Man of Characters
I'm Ben Dukes...
I create characters.
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Whether I'm handed their bones in a script and then bring them to life on screen, stand in front of a microphone and shape my voice to call them into existence, or put my fingers to the keyboard and pull them from my imagination, I get to create characters for a living. I think that fact will always amaze me.
I am fortunate to be able to do what I do, and there isn't a day that I don't feel blessed to be in this business.
On Screen
On the Air
On the Page
Being a 6'3 Actor in Los Angeles can make one feel like a nameless and faceless giant - but it can create some amazing opportunities. I am not often cast as "unassuming friend" - but as characters who make immediate impact. Let's be honest... you don't miss Kratos when we walks into a room. Whether I'm there to terrify or to delight, I revel in bringing my near boundless imagination to bear on the characters in my charge!
Lending my voice to tell a story in the listener's imagination is great fun. Perhaps it's through my music, perhaps it's through book narration, or voiceover work. Whichever way it comes, I delight in the playground that is the vocal booth. In that world, I get to experiment, to try out variations of expression that often aren't available in live or on-screen performance. The ability to transform into ANY character is possible in this world, and I take every opportunity to do just that!
There is no more free form of expression, in my mind, than that of writing. I've been published as a poet and columnist, had scripts turned into narratives and documentaries, and am an award-nominated songwriter. In addition, I wrote the YouTube sketches I have on the page (with the exception of some credited interpretations of Monty Python's work). Creating through writing has been a lifelong endeavor. I am currently developing an action-comedy script, and welcome other opportunities!
