Shaun Benson

Biography:

Shaun Benson (born January 16, 1976) is a Canadian actor and director. He began his career in theatre during the 1990s before transitioning to film and television.

In 2002, Benson appeared alongside Harrison Ford in K-19: The Widowmaker and has since starred in various films, including ARQ (2016), Never Saw It Coming (2017), and I Still See You (2018). He portrayed Dr. Steven Webber in the American daytime soap opera General Hospital from 2004 to 2005. His recent television roles include Gary Yolen in the first season of the horror anthology series Channel Zero (2016) and Topher Brooks in the Netflix series Tiny Pretty Things (2020).

Born in Guelph, Ontario, Benson is the son of Eugene Benson, an English professor and prolific writer. He earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and biochemistry from the University of Western Ontario before pursuing acting at the George Brown College Theater School in Toronto.

Beyond acting, Benson has an extensive background in martial arts. He holds a 5th Degree Black Belt and a Renshi Teaching Certificate in Legacy Shorin Ryu, as well as a Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Benson’s early acting career included stage performances in Singapore, Waiting for Lewis, Love’s Labour’s Lost, and Steel Kiss. In 2000, he gained attention for a Molson Canadian commercial where he humorously defended Canadian identity. He later secured a lead role in the television drama The Associates (2001) and, following its cancellation, starred in the legal drama Just Cause (2002).

After his time on General Hospital, Benson made guest appearances in series such as Cold Case, The Unit, and Being Erica. He also starred in the IMAX 3D documentary Flight of the Butterflies (2012) and the French comedy Populaire (2012). In 2015, he portrayed an eccentric professor in the TV movie Kept Woman and appeared in Starz’s The Girlfriend Experience.

His career continued with roles in The Boys (Amazon) as Ezekiel, Code 8 as Dixon, and various projects for Lifetime and SyFy.

As a director, Benson helmed Stop/Kiss at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2013, earning a Best of Festival award. His 2015 independent film Barn Wedding won the HMV People’s Pick for Best Flick at the Canadian Film Fest. In 2021, he co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in Borderline, which premiered at the Crystal Palace International Film Festival in the UK and had its North American debut at Dances With Films at the Chinese Theatre.

Benson is also an acting coach, specializing in the Meisner technique, which he teaches in Toronto.