Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn originally gained notoriety with his role in the Australian drama movie “The Year My Voice Broke.” However, it was his outstanding performance in the crime drama “Animal Kingdom,” more than twenty years later, that cemented his reputation and brought him widespread acclaim. He received praise from critics and viewers for the Netflix original series “Bloodline,” which also helped him win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. His parts in “The Dark Knight Rises” and “The Place Beyond the Pines” are among the most well-known of his many supporting roles. He claimed that getting a minor role in the Star Wars film “Rogue One” was a lifelong goal of his. King George VI was a supporting character performed in the biographical war drama “Darkest Hour.” He most recently appeared in Steven Spielberg’s science fiction adventure “Ready Player One” and will next be seen in Otto Bathurst’s “Robin Hood” playing the Sheriff of Nottingham. He is actively negotiating to play the lead antagonist in the upcoming Captain Marvel film from Marvel Studios.
Early Childhood & Life
Paul Benjamin “Ben” Mendelsohn, one of the family’s three boys, was born on April 3, 1969, in Melbourne, Victoria. Frederick Arthur Oscar Mendelsohn, his father, was a well-known neuroscientist and the director of Melbourne’s Howard Florey Institute. Carole Ann, his mother, was a nurse.
The family frequently relocated due to his father’s job obligations, so they spent time in both Europe and the United States. Mendelsohn went back, though, to finish high school. In addition to Eltham High and Banyule High Schools, he attended Heidelberg Primary School.
He enrolled in drama class in school because he believed he would do well in it, and he quickly discovered that he was good at memorizing lines.
Career of Ben Mendelsohn
Ben Mendelsohn, who was still a student, gave a Crawford Productions audition and ultimately was cast as Ted Morgan in the 1985 Australian television series “The Henderson Kids.”
In 1987, he made his big-screen debut with the film “The Year My Voice Broke,” which received positive reviews from both reviewers and audience members. In that year, he was the recipient of the “Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.”
In 1990’s “The Big Steal” and 1992’s “Spotswood,” in which he co-starred with Anthony Hopkins, Ben Mendelsohn played the part of Danny Clark.
He played the lead in several films during the ensuing few years. These films include “Idiot Box” (1996), “Cosi,” “True Love and Chaso,” “Amy,” “Vertical Limit,” “Mullet,” “Black and White,” and “The New World.”
Mendelsohn participated in the third season of the television show “Love My Way” in 2007. He joined Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Australia’ in 2008. Then, in 2009, he appeared in the 10-part Melbourne television series “Tangle.”
Later, in 2009, he was cast in the American science fiction movie “Knowing” before moving on to the movie “Beautiful Kate,” which also starred Bryan Brown and Rachel Griffiths.
Andrew “Pope” Cody, a criminal, was the character that Mendelsohn played in the 2010 film “Animal Kingdom.” He received multiple honors for his performance, including the Best Actor IF Award and the Best Actor in a Leading Role AFI Award. Later on in the year, he was also named the 2010 Actor of the Year by GQ Australia.
He appeared in “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Killing Them Softly,” and “The Place Beyond the Pines” in 2012.
He made a cameo appearance in the critically praised 2013 television drama “Starred Up,” playing Neville Love, Jessa’s father.
Ben Mendelsohn received high appreciation from critics for his flawless portrayal of Danny Rayburn in the 2014 Netflix original film “Bloodline.” He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy for his performance.
He appeared in the 2015 film ‘Mississippi Grind’ as the unlucky gambler Gerry, who teams up with a younger gambler named Curtis (played by Ryan Reynolds) on a road trip to recover his cash.
During the “Nostalgia for the Present” concert tour in 2016, he was seen performing the Australian artist Sia Furler’s song “Breathe Me” as a stand-in. Later that year, he joined the cast of “Rogue One” from the Star Wars film series as Director Krennic, a supporting role, and adversary. He also provided narration for the fifth album by the virtual band Gorillaz, titled “Humanz.”
King George VI was a minor character played by Mendelsohn in the 2017 biographical war film “Darkest Hour.”
Ben Mendelsohn portrayed CEO Nolan Sorrento in Steven Spielberg’s science fiction adventure “Ready Player One” in 2018. The second part of 2018 will see the release of Otto Bathurst’s “Robin Hood,” which is his upcoming endeavor.
Personal Legacy & Life
Ben Mendelsohn wed British author-turned-director Emma Forrest in June 2012. The pair has a daughter together. In 2016, the couple announced their separation, claiming irreconcilable differences.
In addition, Mendelsohn is the father of a second daughter from a previous union.
He is presently a resident of Los Angeles.