Ben Barnes (actor)

Benjamin Thomas Barnes (born 20 August 1981) is an English actor and singer. He is best known for his roles as Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia film series (2008–2010), Logan Delos in the HBO science fiction series Westworld (2016–2020), Billy Russo/Jigsaw in the Marvel series The Punisher (2017–2019), The Darkling in the Netflix series Shadow and Bone (2021–2023), and Tim Jamieson in the MGM+ supernatural series The Institute (2025).

He also played young Dunstan Thorn in Stardust (2007), the title role in Dorian Gray (2009), Neil McCormick in Killing Bono (2011), Alejandro in The Big Wedding (2013), Tom Ward in Seventh Son (2014), Samuel Adams in Sons of Liberty (2015) and Benjamin Greene in Gold Digger (2019).

Also known for his contributions to the soundtracks of films in which he appeared, Barnes released his debut single "11:11" in September 2021. This preceded the release of his debut extended play, Songs For You. His debut album, Where The Light Gets In, was released on January 10, 2025.

Barnes was born on 20 August 1981 in southwest London to Patricia Becker, a relationship psychotherapist, and Thomas Barnes, a psychiatrist and professor. He has a younger brother, Jack. Barnes cites his mother's Jewish South African childhood, his father's scientific education, and his attendance at what he felt was a "vaguely Christian" school where he "liked the hymns" as formative influences.

Barnes was educated at two independent schools for boys: Homefield Preparatory School in Sutton and King's College School in Wimbledon. In King's, he sang in choirs and played percussions (drums and piano) in jazz orchestras and concert bands. In 1997 he began his career in musical theatre by joining the National Youth Music Theatre where, at age sixteen, he gave his first performance as a drummer in the West End musical adaptation of Bugsy Malone. Prior to university, he spent two years singing, television presenting, and working with entertainment svengali Simon Fuller to open a jazz club and release an album, both of which did not materialise.

Barnes then studied English literature and drama at Kingston University, appearing and directing in productions such as Don Juan (alongside Katrina Drovandi as the lead), The Golden Age, Exposure and The Zoo Story. He won the English Prize for writing essays on themes from Harry Potter and The Hobbit. While working at the theatre on intense acts such as The Ragged Child, The Dreaming, Loving Ophelia, Sex, Chips & Rock n' Roll, he briefly joined the boyband Hyrise, who performed in Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up, to find the UK's entry for the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, with 'Leading Me On'. Graduating in 2004 with a BA (Hons) in Drama with English Literature, he was the university's first drama student to achieve first-class honours. In 2008, he was inducted in the university's Wall of Fame, the youngest to be featured among more than twenty accomplished alumni.

Barnes began working on television in 2006, including a guest appearance on the UK series Doctors. That same year, he joined the ensemble cast of a West End production of The History Boys, in which he starred and received acclaim as the sexually provocative Dakin.

Barnes made his feature film debut as young Dunstan Thorn in Stardust (2007), directed by Matthew Vaughn and based on Neil Gaiman's novel of the same name. He starred as a Russian hoodlum named Cobakka in Suzie Halewood's Bigga than Ben (2008).