Ben Stranahan, Hollywood’s in-demand film producer, actor, and musician, has learned one of the secrets to making a really good movie: no matter the genre, bring out the emotions in every scene you’re in. “I don’t know if everyone understands that,” he muses. “It really doesn’t matter if you’re watching Dumbo, Rocky, Halloween, or Rogue One – you’ve got to find the emotions in each character, or you’re going to have a bomb. Whether I am producing a film or acting in it, I try to make sure that the hidden feelings of a character are brought out so that the audience can connect with them.” He pauses, anticipating the question and grinning a little. “No, I am not going to tell you whether or not I cried during Dumbo. Some questions are just too personal.”
Ben, as you’ve figured out by now, is a bit of a jokester, and he regularly turns from deeply serious to humorous as he talks about his latest projects, which will be coming out over the next year or so. “The one I am really excited about but was sorry to finish is Better Than Yourself,” he says. “It was a bit like a party because Noah Baron, Rob McGillivray, Krystal M. Harris, Anita Kalathara, Robert Santi, and I all had so much fun together. It’s a serious movie, a mystery, but when the camera stopped rolling, there were a lot of practical jokes. The gag reel alone is worth paying to see.”
He’s also getting a kick out of helping to produce The Inventor, an animation about the life of Leonardo da Vinci, with Jim Capabianco as well as voice one of its characters. “I think deep down inside, I’ve got a big kid in me,” says Ben. “I’ve been having a great time working on this because it’s got such a wonderful plot. Flying contraptions, war machines, cadavers, a French princess – who wouldn’t want to be on board? Besides, Daisy Ridley and Stephen Fry are a blast to be around.”
One of the most fun roles he has had was on “Exodite” from Games Workshop. “It’s set in the futuristic world of Warhammer 40,000, where warfare erupts,” Ben explains. “The people behind it are highly imaginative, and it was the first time that I had placed myself mentally as an actor in such a dark environment. In fact, it was one of the reasons I took the part: I am always trying to push myself with new genres so that I continue to evolve into a more versatile actor.”
As Ben’s resume grows, so does his reputation. Known around Tinseltown as the guy who is first on the set in the morning and the last to leave at night, he works hard and will do anything that is asked of him. “I think that comes from my parents, who modeled to me the importance of never being above doing something,” Ben recalls. “My dad in particular was a man who believed in service, so I try to do the same for my peers. Hollywood, as you can imagine, can be a pretty stressful place, so I try to convey to whoever I am working with that I am someone they can count on.”
One place he spends a lot of time is at Tip-Top Productions, where he is the producer. “Working there is a dream come true for me,” he confirms. “I am really fortunate to collaborate with Rob on some really incredible movies and to be able to bring them from conception to the big screen. One project was Monstrous, a thriller with Christina Ricci that will soon hit theaters. I am really proud of the work she and her costars did in that movie, and I think audiences are going to be impressed.”
As busy as he is, Ben still finds time to kick back at his beloved piano with his cat, Moose. “I am still a musician at heart and love jazz,” he reveals. “I could sit for hours, improvising on some chord while Moose hangs out and listens. Thankfully, when I screw up, he’s a kind critic.”
It’s a packed schedule for a man who gets up before dawn and goes to bed long after most people do. “It’s pretty hectic, true,” Ben agrees, “and I sometimes miss my college days of sleeping in late. I don’t truly mind the pace I keep, though. I’ve only got so many minutes on this Earth, and I plan to make each of them matter. That’s why I keep going: I’ve got so many movies left to make and only so much time to do it. I can’t do anything else but go forward and use the time I have to create magical experiences for the people who see my movies.”