Often plays arrogant, unlikeable and borderline sociopathic characters who are never as clever as they think they are
Fact
Hadn't watched one of his own films for 6 years, but was obligated to attend the screenings of Killing Them Softly at Cannes and Place Beyond the Pines at the Toronto International Film Festival. He had previously gone 10 years without seeing his own films.
Ben Mendelsohn is an Australian actor who has worked in television, film and theatre. He is best known for his roles in the films The Dark Knight Rises, Killing Them Softly and The Place Beyond the Pines. He has also appeared in the television series Bloodline and Animal Kingdom.
Mendelsohn was born in Melbourne, Australia, on 3 April 1968. His father, Frederick Mendelsohn, is a medical doctor, and his mother, Carole Ann (née Ferguson), is a nurse. He has two sisters, Emma and Sarah. Mendelsohn was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne. He began his acting career in the theatre, appearing in productions of The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet and Cyrano de Bergerac.
Mendelsohn made his film debut in The Year My Voice Broke (1987), and went on to appear in such films as The Big Steal (1990), Spotswood (1992), Cosi (1996) and Mullet (2001). He has also appeared in the films The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Killing Them Softly (2012) and The Place Beyond the Pines (2013).
Mendelsohn has been nominated for several awards, including an AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama for his role in the series Bloodline (2015).
Mendelsohn has been married to actress Emma Forrest since 2011. They have two children together.
General Info
Full Name
Ben Mendelsohn
Date Of Birth
April 3, 1969
Height
1.8 m
Profession
Musician, Film producer, Actor
Nationality
Australian
Family
Spouse
Emma Forrest
Parents
Frederick Arthur Oscar Mendelsohn, Carole Ann Mendelsohn
Siblings
Tom Mendelsohn, David Mendelsohn
Accomplishments
Awards
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor, British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor, AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor, Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film, ASTRA Awards...
Music Groups
3 Mustaphas 3, Amazorblades
Nominations
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture Made for Television, Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead, Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor, Satellite Award for Best Act...
Movies
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Mississippi Grind, The Place Beyond the Pines, Animal Kingdom, Killing Them Softly, Slow West, The Dark Knight Rises, Starred Up, Lost River, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Black Sea, The Year My Voice Broke, The Big Steal, Killer Elite, Vertical Limit, Ready Player One, Beaut...
TV Shows
Tangle, Love My Way, Bloodline, The Henderson Kids
Often plays arrogant, unlikeable and borderline sociopathic characters who are never as clever as they think they are
Quotes
#
Quote
1
[The hardest day on the set of Killing Them Softly] I discovered that if you eat 40 ice creams in a row you get crook. Yeah, that was bad. That scene we did again and again and it was the hottest, baking day. I was incredibly unwell at the end of that day.
2
I think if you have to kiss or kill someone on screen then it's a good idea to talk about it beforehand, just because it makes it easier to go where you need to go.
3
I never felt like someone who was boyish and coming to terms with asking girls out or anything like that, which was what The Big Steal and Spotswood were about. But I guess that's the impression I left on people. I'd wanna be playing men by now. I'd be in trouble if I wasn't.
4
I remember the Yearling was the first film I ever saw and my mom told me I cried for about four or five days afterwards. I'd be going along during the day and suddenly start crying over what had happened to the little deer.
5
He would punish me much more than he would anyone else, but he was also nicer to me than anyone else on the set.
6
I loved the dogs. One of the reasons that Andrew was so excited about me doing this was because I'm a dog freak. I basically sat around unemployed in Sydney for three years straight and the two things that saved me were the rugby league and my dog.
7
For me, it's very important to feel relaxed in the environment, so I will do things to ensure that occurs. And if there is someone vibing me out, I will either attack or flee.
Facts
#
Fact
1
Appeared in a PSA with Gia Carides and Paul Gleeson in the 80s set in a nightclub to teach teenagers how to fill out their tax returns.
2
Hadn't watched one of his own films for 6 years, but was obligated to attend the screenings of Killing Them Softly at Cannes and Place Beyond the Pines at the Toronto International Film Festival. He had previously gone 10 years without seeing his own films.
3
Mendelsohn was originally cast as Hando in Romper Stomper and had already shaved his head for the part of the neo-Nazi when Russell Crowe (his costar in Spotswood) began campaigning against him, claiming the actor wasn't threatening enough for the role. Mendelsohn was eventually dismissed and replaced by Crowe, but did star in director Geoffrey Wright's follow-up film, Metal Skin.
4
Memorized every line from Taxi Driver as a teenager because Robert DeNiro was his acting idol. They worked together in the film Killer Elite.
5
Trained at the Heidelberg Theater Company.
6
Appeared in short films for both Geoffrey Wright and David Caesar, before starring in their feature films.
7
Seriously injured his back on his last day filming A Map of the Human Heart.
8
Learned of method acting from costar Nina Landis (Prime Time), who suggested he read Uta Hagen's Respect for Acting as a teenager.
9
Spent a lot of time in Europe and the United States growing up, returning to Australia for High school.
10
Was asked to star in the second and third season of Love My Way by his costar from The Big Steal, Klaudia Karvan (who produced and co-wrote series).
11
Despite its large ensemble cast of Animal Kingdom, AFI winners Jacki Weaver and Joel Edgerton single out Ben Mendelson's performance in the film during their speeches. Mendelsohn had won best actor earlier that evening.
12
After his parents divorced at age six, he lived with his mother until the age of 13, when he moved to Washington DC with his father. After being expelled from his boarding school, Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, after just six months for burning things, he moved in with his grandmother in Australia until he began acting and was able to support himself.
13
A passionate animal lover, while filming Adore, he halted filming to make sure a stray cat made it across the street safely.
14
Performed a one man play, Mother, as a teenager for his entire school.
15
Had a strong German accent and spoke the language fluently until the age of six when his family returned to Australia after an extended period living abroad.
16
Claimed in an interview to have written several books under a pseudonym.
17
Frequently works with directors David Caesar, Nadia Tass, and Paul Moloney, and actors Noah Taylor, Kylie Minogue, Rachel Griffiths, and Toni Colette.
18
Supporter of the Mirabel Foundation, a charity to support children orphaned and abandoned by drug addicted parents.
19
Played Rupert Murdoch in the film Black & White. Murdoch's favorite movie is Spotswood, which Mendelsohn's starred in.
20
Considers Bottom (A Midsummer's Night Dream) the greatest character in theater, a role he played in high school.
21
Lived with Scoot McNairy while filming Killing Them Softly.
22
To get into character for Animal Kingdom, Mendelsohn rarely spoke to James Frecheville on set and would call him John, rather than James or Jim. After production, the two became close friends during the film's promotional tour.
23
Is the oldest of two brothers.
24
Offered to remove his front teeth for the role of Robin in Place Beyond the Pines, which was written as having dentures. The director accepted the offer but changed his mind when an producer intervened before Mendelsohn had the dental work done.
25
Got into acting after taking a Drama class as he thought it would be easy to pass.
26
His father is a prominent medical researcher who heads the Howard Florey Institute in Melbourne.
27
His paternal grandfather was from a Polish Jewish/German Jewish background, while the rest of his ancestry includes English, Irish, Scottish, one eighth Greek, and more distant German. Ben found out in the Australian version of the show _'Who Do Think You Are? (2008)' that his grandfather's ancestors were among the first Prussian Jews to be naturalized in Poland.
