Ben McDonnell is an American actor. Since his film debut in Concussion (2015), he has appeared in numerous television series and short films, including the Emmy® award-winning drama series The Bay (2010) as Kevin. McDonnell made his directing debut with I, a Film by Ben McDonnell (2016), an official selection for the Twin Cities Film Festival in 2016.McDonnell was born Benjamin Allen McDonnell on June 2, 1992 in Maplewood, Minnesota to Penny (McDonnell) Riermann and Mark Iverson. He is of Irish and Norwegian descent. McDonnell grew up in Maplewood, Minnesota, where he spent his childhood horseback riding, attending acting lessons and performing in local plays. He attended Art Institutes International Minnesota before relocating to Los Angeles, where he worked with some of Hollywood's most respecting acting coaches, including Shawn Nelson, Elisa Eliot, Ratidzo Mambo, Ivanna Chubbuck and Lesly Kahn. McDonnell has also graduated from Killian's commercial classes and studied at "The Groundlings." Show less «