Ben Barnes life has involved acting from a young age. An early career in musical theatre, including London’s West End saw his life and career move into television before his debut feature film Stardust in 2007. Here we take a brief look at his life, career and filmography.
Early life and education
Ben Barnes started life in London in 1981 and was educated at Homefield Preparatory School in Sutton, Surrey and King’s College School in Wimbledon, south-west London. He graduated from Kingston University in Kingston-upon-Thames with BA Honours in 2004.
Career
Ben Barnes began his career in musical theatre, spending a few years as part of the National Youth Music Theatre. His first professional job, at the age of 15, was a drummer in the West End musical adaptation of Bugsy Malone.
Barnes first role in television came in 2006, with a guest appearance on the UK series Doctors. Also in 2006, he was cast as Dakin in the West End production of The History Boys.
Barnes feature film debut was as Young Dunstan in Stardust (2007), followed by the role of a Russian hoodlum in Bigga Than Ben (2008).
In February 2007, it was announced that Ben Barnes would play the role of Caspian in the film adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. He spent two months in New Zealand preparing for shooting. In May 2009, he was nominated for MTV Movie Awards‘ Best Breakthrough Male for his performance in this film.
In the spring of 2008, Barnes finished filming the role of John Whittaker for Noël Coward’s romantic comedy, Easy Virtue (2008). The score contains many Coward and jazz-age songs, some of which are sung by Barnes.
Barnes next starred in the title role in a film adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray (2009). In June 2009, Barnes filmed the psychological thriller Locked In on location in Boston.
Barnes appeared as King Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010), the third instalment in the series.
In January 2010, Ben Barnes began filming Killing Bono, a comedy based on the Neil McCormick memoir Killing Bono: I Was Bono’s Doppelgänger.
Barnes returned to the West End stage in London with a starring role as World War I soldier Stephen Wraysford in Birdsong (28 September 2010 to 15 January 2011). He was then cast in The Words (2012).
In 2013 Barnes had one film release, The Big Wedding, a remake of the original 2006 French film Mon frère se marie (My brother is getting married) also starring Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Katherine Heigl, Topher Grace, Amanda Seyfried, Susan Sarandon and Robin Williams.
In December 2012, Barnes began filming the modern day crime drama By the Gun (2014).
Ben Barnes played Tom Ward in the film Seventh Son (2014). In 2015, he starred as Sam Adams in the History Channel’s three-part fictional mini-series Sons of Liberty. Barnes also starred with Katherine Heigl in the romantic drama Jackie & Ryan. On 20 July 2015 it was announced that Barnes would replace Eion Bailey as Logan in HBO’s science fiction thriller Westworld, the first season of which aired in late 2016. In September 2016, Barnes was cast as Billy Russo in the upcoming Netflix series The Punisher.
Filmography
2007 Bigga Than Ben
2007 Stardust
2008 The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
2008 Easy Virtue
2009 Dorian Gray
2010 Locked In
2010 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
2011 Killing Bono
2012 The Words
2013 The Big Wedding
2014 By the Gun
2014 Jackie & Ryan
2014 Seventh Son