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IMDbPro

Ben Fransham

  • Actor
  • Stunts
  • Additional Crew
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Ben Fransham
Follow the lives of Viago, Deacon, and Vladislav, three flatmates who are just trying to get by and overcome life's obstacles - like being immortal vampires who must feast on human blood. Hundreds of years old, the vampires are finding that beyond sunlight catastrophes, hitting the main artery, and not being able to get a sense of their wardrobe without a reflection-modern society has them struggling with the mundane like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts.
Play trailer2:36
What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
3 Videos
15 Photos
Ben Fransham is a New Zealand actor with a broad catalogue of energetic performances, albeit with a certain affinity for projects involving the undead. Unusually, he was a professionally trained ballet dancer before turning his focus to acting, and he has imbued his many character roles in theatre, musicals and film with unique physical versatility.

Fransham is best known for his turn as the ancient and unnerving vampire Petyr in Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's internationally renowned What We Do in the Shadows (2014).

As well as featuring in Ash vs Evil Dead (2015), Fransham's previous projects for Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi include the horror feature film 30 Days of Night (2007) and fantasy action series Legend of the Seeker (2008), in which he played a variety of roles.

Fransham also has a continuing association with Peter Jackson's productions, dating back to Heavenly Creatures (1994), and his proficient motion-capture work can be found in most of Weta Digital's collaboration in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) (and the remaining films in the trilogy), The Adventures of Tintin (2011), I, Robot (2004), District 9 (2009), King Kong (2005) and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) (as well as the rest of the trilogy).
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Photos15

Ben Fransham in What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
Taika Waititi and Ben Fransham in What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
Taika Waititi, Ben Fransham, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Jemaine Clement, Jonny Brugh, and Stu Rutherford in What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
Ben Fransham in Ash vs Evil Dead (2015)
Ben Fransham in Ash vs Evil Dead (2015)
Still from "Sword Play," 2015, featuring Ben Fransham and Andrew Goddard.
Still from 'What we do in the Shadows.'
Ben Fransham
The Ferryman promotional material
Legend of The Seeker
On set, in Legend of The Seeker
From TV show 'NZ Detectives,' Ep. 4

Known for

Taika Waititi, Ben Fransham, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Jemaine Clement, Jonny Brugh, and Stu Rutherford in What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
What We Do in the Shadows
7.6
  • Petyr
  • 2014
Ash vs Evil Dead (2015)
Ash vs Evil Dead
8.4
TV Series
  • Eligos
Ivana Baquero, Austin Butler, and Poppy Drayton in The Shannara Chronicles (2016)
The Shannara Chronicles
7.1
TV Series
  • Red Wraith
  • Black Wraith
30 Days of Night (2007)
30 Days of Night
6.6
  • Heron
  • 2007

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor

  • Minimally Invasive
    • Completed
  • Charles Edwards, Lloyd Owen, Sophia Nomvete, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Owain Arthur, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Morfydd Clark, Robert Aramayo, and Markella Kavenagh in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
    The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
  • Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Mr. Corman (2021)
    Mr. Corman
  • Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary in Wellington Paranormal (2018)
    Wellington Paranormal
  • The War At Home (2020)
    The War At Home
  • Turn of the Screw (2020)
    Turn of the Screw
  • Dungeon Path (2020)
    Dungeon Path
  • Mark Hadlow, Te Ohorere Reneti, and Erroll Anderson in Colonial Combat (2019)
    Colonial Combat
  • Dr. Grordbort's Invaders (2018)
    Dr. Grordbort's Invaders
  • The Men Who Built America: Frontiersmen (2018)
    The Men Who Built America: Frontiersmen
  • Ivana Baquero, Austin Butler, and Poppy Drayton in The Shannara Chronicles (2016)
    The Shannara Chronicles
  • 6Equj5 (2015)
    6Equj5
  • Ash vs Evil Dead (2015)
    Ash vs Evil Dead
  • How to Murder Your Wife (2015)
    How to Murder Your Wife
  • Tina Cleary in Cub (2014)
    Cub
  • Erroll Shand and Venetia Verner in Passion in Paradise (2014)
    Passion in Paradise

Stunts

  • Charles Edwards, Lloyd Owen, Sophia Nomvete, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Owain Arthur, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Morfydd Clark, Robert Aramayo, and Markella Kavenagh in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
    The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
  • Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary in Wellington Paranormal (2018)
    Wellington Paranormal
  • Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015)
    The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
  • Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
    The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
    • (uncredited)
  • Taika Waititi, Ben Fransham, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Jemaine Clement, Jonny Brugh, and Stu Rutherford in What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
    What We Do in the Shadows
  • Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Martin Freeman, Lee Pace, Evangeline Lilly, and Luke Evans in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    • (uncredited)
  • Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
    • (uncredited)
  • Jamie Bell and Joe Starr in The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
    The Adventures of Tintin
    • (uncredited)

Additional Crew

  • John Goodman, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Dane DeHaan, and Cara Delevingne in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
    Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
    • (uncredited)
  • Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)
    Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
    • (uncredited)
  • Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
    • (uncredited)
  • Jamie Bell and Joe Starr in The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
    The Adventures of Tintin
    • (uncredited)
  • Jack Black in Gulliver's Travels (2010)
    Gulliver's Travels
    • (uncredited)
  • District 9 (2009)
    District 9
    • (uncredited)
  • Andy Serkis and Naomi Watts in King Kong (2005)
    King Kong
    • (uncredited)
  • Will Smith in I, Robot (2004)
    I, Robot
    • (uncredited)
  • Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, and Andy Serkis in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
    The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
    • (uncredited)
  • Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Christopher Lee, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Miranda Otto, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, and Andy Serkis in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
    The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
    • (uncredited)
  • Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, and John Rhys-Davies in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
    The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
    • (uncredited)

Videos3

What We Do in the Shadows
Clip 1:26
What We Do in the Shadows
What We Do in the Shadows
Clip 1:00
What We Do in the Shadows
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:36
Official Trailer

Personal details

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    • Official Blog
    • Twitter
  • Plays "The Attendant" in "Soulmates", a play by David Williamson (Sydney Opera House Drama Theater, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), Starring Jacki Weaver, William Zappa, Amanda Muggleton, Barry Quin, Deborah Kennedy, Jonathan Biggins, and Sean Taylor.
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Magazine Cover Photo

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