Shaun Benson (born January 16, 1976) is a Canadian actor and director.[1] He acted in several theatre productions in the 1990s before embarking on his film and television career.
While at university he began training in karate. He holds a 5th Degree Black Belt and his Renshi Teaching Certificate in Legacy Shorin Ryu under Hanshi Gary Legacy and Kyoshi Randy Dauphin and a Purple Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from Toronto BJJ under Jorge Britto with his time in Los Angeles spent training with Jean-Jacques Machado.[2]
In 2000, he appeared in a Molson Canadian commercial as a Canadian office worker who unleashes a torrent of hockey-style violence on an American coworker taunting him with Canadian stereotypes.[7] In 2001, he was cast in a lead role in the television drama series The Associates.[8]
In 2002, following the cancellation of The Associates, he was cast in the legal drama series Just Cause, which ran for one season.[9]
In 2016, Benson appeared in the Netflix time loop thriller ARQ as Sonny, as well as Season 2 of the series Gangland Undercover as Crowbar. He subsequently appeared in the SyFy series Channel Zero as the town sheriff, Gary Yolen.
Between 2017 and 2021, he appeared in many prestige projects including The Boys on Amazon as Ezekiel, Tiny Pretty Things on Netflix as Brooks, Code 8 as Dixon, as well as independent and TV film work for Lifetime, SyFy, etc.
Benson has trained as an actor using the Meisner technique and teaches Meisner acting classes in Toronto.[13]
Directing
In 2013, Benson directed Stop/Kiss by Diana Son for the Toronto Fringe Festival. The play won best of festival and garnered and extended run.
He directed the 2015 independent film Barn Wedding, which won the HMV People's Pick For Best Flick award at the 2015 Canadian Film Fest.
In 2021, he co-wrote, co-directed and starred, with Karen Knox, in Borderline which had its World Premiere in the UK at Crystal Palace International Film Festival and its North American Premiere at Dances With Films at the Chinese Theatre.[14]