Benjamin David Kurland (born May 1, 1984) is an American actor and entrepreneur, best known for his role in the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

-winning film ‘’ The Artist’’.

Early life and education

Kurland was born in Newton, Massachusetts, and raised in Dedham and

Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located roughly west of Downtown Boston, and comprises a patchwork of thirteen villages. The city borders Boston to the northeast and southeast (via the neighborhoods of ...

. He began acting at age 11, performing in local theater productions, and attended the

Walnut Hill School Walnut Hill School for the Arts is an independent boarding school and day school for the arts located in Natick, Massachusetts, United States. It is intended for student artists in grades 9-12. History and programs Boarding school Walnut Hill ...

during summers. At The

Fessenden School The Fessenden School is an independent day (Pre-K – Grade 9) and boarding school (Grades 6 – 9) for boys, founded in 1903 by Frederick J. Fessenden as a school for the intellectually gifted, and located at 250 Waltham Street, West Newton ...

, he developed his acting skills further, which led to performances in over a dozen plays before high school. At

Choate Rosemary Hall Choate Rosemary Hall ( ) is a Independent school, private, Mixed-sex education, co-educational, College-preparatory school, college-preparatory boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1890, it took its present na ...

, he earned the opportunity to perform in ‘’

The Zoo Story ''The Zoo Story'' is a one-act play by American playwright Edward Albee. His first play, it was written in 1958 and completed in just three weeks. Productions Rejected by New York producers, the play premiered in West Berlin at the Schiller ...

’’ under the mentorship of

Edward Albee Edward Franklin Albee III ( ; March 12, 1928 – September 16, 2016) was an American playwright known for works such as ''The Zoo Story'' (1958), ''The Sandbox (play), The Sandbox'' (1959), ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (1962), ''A Delicat ...

, which garnered national media attention. Kurland attended

Emerson College Emerson College is a private college in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It also maintains campuses in Los Angeles and Well, Limburg, Netherlands (Kasteel Well). Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of Public Speaking, o ...

and later transferred to the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

’s School of Theatre, where he completed his degree in 2006.

Career

Acting

Kurland began his acting career in independent films, gaining recognition for his performance in ‘’ Taps’’, which won first prize at the

Rhode Island International Film Festival Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) takes place every year in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island as well as satellite locations throughout the state. Started in 1997, the Festival is produced by Flickers, the Newpor ...

. In 2011, he appeared in the critically acclaimed ‘’ The Artist’’, delivering a small yet important performance alongside stars

John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He rose to prominence in television before becoming an acclaimed and popular film actor. Goodman has received List of awards and nominations received by John Goodman, various acc ...

James Cromwell James Oliver Cromwell (born January 27, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his extensive work as a character actor, he has received a Primetime Emmy Award as well as a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for '' Babe'' ( ...

, and

Penelope Ann Miller Penelope Ann Miller (born Penelope Andrea Miller; January 13, 1964), sometimes credited as Penelope Miller, is an American actress. She began her career on Broadway in the original run of '' Biloxi Blues'' (1985–1986), later appearing in the ...

. Kurland later starred in the horror-comedy ‘‘Deadly Retreat’’ opposite Jonathan Bennett. He also appeared in ‘‘Mindless’’, a psychological thriller from producer

Michael Biehn Michael Biehn ( or ; born July 31, 1956) is an American actor, primarily known for his roles in science fiction films directed by James Cameron; as Sgt. Kyle Reese in ''The Terminator'' (1984), Cpl. Dwayne Hicks in ''Aliens (film), Aliens'' (1 ...

and in the supernatural horror film ‘’ Along Came the Devil’’ opposite

Sydney Sweeney Sydney Bernice Sweeney (born September 12, 1997) is an American actress. She first gained attention in 2018 for appearing in the television series '' Everything Sucks!'' and ''The Handmaid's Tale'', and in the limited series '' Sharp Objects'' ...

and

Bruce Davison Bruce Allen Davison (born June 28, 1946) is an American actor who has appeared in more than 270 films, television and stage productions since his debut in 1968. His breakthrough role was as Willard Stiles in the 1971 cult horror film '' Willard' ...

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kurland, Ben 1984 births Businesspeople from Dedham, Massachusetts Living people USC School of Dramatic Arts alumni Fessenden School alumni American businesspeople People associated with cryptocurrency +Male Newton South High School alumni