Ben McKenzie

Ben McKenzie is an actor, author, and commentator whose career spans television, film, and stage. He is known for his starring television roles as Ryan Atwood on the teen drama "The O.C.," Ben Sherman on the crime drama "Southland," and James Gordon on the crime drama "Gotham." Before working in Hollywood, McKenzie developed his acting skills in New York, appearing in theatrical productions including "Zoo Story" and Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure," as well as performing off-Broadway in "Life is a Dream" at SoHo Rep and in multiple productions at Williamstown Theatre Festival.

McKenzie's audition for "The O.C." led producers to cast him in the lead role, and the show became a significant success, raising the profiles of its cast. His performance earned him nominations for Choice Breakout TV Star – Male and Choice TV Chemistry at the Teen Choice Awards, as well as wins for Choice TV Actor – Drama/Action Adventure and Choice TV Actor – Drama. McKenzie made his film debut in the Academy Award-nominated film "Junebug" and appeared in films including "88 Minutes," "Goodbye World," "Some Kind of Beautiful," and "Line of Duty."

McKenzie's television work continued with his return to Fox in the Batman prequel series "Gotham," where he portrayed James Gordon as a young detective. He made his directorial debut in the series and went on to direct and write additional episodes. McKenzie also voiced Bruce Wayne/Batman in the DC original animated film "Batman: Year One," making him the only actor to have played both Batman and James Gordon. He made his Broadway debut in the Bess Wohl play "Grand Horizons," a production nominated for Best Play at the Tony Awards.

Outside of acting, McKenzie is recognized for his commentary on the cryptocurrency industry and financial fraud. His book, "Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud," co-written with journalist Jacob Silverman, examines the cryptocurrency market and its risks. McKenzie holds an economics degree from the University of Virginia and has studied the history of financial fraud, which informed his perspective on the rise of crypto. The book became a New York Times bestseller and was longlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year. His directorial debut documentary, "Everyone Is Lying to You for Money," explores cryptocurrency fraud and premiered at SXSW London. McKenzie is recognized for his work at the intersection of entertainment, economics, and investigative journalism.