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IMDbPro

Ben Immanuel

  • Actor
  • Director
  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Ben Immanuel
Trailer 2 for Sisters and Brothers
Play trailer2:23
Sisters & Brothers (2011)
4 Videos
28 Photos
A recipient of over a dozen awards, including the 2013 UBCP/ACTRA John Juliani Award for Outstanding Achievement, Ben has amassed over 100 film and TV acting credits, including lead roles in feature films that have played at prestigious festivals such as TIFF, Sundance and Berlin.

As a writer/director/producer, Ben has helmed 2 award-winning, theatrically released feature films: Down River (9 wins and 12 nominations, including Most Popular Canadian Film at VIFF 2013 and Best Feature at the 2014 Soho International Film Festival, NYC) and Moving Malcolm (4 wins and 1 nomination, including Best Feature Film at the 2003 Washington D.C. Film Festival). He has also written and/or directed and produced numerous short films and web series episodes, has directed Robson Arms for CTV, and has developed several original television series for Canadian networks.

For theatre, Ben has appeared in many plays including This, by Melissa James Gibson, Dinner with Friends, by Donald Margulies and Italian American Reconciliation by John Patrick Shanley. Early in his career, Ben was nominated for a Jessie Richardson award for his portrayal of "Bobby" in David Mamet's American Buffalo. He has also directed numerous plays, including the Canadian Premieres of Tommy Smith's White Hot and Christopher Shinn's Dying City, as well as Either We Talk Or We Don't Talk, created in collaboration with actors from Haven Studio. In 2020, Ben wrote and directed the one-man show Casey and the Octopus for the inspiring and dynamic 19-year-old cancer survivor Casey Wright.

Next up for Ben is his television series, Trigger Me, which he created and directed, and features many Haven Studio actors in lead roles. HBO's Westworld director/executive producer Richard J. Lewis has come on-board as executive producer.

Ben started his teaching career in 1995, under the tutelage of his mentor Ivana Chubbuck (author, The Power of the Actor). He has also studied with and been greatly influenced by Larry Moss (author, The Intent to Live), Patsy Rodenburg (author, The Second Circle) and Canada's Mel Tuck.

Having taught acting in Vancouver, Los Angeles and across Canada, Ben established Haven Studio in Vancouver's Mount Pleasant neighborhood in 2002. He and his team at Haven Studio continue to offer extremely in-demand classes to both top-notch veteran actors and ambitious up-and-coming performers.

NOTE: In 2021, Ben changed his name from Ben Ratner to Ben Immanuel (Immanuel is his middle name) to avoid being repeatedly mistaken for or associated with director/producer Brett Ratner, to whom he has no relation.
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Awards
    • 12 wins & 8 nominations

Photos28

Ben Ratner directing "Down River" 2012
Jay Brazeau and Ben Immanuel in Fathers & Sons (2010)
Georgia Straight Cover 2010
Ben Ratner and wife Jennifer Spence at the 2013 Leo Awards
Ben Ratner 2005
Ben Immanuel at Haven Studio, 2021
Ben Immanuel in A Dog's Way Home (2019)
Jay Brazeau and Ben Immanuel in Fathers & Sons (2010)
Jay Brazeau and Ben Immanuel in Fathers & Sons (2010)
Jay Brazeau, Babs Chula, and Ben Immanuel in Fathers & Sons (2010)
Rebecca Jenkins and Ben Immanuel in Fathers & Sons (2010)
Ben Immanuel in Fathers & Sons (2010)

Known for

Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Izabela Vidovic, Jacob Tremblay, and Gidget in Wonder (2017)
Wonder
7.9
  • Mr. Davenport(as Ben Ratner)
  • 2017
Down River (2013)
Down River
7.0
  • Director(as Ben Ratner)
  • 2013
Anson Mount in Hell on Wheels (2011)
Hell on Wheels
8.3
TV Series
  • Clement Beale(as Ben Ratner)
Last Wedding (2001)
Last Wedding
6.1
  • Noah(as Benjamin Ratner)
  • 2001

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • The Man in the High Castle (2015)
    The Man in the High Castle
    • Erwin (as Benjamin Ratner)
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Glory Days (2019)
    Glory Days
    • Tommy Young (as Benjamin Ratner)
    • Short
    • 2019
  • A Dog's Way Home (2019)
    A Dog's Way Home
    • Dr. Gann (as Benjamin Ratner)
    • 2019
  • Eric McCormack, Patrick Gilmore, MacKenzie Porter, Reilly Dolman, Jared Abrahamson, and Nesta Cooper in Travelers (2016)
    Travelers
    • Dr. Teslia
    • Ivon Teslia (as Benjamin Ratner)
    • TV Series
    • 2018
  • Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, Izabela Vidovic, Jacob Tremblay, and Gidget in Wonder (2017)
    Wonder
    • Mr. Davenport (as Ben Ratner)
    • 2017
  • Aleks Paunovic, Zak Santiago, Donny Lucas, and Ben Immanuel in Ganjy (2016)
    Ganjy
    • Ganjy (as Ben Ratner)
    • Short
    • 2016
  • Rachel Nichols in Continuum (2012)
    Continuum
    • Gord Solomon (as Ben Ratner)
    • TV Series
    • 2014–2015
  • Garrett Brawith, Justin Mader, Justin Gaston, Stephanie Bennett, Aislyn Watson, Dakota Guppy, Shelby Armstrong, Blaise Todd, and Kinslea Todd in The Unauthorized Full House Story (2015)
    The Unauthorized Full House Story
    • Alan (as Ben Ratner)
    • TV Movie
    • 2015
  • Natasha Henstridge, Martin Sheen, Mena Suvari, Jesse Bradford, and Lochlyn Munro in Badge of Honor (2015)
    Badge of Honor
    • Coroner (as Ben Ratner)
    • 2015
  • Big Trees
    • Tree Doctor (as Ben Ratner)
    • Short
    • 2013
  • Anson Mount in Hell on Wheels (2011)
    Hell on Wheels
    • Clement Beale (as Ben Ratner)
    • TV Series
    • 2013
  • Adam Beach and Pascale Hutton in Arctic Air (2012)
    Arctic Air
    • Max (as Ben Ratner)
    • TV Series
    • 2013
  • Colin Ferguson, Joe Morton, Ed Quinn, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Neil Grayston, Erica Cerra, and Jordan Danger in Eureka (2006)
    Eureka
    • Dr. Fung (as Ben Ratner)
    • TV Series
    • 2011–2012
  • Float (2011)
    Float
    • Tom (as Ben Ratner)
    • Short
    • 2011
  • Camille Sullivan, Amanda Crew, Dustin Milligan, and Cory Monteith in Sisters & Brothers (2011)
    Sisters & Brothers
    • Jerry (as Ben Ratner)
    • 2011

Director

  • Gabrielle Miller in Trigger Me (2021)
    Trigger Me
    • Director (as Benjamin Ratner)
    • TV Series
    • 2021
  • Aleks Paunovic, Zak Santiago, Donny Lucas, and Ben Immanuel in Ganjy (2016)
    Ganjy
    • Director (as Ben Ratner)
    • Short
    • 2016
  • Down River (2013)
    Down River
    • Director (as Ben Ratner)
    • 2013
  • Power Lunch
    • Director (as Benjamin Ratner)
    • Short
    • 2007
  • John Cassini, Mark McKinney, and Gabrielle Miller in Robson Arms (2005)
    Robson Arms
    • Director (as Ben Ratner)
    • TV Series
    • 2005
  • Moving Malcolm (2003)
    Moving Malcolm
    • Director (as Benjamin Ratner)
    • 2003

Writer

  • Gabrielle Miller in Trigger Me (2021)
    Trigger Me
    • Writer (as Benjamin Ratner)
    • TV Series
    • 2021
  • Rachel
    • Writer (as Ben Ratner)
    • TV Series
    • 2018
  • Aleks Paunovic, Zak Santiago, Donny Lucas, and Ben Immanuel in Ganjy (2016)
    Ganjy
    • written by (as Ben Ratner)
    • Short
    • 2016
  • Down River (2013)
    Down River
    • written by (as Ben Ratner)
    • 2013
  • Camille Sullivan, Amanda Crew, Dustin Milligan, and Cory Monteith in Sisters & Brothers (2011)
    Sisters & Brothers
    • a collective creation by (as Ben Ratner)
    • 2011
  • Power Lunch
    • Writer (as Benjamin Ratner)
    • Short
    • 2007
  • Moving Malcolm (2003)
    Moving Malcolm
    • written by (as Benjamin Ratner)
    • 2003
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos4

Sisters and Brothers
Trailer 2:23
Sisters and Brothers
Fathers & Sons
Trailer 1:53
Fathers & Sons
Repeaters
Trailer 0:55
Repeaters
EXPIRATION DATE
Trailer 1:51
EXPIRATION DATE

Personal details

Edit
  • Official site
    • Official Site
  • Alternative names
    • Ben
  • Born
    • New Haven, Connecticut, USA
  • Spouses
      Jennifer Spence2011 - present
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Magazine Cover Photo

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    In 2021, Ben changed his name from Ben Ratner to Ben Immanuel (Immanuel is his middle name) to avoid being repeatedly mistaken for or associated with director/producer Brett Ratner, to whom he has no relation.
  • Quotes
    [on his film 'Down River', influenced by the life of Babz Chula] I wanted to write about what happens when you lose your guide before you've found your way.

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