Benjamin McKenzie (born Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan on September 12, 1978) is an American actor. He is the star of the television series The O.C., playing Ryan Atwood, a troubled teen who is relocated from Chino, California to Newport Beach, with the help of his lawyer, Sandy Cohen (Peter Gallagher).
McKenzie grew up in Austin, Texas and attended the University of Virginia, where he majored in Foreign Affairs and Economics. His uncle is the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan. His mother, Frances, is also a prize-winning poet.
