Biography
Benny Ciaramello is an Italian-American actor hailing from New York City, with ancestral roots in Sicily, Florence, and Milan. He began his training under acclaimed Portuguese theater and film director Pedro Varela, known for collaborating with Irvine Welsh and directing Europe’s first stage adaptation of Trainspotting. At the John Raitt Theater, Ciaramello developed his stagecraft skills before advancing his studies with esteemed coaches such as Eric Morris, Stephanie Fury (Strasberg), Monica Garcia (Stella Adler), John Coppola, and Shari Shaw. He made his film debut in Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds, which opened the door to further roles in television and film, including The Guardian with Kevin Costner, Saint Francis with Dita Von Teese, and the cult classic The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting Down. He landed his first series regular pilot in Filthy Gorgeous, acting alongside Isabella Rossellini and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, while continuing stage performances such as Jacob Marley in a gothic adaptation of A Christmas Carol and Angel in Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train. Ciaramello gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Santiago Herrera on NBC’s Emmy Award-winning Friday Night Lights. He later signed a contract hold deal with ABC, resulting in series regular roles in The Prince of Motor City, a Hamlet adaptation featuring Piper Perabo, Aidan Quinn, and Andie MacDowell, and See Kate Run with Amy Smart. His additional credits include Secrets and Lies opposite Ryan Phillipe and Juliette Lewis, Mosquito opposite Shawn Hatosy, and Warner Bros.’ Live by Night, directed by Ben Affleck. Upcoming, he will recur as Virgil Hayes in Season 4 of Netflix’s The Night Agent and star as the lead in The First Circle, the initial installment of a crime-fantasy-horror franchise by filmmaker Mark Chapman, set for release in 2027.
