Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan was born and raised in Texas. Following, his graduation from the University of Virginia where he was a Foreign Affairs and Economics major, he moved to New York to pursue his passion for acting. While in New York, he appeared off-Broadway in "Life is a Dream" at the Soho Rep. Additionally, he performed in numerous productions at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, including "Street Scene" and "The Blue Bird," and at the University of Virginia, in "Measure for Measure" and "Zoo Story" before moving to Los Angeles where he landed a lead role in THE O.C.


Uncle is Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan His paternal grandparents both did some acting when they were young. His 22-year-old brother Nate is a Yale graduate working in avant-garde theater in New York. Younger brother Zack, 19, is attending Pomona College, a half-hour away from Los Angeles, and still pondering his future. He changed his name for screen-credit purposes because there's an actor named Ben Schenkman registered with the Screen Actors Guild. Has a manager, publicist and lawyer on the payroll (he's shopping for a new agent now that his career is taking off) Moved to New York City three weeks before 9/11 Mother: Frances Schenkkan will begin the master's program in creative writing at the University of Texas in the fall. She's been a newspaper reporter and editor, and in the 1980s she served on the Austin Planning Commission and the board of the Austin Child Guidance Center. She is a recipient of the Adele Steiner Burleson prize in poetry at the university. She and husband Pieter have three sons, Ben, Nate, and Zack. Second cousin of Sarah Drew Was voted one of InStyle's "10 Hottest Bachelors Of Summer" in July 2005, placing at number 10. Played football with (quarterback of the New Orleans Saints) Drew Brees at Austin High School and then against Drew Brees when Drew transferred to a rival school. Is now a Saints fan.