Benny Safdie Biography

American actor and director

Benjamin Safdie (born February 24, 1986) is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and film editor best known for working with his older brother Josh as a filmmaker. His directorial works include Heaven Knows What (2014), Good Time (2017), and Uncut Gems (2019). Transitioning towards acting, Safdie was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his role in Good Time and has since taken on roles in films such as Licorice Pizza (2021), Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. and Oppenheimer (both 2023). He co-created, co-wrote and starred in the television show The Curse (2023).

Early life

Safdie was born to Amy and Alberto Safdie; of Syrian Jewish descent and was raised in New York. He and brother Josh divided their childhood living between their father in Queens and their mother and stepfather in Manhattan upon their parents' divorce. He attended Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School and graduated from the Boston University College of Communication in 2008.

Career

Filmmaker

Main article: Safdie brothers

The Safdies' first feature was the 2009 film Daddy Longlegs, which they also wrote the screenplay and edited together. The film was showcased in the Directors' Fortnight at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. In 2013, they debuted the do*entary film Lenny Cooke at the Tribeca Film Festival, a do*entary they became attached to after Cooke approached them to review the footage. In 2014, the pair premiered their next film Heaven Knows What at the 71st Venice International Film Festival. In February 2016, the brothers began filming their crime thriller film Good Time. which Benny starred in alongside Robert Pattinson, in New York City. It premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. Benny, for his performance, was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male.

Uncut Gems, Josh and Benny's next film, starred Adam Sandler, Lakeith Stanfield and Julia Fox and was executive produced by Martin Scorsese. The brothers won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Director, and Benny shared the Independent Spirit Award for Best Editing with Ronald Bronstein, with whom he co-edited with on all the Safdie brother films.

Safdie and Nathan Fielder co-created the Showtime series The Curse, which premiered in November 2023.

Acting roles

In 2017, Safdie began taking on performances not directed by himself or Josh, appearing in a role in the film Person to Person. In 2020, he appeared in Pieces of a Woman, and in 2021 had a large supporting role in the Paul Thomas Anderson film Licorice Pizza.

In 2022, Safdie appeared in Claire Denis' romantic thriller Stars at Noon, and as Nari in the Disney+ miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi. In 2023, he starred in the film adaptation Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., and appears as Edward Teller in Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan.

Personal life

Safdie is Jewish. His father is of Sephardic-Jewish and Syrian-Jewish descent, and his mother is of Russian-Jewish descent. His uncle is architect Moshe Safdie. His cousin is playwright Oren Safdie.

He is married to Ava Safdie (née Rawski), with whom he has two sons, Cosmo and Murray James.

Filmography

As Safdie brothers

Benny Safdie only

As actor

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Safdie brothers

References

External links

• Benny Safdie at IMDb
• Red Bucket Films Archived November 21, 2019, at the Wayback Machine