Ben Ciaramello

Ben Ciaramello was born in Providence, Rhode Island and raised between the old neighborhood of Ward 7 and Philadelphia, PA. He is of Italian lineage tracing back to Sicily, Florence and Milan. His professional acting career began with a lead role in Irvine Welsh's "Ecstasy". This momentous play was directed by the esteemed European filmmaker and actor Pedro Varela, a close confidant of Welsh who also helmed the original "Trainspotting" play in Europe. This fortuitous role led to his cinematic debut in the monumental remake of "War of the Worlds" directed by none other than the legendary Steven Spielberg, and subsequently a series of roles in diverse productions. Ciaramello's unparalleled versatility and ability to immerse himself wholly into character have earned him well-deserved recognition in the industry. He took on a central role as a drug-dealing club kid from New York City opposite Isabella Rossellini in the pilot "Filthy Gorgeous", a production produced by the Academy Award-winning duo of Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, along with the Academy Award-nominated writer of "Philadelphia", Rob Nyswaner and directed by the legendary theater director Robert Allan Ackerman. Shortly thereafter, he garnered critical acclaim for his portrayal of the nefarious Jacob Marley in the stage adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic, "A Christmas Carol," followed by a profoundly moving performance as Angel in "Jesus Hopped the A-Train." Within a month of wrapping up the latter production, he successfully landed the role of Santiago Herrera, the brooding and troubled delinquent on NBC's Emmy Award-winning "Friday Night Lights," becoming an instant hit with audiences. With the resounding success of the show, Ciaramello was quickly presented with numerous prime-time offers and a contract hold deal with ABC. He was selected for two series regular roles, first in the Hamlet adaptation "The Prince of Motor City" alongside Piper Perabo, Aiden Quinn, and Andy Mcdowell, and then in "See Kate Run" with Amy Smart. Additionally, he has made memorable guest appearances in several network television shows, including "Secrets and Lies" opposite Ryan Philippe and Juliette Lewis, as well as feature films such as "Mosquito" alongside Shawn Hatosy, and the Warner Brothers production "Live by Night" with Ben Affleck and Chris Messina.