Ben Stranahan: A Producer’s Path to Hollywood Dreams
Ben Stranahan built a career in Hollywood that spans 10-plus years now. He has had numerous roles in the industry such as musician, actor, and of course, independent film producer. However, Ben mostly considers himself a storyteller and entertainer. As partner and producer of Tip-Top Productions, the company has had a number of well-received releases in recent years. It would appear that Ben’s hard work and dedication in Hollywood is being rewarded.
Even with all of his success, Ben continues to be a captivating, personable, down-to-earth guy, brimming with a warm, grounded optimism. Despite the endless worry and uncertainty of working in the entertainment industry, Ben is committed to staying focused and goal-oriented. Ben attributes his hard-fought Hollywood success to his persistence, determination, and his appreciation for every opportunity given to him. Ben knows that, especially in the Land of Dreams, you should never waste an opportunity.
Ben’s long road to Hollywood runs all the way back to his middle school years in Aspen, Colorado. Ben remembers his first stage appearance as “exhilarating,” a moment that sparked his passion for storytelling and inspired him to pursue his dreams of working in film. “It was a wonderful experience; a defining moment in my childhood,” Ben recalls.
Upon realizing his life’s true purpose, Ben began to experiment with different modes of artistic expression. In high school, he continued his study of stage theatre and began to produce his first short films. I just picked up a camera and started making short films. It taught me a lot about working with actors and about what not to do. In other words, I made a ton of mistakes and learned what I could from each one,” he explains. He joined a band, for which he played drums and piano for five years until the end of high school forced him to separate from his friends; as they were preparing to leave for college, Ben was preparing to leave the security of home for the mean streets of Los Angeles, where he could carve out a name for himself as an artist.
After spending a summer studying music at Berklee College in Boston, he was accepted into the revered American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles, where his Hollywood dream began to develop into something tangible. Ben spent the next three years learning everything he could about the industry. He enjoyed analyzing characters, advanced acting class, learned to speak in several accents, including Southern, Standard RP, New England, and Irish, and excelled at both armed and unarmed stage combat. Upon finishing school, Ben began building his career as an actor, producer, and musician.
One of his rewarding experiences as a producer came in 2016 when Mean Dreams, a drama/thriller starring Bill Paxton, premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival and as a Special Presentation at TIFF. The film has since been released theatrically in over ten countries and sold in over fifty. Ben also produced the acclaimed thriller Calibre, released on Netflix in 2018. The film went on to be nominated for four BAFTAs, with star Jack Lowden taking home the award for Best Actor.
Despite all the stress that goes into shooting a film. Ben wouldn’t trade his career for any other. “I know my place is either behind the camera or in front of it,” Ben shares. There are a lot of brilliant people out there, any one of whom could be sitting where I am today if things had gone differently.” Ben attributes his success to his passion. “I’ve always got more irons in the fire,” he says. “My mind is always running, trying to picture the next film I’m going to make. I am truly fortunate to be able to do what I love and to be able to entertain an audience just like I always dreamed I would.”
For more information on the production house, visit www.tip-topproductions.com.
