Ben Kurland

Who is Ben Kurland?

Benjamin David "Ben" Kurland is an American actor. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to parents Jim and Robyne Kurland. He and his older brother Zack Kurland grew up in Newton, Massachusetts.

He first started acting at age 11, performing in a local theatre production of Anne of Green Gables. During the summer, he attended the prestigious Walnut Hill School. While in 7th grade at The Fessenden School, he was encouraged by a teacher to audition for a part in the school play, Little Shop of Horrors. Despite his young age, he was cast as the lead in the show. The following year, Kurland was performing again in Oliver! while simultaneously working with his cousin Jaime Ray Newman in Boston University's production of Stop the World: I Want to Get Off. Before attending high school, Kurland had been in over a dozen plays.

At Choate Rosemary Hall, Kurland continued to pursue acting. He was cast as Jerry in a production of The Zoo Story, which was guest directed by Edward Albee himself. This made national news when an article featuring Kurland and Albee was published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times. After graduation, Kurland attended Emerson College's Theatre program. However, he soon transferred to the University of Southern California School of Theatre. While at USC, he was briefly on the USC Ice Hockey Team, and performed in several student films. He graduated from USC in 2006.