Ben Steel

Infobox Actor
bgcolour=
name =Ben Steel


birthdate =birth date and age|1975|10|09
location = Melbourne, Australia
height = 6 ft 4 in (195 cm)
birthname = Ben Steel
occupation = Actor, Director
yearsactive = 2000-present
notable role = Jude Lawson in "Home & Away"
logieaward = Nominated for Best New Talent Logie 2003
spouse = Previously engaged to Deni Hines (2002-2004)

Ben Steel (born October 9, 1975) is an Australian actor and director who is most known for his regular role in Australian soap Home & Away.

Steel’s career as an actor, writer and director has achieved an impressive momentum. Appearing in television commercials at 11, Steel quickly moved on to more significant television guest roles, and at the age of fifteen he purchased his first video camera to explore life on the other side of the lens. Steel studied media & film studies at high school then moved to Sydney to pursue full time work in the film industry. Steel's tenacity paid off when he scored a lighting job on the high-rating ABC program Heartbreak High. This was the break Steel needed, giving him enough technical experience to work behind-the-scenes on bigger projects such as the feature films Doing Time for Patsy Cline, Dark City and Oscar and Lucinda.

Taking a side step in the position of Production Runner enabled Steel to absorb new skills at very close range to master filmmakers. The position offered an insight into everything from pre to post production, as he worked on IMAX: The Story of a City with Bruce Beresford; First Daughter (1999 film); Bootmen with Dein Perry; with Dr. George Miller; The Matrix with the Wachowski brothers; and finally hit the jackpot with Moulin Rouge! and director Baz Lurhmann.

Then Steel was hurtled back in front of the camera and into the spotlight. On 31st of October 2001 Steel made his first appearance as Jude Lawson in the hugely successful Australian soap Home & Away. He played the popular character for three seasons and appeared in more than 160 episodes.

In addition to his acting commitments on Home & Away, Steel continued to develop several feature film projects while refining his directing skills on short films. He has since completed more than twenty short films including 'Airhead' starring Andrew Hill and 'Mum's the Word' starring Chris Egan, both winners of best comedy at 'The Shootout 24hour Filmmaking Festival', and in 2002 Steel took filmmaking to new extremes, when he rose to the challenge to make 'Diagnosis Narcolepsy' a 16mm, 7-minute film, starring Scott Major, Eric Thompson, Sal Coco, Lara Cox, Jeremy Kewley, Deni Hines, and the film was completed in just 24 hours. [Urban Cinefile: [http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=6376&s=Features " Read Article "] ]

After finishing Home & Away Steel went to the UK to play Prince Valentine in the pantomime Snow White. Steel subsequently starred in his first independent feature film 'The Bitten Tongue', where he had fun playing a cross-dressing, money laundering gangster. His next project was another bad guy abducting David Beckham's hairdresser in 'Unfashionable Tramps' followed by a successful season at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival starring in 'This is Soap' and presenting 2 music festivals for Five (channel). Then Steel went to the US and spent a few months studying acting at 'Playhouse West' under the eye of founders Jeff Goldblum and Robert Carnegie.

2004 saw Steel return to Australia to star in the classic cult theatrical production of which received high critical praise and a sold out season. "He's involved in some pretty naughty situations, is having trouble deciding if he prefers the steam room scene or the 'one with the threesome' but ask Ben Steel to pose for a photo without a shirt and surprisingly he gets all coy. 'I'd rather wear a shirt, if that's ok,' Steel said. The former Home and Away star, who is playing six characters in the Debbie Does Dallas musical wouldn't even reveal if he bares all in any of the roles.'I can't say whether I will or whether I won't but it's definitely an interesting ride,' Steel said during a break from rehearsals at the Seymour Centre yesterday. 'I get to live out some fantasy on stage,' he quickly added. The musical, which is based on the famous porn movie, had its first preview show last night but Steel said his parents would wait a few weeks before they watch him in action 'I said to mum I was doing this Debbie Does Dallas play and she had no idea about what it was, so I had to explain it was based on a porn movie, but when I told dad, he knew exactly what it was,' he said." [ Sydney Telegraph 05/08/04] He then went behind the camera again in his music video directorial debut making 'Shower the People' for Australian singing legend Marcia Hines and Belinda Emmett. Steel then flew to New Zealand to direct the short film 'Pullin Roots' starring Beau Brady and Clayton Watson.

2005 saw Steel depart to the UK to revise his character of Prince Valentine in the pantomime Snow White, it also marked the year that Steel made his West End Theatre debut. Steel headed up the cast of The Vegemite Tales, an Australian play that is set in a share-house in London. The play was extremely successful and ran for 12 weeks to sellout audiences. Next Steel continued performing in theatre in 'Serial Killers' a New Zealand play written by James Griffen performed at the Darby Playhouse.

2006 brought Steel back to Australia where he worked with director Spike Jonze on the movie Where the Wild Things Are.

2007 and Steel moved to Prague the capital of the Czech Republic. August 2007 Steel flew back to Australia for a supporting role in indie feature film Four of a Kind AKA:Disclosure directed by Fiona Cockrane. "Former Home and Away hunk Ben Steel has snuck back into Oz to star in the low-budget psychological thriller Disclosure. After splitting with fiancee Deni Hines and leaving Summer Bay five years ago, Steel has divided his time between Hollywood, New York, London and Prague- chalking up gigs for his acting portfolio. While he remains tight-lipped about his latest project, he said being home may lead to him returning for good." [ Sydney Telegraph 28/08/07]

2008 and Steel has just wrapped filming the role of Fletcher in Solomon Kane (film) with James Purefoy.

Biography

Early life and education

Steel's parents are Glenys Steel and Ray Steel. He has two older sisters, Nicole Simpson (Steel) and Kara Joiner (Steel).Steel moved to Sydney after completing his high school studies in 1993. His family remained in Melbourne.

Steel started taking acting lessons when he was eleven. This later led to studies at Sydney's Australian Theatre for Young People and The Actor's Centre. It was at The Actor's Pulse in Sydney that Steel discovered the Meisner acting technique. Steel continued his studies with the Meisner technique overseas at The Impulse Company in London, and Playhouse West in Los Angeles. Steel is currently studying at The Prague Playhouse in the Czech Republic.

Early career

His first appearance on TV came in 1992 when, as a seventeen year-old, he appeared in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation television series Phoenix (TV series).

Acting Filmography

Directing Filmography

Personal life

Relationships

Steel met Deni Hines on the set of the Seven Network Perth Telethon in 2001. Hine's sang her then current single Frenzy while sitting on the knee of Steel. The couple were reported as dating several months later, and were seen travelling to many destinations around the world. Their engagement was announced in the social pages of Australian newspapers in 2003. The reason for their 2004 break-up has never been made public.

Charitable work

Steel attended Good Friday Appeal 2001-2002. The Good Friday Appeal is a fundraising activity that brings together people from all parts of the community in a very special way. The common goal is to raise money for The Royal Children's Hospital, in Melbourne, and to ensure that all children with life threatening illnesses receive the best possible medical and clinical care.

Trivia

*In Home & Away Steel had to dye his hair black.
*Steel was rumored to have an affair with Nicole Kidman in 2000 while working on the film Moulin Rouge!.Fact|date=June 2008
*Steel writes and directs films.
*Steel directed a music video starring Australian Idol judge Marcia Hines and Belinda Emmett in 2004.

Awards nominated for

Logie Award:
*Best New Talent nomination "Home & Away" (2002)

External links

*imdb name |id=0824391|name=Ben Steel
* [http://www.theactorspulse.com/achievements/ The Actor's Pulse]
* [http://www.pragueplayhouse.com Prague Playhouse]
* [http://www.youtube.com/v/KGjr5HTOyH4 Home & Away video]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/thingo/txt/s1175206.htm Debbie Does Dallas: the musical]
* [http://15min.org/articles/2001/june/27/clublink_3.html Celebrity Appearance]
* [http://www.theshootout.com.au/newcastle/guestchallenges.html Shootout Celebrity Challenge 2002]
* [http://www.ausoaps.info/profiles/ben_steel.htm Link to: AU Soaps profile]
* [http://groups.msn.com/BENSTEELLOVERS/bensteel.msnw Fan group]

References