For anyone curious- his dad (Frederick Mendelsohn) was involved with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017
Ben Mendelssohn was in just about every critically acclaimed Australian film in the 80s and 90s. He was one of the most familiar faces in Aus cinema. Good to see he's finally getting the global recognition he deserves after what has probably been a 40yr hard slog.
Mendelsohn deserves so much praise for his Dior. Even just the expression on his face alone has broken my heart countless times in this series. Magnificent work but the man owes me a box of tissues.
I made a movie with Ben in Sydney and while we were filming in the street these kids were watching him. One of them comes up and says. "You look kind of familiar. What have you been in?" He says "Well umm, maybe you like Star Wars?" meaning his role in Rogue One. The kid replies "not really, did you do anything good?" Ben goes "Good? Well I built the fucking Death Star what about that?" kid says slightly impressed "yeah that's pretty good I guess".
Been following Ben from Australia since he played "Brains" in The Henderson Kids back in the day. He's always been my favourite Aussie actor, & loving his success & the rest of the world experiencing his talent. ❤
Have followed him since The Year My Voice Broke, and am super happy he's spent the last 10-15 years finding more widespread global success. Very well deserved.
First time I ever saw him was in Rogue One. You know an actor is great when you get a visceral feeling about the character he plays. He was so great in that role.
Such a great AUSSIE actor.. One of my faves.. Since his FIRST movie, "The Year My Voice Broke" and "The Big Steal", a fun movie about a girl and a car..
@@naomichisholm7709 Ben wasn't in The Boys. David Wenham or John Polson were. You might be thinking of the similarly horrifying Animal Kingdom, in which Ben was the lead.
Yeah like Whoopi do, so u knew Ben in the 90's, eastern suburbs is a small place. But name dropping?? Really? Pretty sad 😢 poor old Ben never hit the big time!
@@lozhiggo828OMFG Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne. Didn't even realize he's from that area. Thought he was from another part of Oz. I was only a child in 90s living in that area.
Been keeping my eye on Ben since Animal Kingdom. Him in a dark role is stunning but looking forward to Christian Dior. As a New Zealander just wish we could claim him! -just have great admiration for Aussie film industry.
There was a moment where he laughed in this interview and I thought of that film. I think Ben’s problem back then is that he was so good it didn't seem like he was bloody acting at all.
Dior actually made his first money in Australia. After WWII, there was a lot of rationing in Europe, and Dior found out that Australia had a booming immigration spike, with no rationing. The toured the Capitals and featured in every fashion magazine. He "made" the stylish house dress of the 1940's and 1950's. His evening gowns were everywhere. The young Australian women were daring enough to wear his "cocktail" dresses, which showed a bit more skin than in the past.
Ben was such a surprise when he finally broke out into international films. He was always good to watch but maybe seemed too Australian. I always get a bit excited when I see him in a film that I didn't know he was in. This seems like a great role for him to level up and start getting bigger roles and maybe Best Actor Oscar worth roles (whether he wins or not, too much politics to worry about that. Oscar nominated is the goal, Oscar winner is just a lucky bonus)… great interview, I hope to see more like this.
Hey Benny, teach Seth how to speak Australian 😂😂😂😂. Love you, Ben. Been following you since you were a kid. From one Aussie to another, here’s cheers, Big Ears
Ben is such a talented and versatile actor. Very seen him in so many different roles and have yet to be disappointed. I look forward to this new role on Apple.
I first remember Ben, in a small indie film, as a creepy dog walker. I forget the film, but I totally remembered him, and then when he showed up in Bloodlines I was a fan for life. He is amazing.
Ben is such a good actor, you would think he might be those quiet introvert actors because of those characters he plays most of the time, and yet in real life, he's such a lively talkative person. Even on podcasts, you can really hear and imagine him being so animated when he talks.
Amazing actor. First saw him in Bloodline, and was flabbergasted to later find out he was Australian. He played the black sheep of the family and was SOOO American. Pretty much a perfect performance.
@laurencarter246 Because of his decades of theatre work, Sir Ian McKellen could play to a room like nobody's business. A master of the nuance. I think he'd have Ben like 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'.
He completely creeps me out in Bloodline. Such a disturbing role. I guess thats the point. Amazing acting. Happy to see hes totally different in real life, but hard to process.
I love Ben. Stunning talent. Extra points for unashamedly retaining his Australian accent. Can't stand it when Aussies move to the US or UK and suddenly they have this awful American-English-Australian hybrid accent.
Americans loves us Aussies.. Wolverine, Thor, Barbie, you love us. Ben is so versatile, Marvel, Star wars and some great Australian movies, "The big steal".
Fantastic show! Great story, engaging and beautifully made. Thank you for making such a wonderful series, great actors, brilliant performances and writing . Bravo 👏 Remarkable
Hey Ben... Loved your "Australia will brace you"! So bloody true. I reckon I'm roughly the same age as you, and growing up in Australia in 70s 80s was so, "just get on with it"... that we just f*kn did. It wasn't a concept to analyse everything which required such counseling! Kind regards, Janet
Ben Mendelsohn is my favorite actor! His character was so brilliant and he played it really well! Loved him in Rogue One too as director Krennic, he's my favorite Star Wars character. I really want to meet him, but unfortunately I can't, because I live in Europe. Does anyone know his email address? I would like to write him a fan letter.
@oopik0059 I'm not a glued-on fan of the franchise. But I thought I saw 'Rogue One'. Is that the one that began with all the wreckage of rusting battleships on a desert planet? And the girl working with a headlight to salvage scrap metal from them? If so, I have no recollection of Ben Mendelsohn in that film 😳
Such a skillful actor. His natural demeanor, carriage and speaking voice is so radically different from his M. Dior - a legitimate flesh and blood artist's creation..
I can recommend a great Ben film from 2013. It's called Starred Up, A UK flick about prisons/prisoners. It's incredibly bleak, but BM is very good in it, as are the rest of the cast. It's probably not going to cheer you up after a bad day though.
This is such a good series and they are right - it's not what you would expect. It's amazing the lives these designers had during WW2 and the hard choices they had to make. This is the side of the Nazi occupation that the regular public wasn't exposed to. I had to get an AppleTV subscription just to watch this. I'm only on the third episode and I can say it's definitely money well spent 👍
For anyone curious- his dad (Frederick Mendelsohn) was involved with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017
Thanks so much for this clarification. Much appreciated. I was wondering throughout the interview.
Wow. That makes him a hero in my book.
I'm Australian and I didn't know this!
Interesting thank you
Oh wow I thought Obama got that
Ben Mendelssohn was in just about every critically acclaimed Australian film in the 80s and 90s. He was one of the most familiar faces in Aus cinema. Good to see he's finally getting the global recognition he deserves after what has probably been a 40yr hard slog.
Mendelsohn deserves so much praise for his Dior. Even just the expression on his face alone has broken my heart countless times in this series. Magnificent work but the man owes me a box of tissues.
💯
I made a movie with Ben in Sydney and while we were filming in the street these kids were watching him. One of them comes up and says. "You look kind of familiar. What have you been in?" He says "Well umm, maybe you like Star Wars?" meaning his role in Rogue One. The kid replies "not really, did you do anything good?" Ben goes "Good? Well I built the fucking Death Star what about that?" kid says slightly impressed "yeah that's pretty good I guess".
Loo
STRAYA 😅
To go from Big Steal to Animal Kingdom to Dior…what a range, what a talent. My favourite Aussie actor
The Big Steal. Loved that movie
Been following Ben from Australia since he played "Brains" in The Henderson Kids back in the day. He's always been my favourite Aussie actor, & loving his success & the rest of the world experiencing his talent. ❤
Totally agree!
Have followed him since The Year My Voice Broke, and am super happy he's spent the last 10-15 years finding more widespread global success. Very well deserved.
Ozzie Ozzie Ozzie!!
@@wallacerose8663I love that film. Same here with following him
Oh good. Brains!!!!! I remember.
How can you not fall in love with Ben, honestly
He was perfect for this role! I really liked the character, the values, kindness and elegance.
He was in a play I directed when he was 15, same age as my children. He still greeted them if they met on a tram in later years. Good guy.
Charming. Talented. Simply adorable. Ben we love you!
I've been a Ben Mendelsohn for all of his career! He is a great actor
First time I ever saw him was in Rogue One. You know an actor is great when you get a visceral feeling about the character he plays. He was so great in that role.
Him and Giancarlo Esposito! These are probably two most charismatic and at the same time intimidating people in the Hollywood right now...
Ben is absolutely brilliant and so vulnerable in this.
Such a great AUSSIE actor.. One of my faves.. Since his FIRST movie, "The Year My Voice Broke" and "The Big Steal", a fun movie about a girl and a car..
Yes, The Big Steal was fantastic.
Yes love that movie and I also loved him in the boys
@@naomichisholm7709 Ben wasn't in The Boys. David Wenham or John Polson were. You might be thinking of the similarly horrifying Animal Kingdom, in which Ben was the lead.
@@rowangreaves8491 yeah I was thinking of the horrifying animal kingdom
Absolutely superb performance!! I love everything this man does! The most authentic actor of our time.
I just finished the final episode. It is fantastic
Love him. I didn't see him until Bloodline, but he stole the whole show there.
Check out the movie. The year my voice broke. A classic growing up movie
Ben & I had mutual friends all through the 90s, happy to see him doing so well on the world stage
What happened Tony, did you butcher your lines ?
Yeah like Whoopi do, so u knew Ben in the 90's, eastern suburbs is a small place. But name dropping?? Really? Pretty sad 😢 poor old Ben never hit the big time!
Not everyone is a superstar like you !@@lozhiggo828
@@lozhiggo828OMFG Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne. Didn't even realize he's from that area. Thought he was from another part of Oz. I was only a child in 90s living in that area.
Nice comment Tony…. As for the other two commenters here, Pretty Harsh! “if you haven’t got anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”…
Honestly ben is one of the best actor's out there right now,chameleon qualities and has worked in some of the best stories told rate him massively
Ben you were so good in Bloodline…absolutely memorable performance.
Loved him in that show.
Been keeping my eye on Ben since Animal Kingdom. Him in a dark role is stunning but looking forward to Christian Dior.
As a New Zealander just wish we could claim him! -just have great admiration for Aussie film industry.
We're brothers and sisters, and we claim all of your Kiwi-born actors. So go right ahead!
He and Juliet Binoche are amazing in this!
This interview was hilarious. Ben is always fantastic in whatever he is in.
If you wanna hear a hilarious infectious laugh,
see Ben's character is The Year My Voice Broke.
Amazing film.
I’ve been a fan of his since then…
There was a moment where he laughed in this interview and I thought of that film. I think Ben’s problem back then is that he was so good it didn't seem like he was bloody acting at all.
Love a bit of Ben Meno, the Aunty Donna impersonations of him are top notch
You been talkin to the cops?
Dior actually made his first money in Australia. After WWII, there was a lot of rationing in Europe, and Dior found out that Australia had a booming immigration spike, with no rationing. The toured the Capitals and featured in every fashion magazine. He "made" the stylish house dress of the 1940's and 1950's. His evening gowns were everywhere. The young Australian women were daring enough to wear his "cocktail" dresses, which showed a bit more skin than in the past.
I love hearing Ben talk in his natural voice, it's so fun to contrast to the characters he plays and their range of voices and tones
Ben is very charismatic. Great guest .
Ben was such a surprise when he finally broke out into international films. He was always good to watch but maybe seemed too Australian. I always get a bit excited when I see him in a film that I didn't know he was in. This seems like a great role for him to level up and start getting bigger roles and maybe Best Actor Oscar worth roles (whether he wins or not, too much politics to worry about that. Oscar nominated is the goal, Oscar winner is just a lucky bonus)… great interview, I hope to see more like this.
Spotswood wth Anthony Hopkins!
Hey Benny, teach Seth how to speak Australian 😂😂😂😂. Love you, Ben. Been following you since you were a kid. From one Aussie to another, here’s cheers, Big Ears
Seth Meyers is one of my favorite late night talk show interviewers. He actually lets people talk.
the new look now on apple tv plus
It shook me when he changes character. Acts naturally. He’ll always be Danny from bloodline to me. Typecast
He was the foundational rock of The Outsider on HBO and so pervasive in Bloodline, carrying that show even as a dead character.
Ben is such a talented and versatile actor. Very seen him in so many different roles and have yet to be disappointed. I look forward to this new role on Apple.
I first remember Ben, in a small indie film, as a creepy dog walker. I forget the film, but I totally remembered him, and then when he showed up in Bloodlines I was a fan for life. He is amazing.
The movie os called Killing Them Softly! Great flick
💕 Benny boy! 👏👍🍎🍊🍑😆
He’s brilliant in everything. Still don’t know how he wasn’t awarded for The Outsider.
Likely because there were other great performances that year
Ben is such a good actor, you would think he might be those quiet introvert actors because of those characters he plays most of the time, and yet in real life, he's such a lively talkative person. Even on podcasts, you can really hear and imagine him being so animated when he talks.
Loved him in “The Big Steal” back in 1990 … great to see him still going strong!
So much love for Ben! Love it
I haven’t seen Ben for years. I’d recognise his voice anywhere but he looks so ‘grown up’ now. Xx🇦🇺
For those fans of Ben outside Australia as suggested in other comments check out some of his earlier work. ‘The Big Steal’ is a classic!
Ben, "Oh, doesn't your dad have a Nobel?" 😂
That suit is sublime.
He was wonderful in Cosi, such a great actor
Such an awesome performance from Ben as CD
He’ll always be the guy from The Henderson Kids to me.
Damn. That's stretching my memory! Ummm…Nadine Garner, also?
@@infoblack4455 He auditioned for The Henderson Kids during the run of my play.
I love how Seth's guest come to play.
I've liked Mendo ever since I saw The Big Steal . Great little Aussie movie that came out in 1990 .
One of my favourite Aussie movies. Big fan of Claudia Karvan as well.
@@vickya8653 yeah who isn’t in australia !
Was raised on his movies like big steal by my mum growing up - he feels like a member of the family ha
@@vickya8653 love my way s3 with the two of them was great too
Amazing actor. First saw him in Bloodline, and was flabbergasted to later find out he was Australian. He played the black sheep of the family and was SOOO American. Pretty much a perfect performance.
I LOVE Ben!! He was fantastic in The Marsh King's Daughter!
So gloriously chaotic! 😄
I always liked Ben, in the film Cosi he's really good, the whole film never gets spoken of but its hilarious.
Yes! he really nailed that role.
Adore the guy and his acting he is superb
@10:35 Seth says, "Try to sit still."
All of us Mendo fans going, "Good luck with that, mate." 😂
On ya Ben! Your dad really is a frickin’ genius. Had the pleasure of working in his orbit at UniMelb.
He's giving me Sir Ian McKellen vibes of what he would've been like 30 years ago 😍
@laurencarter246 Because of his decades of theatre work, Sir Ian McKellen could play to a room like nobody's business. A master of the nuance. I think he'd have Ben like 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'.
He completely creeps me out in Bloodline. Such a disturbing role. I guess thats the point. Amazing acting. Happy to see hes totally different in real life, but hard to process.
He wasnt in it but my mom I loved the movie Mrs. Harris goes to paris. It was such a sweet story and about Dior as well.
I love this guy he just has that natural australian charisma. Loved him in Rogue One.
He was first-rate as King George VI as well.
⭐️ Ben Kills in Everything He Does ⭐️
I love Ben. Stunning talent. Extra points for unashamedly retaining his Australian accent. Can't stand it when Aussies move to the US or UK and suddenly they have this awful American-English-Australian hybrid accent.
I love his accent and his voice too. I prefer when he uses his natural accent.
I love this man.
He might be old enough to be my father but god, he's so charming and handsome
Same age as my son, so that makes me old enough to be your.....('!)
"G'day Seth mate. You haven't been talkin' the the cops have ya, mate?"
He’s such a good actor 👌🏼
Americans loves us Aussies.. Wolverine, Thor, Barbie, you love us. Ben is so versatile, Marvel, Star wars and some great Australian movies, "The big steal".
Maaaate. So damn proud of Ben.
Fantastic show! Great story, engaging and beautifully made. Thank you for making such a wonderful series, great actors, brilliant performances and writing . Bravo 👏 Remarkable
Fantastic series! Lots of history. Congrats to the entire cast.
Anyone remember Ben in the movie “the year my voice broke”? A great movie
No I don’t remember him in that remember Noah
They were both in it@@naomichisholm7709
Ben has done very well and so deserves it. Serious talent.
This series was outstanding. It was about resilience.
Hey Ben... Loved your "Australia will brace you"! So bloody true. I reckon I'm roughly the same age as you, and growing up in Australia in 70s 80s was so, "just get on with it"... that we just f*kn did. It wasn't a concept to analyse everything which required such counseling!
Kind regards, Janet
P.S. thanks Seth Myers for interviewing Ben. I think he's excellent!
He is such a fabulous actor. He comes as so creepy in Bloodline which is perfect for the characters. As Dior, he is sweet and beautiful.
I am thoroughly impressed, he knows about EPMD!❤❤❤ I was not expecting that.
Ben Mendelsohn is my favorite actor! His character was so brilliant and he played it really well! Loved him in Rogue One too as director Krennic, he's my favorite Star Wars character. I really want to meet him, but unfortunately I can't, because I live in Europe. Does anyone know his email address? I would like to write him a fan letter.
We love ben Mendelssohn
He was brilliant in Rogue One…
@oopik0059 I'm not a glued-on fan of the franchise. But I thought I saw 'Rogue One'. Is that the one that began with all the wreckage of rusting battleships on a desert planet? And the girl working with a headlight to salvage scrap metal from them? If so, I have no recollection of Ben Mendelsohn in that film 😳
One of my favorite actors, He never disappoints.
Also, they should go day drinking together.
Ben would probably drink him under the table lol
Charisma galore
Such a skillful actor. His natural demeanor, carriage and speaking voice is so radically different from his M. Dior - a legitimate flesh and blood artist's creation..
Ben is glorious
I can recommend a great Ben film from 2013. It's called Starred Up, A UK flick about prisons/prisoners. It's incredibly bleak, but BM is very good in it, as are the rest of the cast. It's probably not going to cheer you up after a bad day though.
The Land of Steady Habits is just a must see.
For a great yet underrated Ben Mendelsohn movie, check out Mississipi Grind 🎲
Great actor
Spotswood is one of his best aussie movies !!
Absolutely
One of the first, too. Anthony Hopkins as the time and motion expert come to improve the factory output.
the big steal is such a classic but you have to be an aussie to understand it, so many lines will go straight over your head if you dont get the lingo
Te amo Ben ❤
You haven’t been talking to the cops, have ya mate?
I love his voice and accent- its so deep & a little rough around the edges, quite sexy.
oh I love him.
loved him in Cosi!
Adored Ben in The Year My Voice Broke and Cosi!
I thought his props were for Colbert's questionnaire.
Eric O'Bannon would be proud lol
Seth, this guy is fun and his upbringing sounds interesting.
Family Trips? 😀
This is such a good series and they are right - it's not what you would expect. It's amazing the lives these designers had during WW2 and the hard choices they had to make. This is the side of the Nazi occupation that the regular public wasn't exposed to. I had to get an AppleTV subscription just to watch this. I'm only on the third episode and I can say it's definitely money well spent 👍
6:07 a subtle Corrections shoutout!
In that thumbnail, he looks like an older, silver fox version of Seth's brother.
@JillKnapp Looking at the closing image, I'd go for first cousins. You can tell they genuinely like each other. And get each other's schtick.