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Ben Shenkman

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Ben Shenkman
Shenkman in 2009
Born (1968-09-26) September 26, 1968 (age 56)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Education
OccupationActor
Years active1993–present
Spouse
Lauren Greilsheimer
​
(m. 2005)​

Ben Shenkman (born September 26, 1968) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the comedy-drama series Royal Pains and the acclaimed HBO miniseries Angels in America, which earned him both Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations.

Early life and education

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Shenkman was born to a Jewish family[1] in New York City, the son of Katherine, who was an associate at a law firm, and Shepard A. Sheinkman, who worked for a consulting company.[2] After graduating from Brown University, in 1993 he obtained a Master of Fine Arts degree from New York University's Graduate Acting Program at the Tisch School of the Arts.[2][3]

Career

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He began his professional acting career with a small role in the 1994 film Quiz Show directed by Robert Redford and a guest-starring role on Law & Order, his first of seven appearances throughout the run of the show.[4] He also began working in theatre, portraying Louis Ironson in Tony Kushner's play Angels in America at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater.[5] While still at New York University, Shenkman played the role of Roy Cohn in a workshop production of the play. He would reprise the role of Louis seven years after playing the role at ACT in the HBO miniseries adaptation, earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Throughout the 1990s, Shenkman combined work in off-Broadway productions in New York with small roles in films such as Eraser (1996), The Siege (1998), π (1998), and Jesus' Son (1999), Chasing Sleep (2000), and Requiem for a Dream (2000). In 2000, Shenkman gained success in the theatre, co-starring with Mary-Louise Parker in the Manhattan Theatre Club production of Proof, for which he received a 2001 Tony nomination. After the release of HBO's Angels in America miniseries, he returned to Manhattan Theatre club in 2004 in Sight Unseen opposite Laura Linney.[6]

As his career continued, Shenkman moved between studio films such as Must Love Dogs (2005) and Just Like Heaven (2005), and independent movies such as Then She Found Me (2008), Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2008), and Breakfast with Scot (2008), a gay-themed film made in Canada for which the NHL notably endorsed the use of a team's logo and uniforms.[7] In 2010, he appeared with Michael Douglas in Solitary Man and the Sundance premiere Blue Valentine.[citation needed]

He also acted on TV as a series regular in the 2008 Julianna Margulies legal drama Canterbury's Law on Fox, and in recurring roles on Grey's Anatomy, Burn Notice, Damages, Drop Dead Diva, and FX's Lights Out.[4] He co-starred in the short-lived NBC sitcom The Paul Reiser Show, which was a midseason replacement for the 2010–11 television season.[8]

In 2012, he joined USA network's Royal Pains as the recurring character Dr. Jeremiah Sacani, and was promoted to series regular the following season, the show's fifth. In the fall of 2015, the series wrapped production of its final season, which aired in the summer of 2016. In 2015, Shenkman also was on Broadway opposite Larry David, and later Jason Alexander, in David's hit comedy Fish in the Dark, which had a sold-out six-month limited run at the Cort Theater.[citation needed]

Since 2016 Shenkman has played the recurring role of Ira Schirmer on the Showtime series Billions. That year also saw him as Desk Sgt. Klein in the acclaimed HBO limited series The Night Of. The following year, 2017, he was cast as a series regular in the Shondaland drama For the People, which aired for two seasons on ABC until 2019. In 2020, in addition to Billions' fifth season, he is featured in a recurring role on Season 10 of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, and as defense counsel Leonard Weinglass in Aaron Sorkin's film The Trial of the Chicago 7.

Personal life

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Shenkman married Lauren Greilsheimer in 2005.[2]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1994 Quiz Show Childress
1996 Eraser Reporter
1997 Camp Stories Yehudah
1998 Pi Lenny Meyer
1998 The Siege INS Agent Howard Kaplan
1999 Thick as Thieves Veterinarian
1999 Jesus' Son Tom
1999 30 Days Jordan Trainer
2000 Joe Gould's Secret David
2000 Requiem for a Dream Dr. Spencer
2000 Chasing Sleep Officer Stewart
2000 Bed Short film
2000 Table One Scott
2002 Personal Velocity: Three Portraits Max
2002 Roger Dodger Donovan
2002 People I Know Radio announcer (voice)
2002 Stella Shorts 1998–2002 Hans
2004 Waking Dreams Charles Short film
2005 Must Love Dogs Charlie
2005 Just Like Heaven Brett
2006 Americanese Steve
2007 Then She Found Me Dr. Freddy Epner
2007 Breakfast with Scot Sam
2009 Brief Interviews with Hideous Men Subject #14
2009 Solitary Man Peter Hartofilias
2010 Blue Valentine Dr. Sam Feinberg
2010 Love Shack Skip Blitzer
2011 The Key Man Martin
2013 Breathe In Sheldon
2013 Concussion Graham Bennet
2020 The Trial of the Chicago 7 Leonard Weinglass
2022 Forty Winks Daryl Camacho
2024 Christmas Eve in Miller's Point Completed

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1993 Law & Order Mark Ferris Episode: "Born Bad"
1996 New York Undercover Gabe Green Episode: "Sympathy for the Devil"
1999–2009 Law & Order Nick Margolis 6 episodes
2000 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Max Knaack Episode: "Chat Room"
2001 Ed Frank Carr 2 episodes
2003 Ed Andy Bednarik Episode: "Frankie"
2003 Angels in America Louis Ironson / The Angel Oceania Miniseries; 6 episodes
2005 Law & Order: Trial by Jury Irv Kressel 2 episodes
2005 Stella Carl Episode: "Meeting Girls"
2006 Love Monkey Scott 5 episodes
2007 Wainy Days Clovie Web series; episode: "My Turn"
2008 Canterbury's Law Russell Krauss Main cast; 6 episodes
2009 Grey's Anatomy Rob Harmon 3 episodes
2009 Private Practice Rob Harmon Episode: "Ex-Life"
2009 Burn Notice Tom Strickler 4 episodes
2010 Damages Curtis Gates 11 episodes
2011 Lights Out Mike Fumosa 5 episodes
2011 The Paul Reiser Show Jonathan Main cast; 2 episodes
2011 Drop Dead Diva Dr. Bill Kendall 5 episodes
2012–16 Royal Pains Dr. Jeremiah Sacani Recurring (season 4), main cast (seasons 5–8); 45 episodes
2012 Made in Jersey Andrew Treaster Episode: "Pilot"
2016–23 Billions Ira Schirmer 39 episodes
2016 The Night Of Sgt. Klein 2 episodes
2018–19 For the People Roger Gunn Series regular
2020 Curb Your Enthusiasm Roger Swindell 3 episodes
2020 FBI FBI Assistant Director in Charge Reynolds Episode: "Liar’s Poker"
2022 The Good Fight Ben-Baruch 3 episodes

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominated work Result
2001 Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Play
Proof
 Nominated
2003 Online Film & Television Association Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries
Angels in America
 Nominated
2004 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
Gold Derby Awards Best Miniseries/TV Movie Supporting Actor Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Bloom, Nate (April 15, 2011). "Jewish Stars 4/22". Cleveland Jewish News. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Lauren Greilsheimer and Ben Shenkman". The New York Times. September 18, 2005. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  3. ^ "NYU Graduate Acting Alumni". 2011. Archived from the original on 2004-05-16. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
  4. ^ a b "Ben Shenkman". IMDb.
  5. ^ Harvey, Dennis (October 31, 1994). "Angels in America Theater Review". Variety. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
  6. ^ Jones, Kenneth "An Artist Looks at His Own Portrait in Bway Bow of 'Sight Unseen' From Manhattan Theater Club". Playbill, May 6, 2004
  7. ^ DeGroot, Martin. "Queer Film Festival Hopes to Involve More of Public", Toronto Star, March 4, 2008.
  8. ^ "NBC Unveils 2010-11 Primetime Schedule Accented by Five New Comedies, Seven New Dramas and New Alternative Program". The Futon Critic. May 16, 2010. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
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