another woman. She even tugged at Ben and called for attention when paparazzi were near…

UPDATE :: The more “exotic-looking” girl Ben was seen with is Paul Wesley’s girlfriend. They were spotted holding hands together.

Wesley, aka Paul Wasilewski, played Donnie in season 1 of The O.C.. Donnie was a server at The Crab Shack alongside Ryan (McKenzie).