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Ben Barnes
Name: Ben Barnes
DOB: 20 August 1981
Birth Place: London, United Kingdom
Claim to fame: Actor
Star Facts
- A multitalented chap, Ben can sing and plays the drums and piano
- Ben went to the same school as Mumford and Sons’ Marcus Mumford
- He used to be in the boyband Hyrise who tried out for the Eurovision Song Contest
- Ben played Dakin in the original stage version of the hit movie The History Boys
Biography
Gorgeous English actor Ben was born in London and attended the private Kings College School before studying drama at Kingston University and the National Youth Music Theatre. His first big gig came at the age of 15 with a role in the West End production of Bugsy Malone.
After a stint in the woefully unsuccessful boyband Hyrise (they tried to enter Eurovision in 2004, but failed), Ben moved into TV with small roles in the likes of Doctors, before getting his first big break in the stage production of The History Boys.
His first movie role came in 2007’s Stardust alongside a stellar cast including Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Peter O’Toole. That same year he was cast in the star-making role of Prince Caspian in the second and third films in Hollywood’s Chronicles of Narnia blockbuster movie trilogy. He was nominated for Best Breakthrough Actor at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards for his performance.
Becoming a firm Hollywood period drama favourite, he starred in Noel Coward’s Easy virtue opposite Jessica Biel in 2008 and took the lead in the 2009 adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray.
Ben has since returned to the West End stage with a critically-acclaimed star turn as World War I soldier Birdsong. Date-wise, he’s been linked to St Trinian’s star Tamsin Egerton.