Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan (born September 12, 1978) is an American actor, writer, and director. His first high-profile role was in 2003, starring as Ryan Atwood in the television series The O.C. and subsequently starred as Ben Sherman in Southland. From 2014 to 2019, he starred as James Gordon in the television series Gotham, for which he also wrote and directed episodes. McKenzie's first starri...