Ben McKenzie is an American actor. He is known as Ryan Atwood in the television series The O.C. and as Ben Sherman in Southland. He appeared in the films Junebug and 88 Minutes. His first starring role in a feature film was in the 2008 indie release Johnny Got His Gun. Since 2014, McKenzie has been starring as James Gordon in the television series Gotham.
McKenzie was born in Austin, Texas, as Benjamin McKenzie Schenkkan, one of three boys born to Frances Victory Schenkkan, a poet, and Pieter Meade Pete Schenkkan, an attorney. His middle name, McKenzie, is his paternal grandmothers maiden name. His grandfather, Robert F. Schenkkan, was a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and worked with President Lyndon B. Johnson on passing the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. He is a nephew of Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright Robert Schenkkan, Jr.
Source: Wikipedia