Biographie
Benjamin David Sherrill began his college education at Colorado State University as a Wildlife Biology major but switched to Theater after his sophomore year.
Known as "Dave" to family and friends, he performed in numerous CSU plays before his theater professor encouraged him to attend New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. There, he studied under the late Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse and the renowned Stella Adler.
While at NYU, Dave interned at Warner Television, Atlantic Records, and MTV, and secured a small recurring role on ABC's daytime drama "All My Children."
After spending about a year on the soap opera, he chose to finish his training at UCLA's School of Theater, Film & Television.
Upon graduating from UCLA in 1985 and after many auditions, Dave landed the role that launched his professional career: Skank, a twitchy, mohawked punk-rock gang member in the 1986 cult film "The Wraith," starring alongside Charlie Sheen, Nick Cassavetes, Randy Quaid, Sherilyn Fenn, and Clint Howard.
Sherrill's career gained momentum with his next role opposite Keanu Reeves in Thom Eberhardt's "The Night Before."
He then traveled to the Israeli desert to appear in Columbia Pictures' "The Beast Of War" with Jason Patric and Steven Bauer.
In the late 1980s, Dave appeared in several network TV shows, including "21 Jump Street" and "China Beach."
He earned critical acclaim from Henry Sheehan in the January 3, 1989 issue of Hollywood Reporter for his performance in the CBS Movie of the Week, "Terror On Highway 91," starring opposite Rick Schroeder and Lara Flynn Boyle. Sheehan noted, "The most striking performance comes from sneering, sniveling David Sherrill as the sheriff's crooked son."
Shortly after, Dave fulfilled a childhood dream when he was cast as Max in Warner Bros.' "The Rookie," acting alongside and directed by his childhood hero, Clint Eastwood.
In 1992, he appeared in the recurring role of homeless Gulf War veteran Sgt. Jack Canner on the popular FOX series "Beverly Hills, 90210."
His next film role was as the ambitious son of Gena Rowlands in "Unhook The Stars," written and directed by Nick Cassavetes.
Dave then starred alongside Charlie Sheen and Christopher McDonald in the independent film "Five Aces," which won The Spirit of Independent Film Award at the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival.
He later returned to North Carolina to portray NASCAR legend and Charlotte Motor Speedway president H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler in the ESPN/Disney TV movie "3: The Dale Earnhardt Story," opposite Barry Pepper.
Following this, he appeared in popular TV series such as "One Tree Hill," "Surface," and "Army Wives."
Dave continued with roles in independent films including "Insignificant Others," "House Of Fallen," and "The 27 Club," directed by Erica Dunton and recognized at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
Most recently, Dave appeared on AMC's series "Halt & Catch Fire" and played Brian Martin, father of musician-turned-actor Nick Jonas, in the independent film "Careful What You Wish For."
In 2016, Dave reunited with fellow "The Wraith" cast members Clint Howard, Chris Nash, and James Bozian in the low-budget suspense thriller "American Bigfoot," also known as "Kampout.
