Saturday Morning Man: Benjamin McKenzie!

Benjamin McKenzie made a big splash as Ryan Atwood on The OC, a Fox drama that was must-see TV for a few years. It was kind of like the old Beverly Hills 90210 except the adults on the show were also hot and had their own drama.

During the run of the show, Benjamin became a big heartthrob but he remained very smart about his career choice. For example, he played a then-unknown Amy Adams’ angry boyfriend in the indie flick Junebug and last year, he received excellent reviews for his performance in the film Johnny Got His Gun. He also appeared with Al Pacino in the thriller 88 Minutes.

After The OC ended it four-year run, the actor held out for a quality project and found it with NBC’s Southland which debuted this spring. He plays a rookie cop with the LAPD who’s partner on the beat is gay. The show has been renewed for a second season.

Even though his grandparents were both theater actors and his uncle is Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Robert Schenkkan, Benjamin didn’t get involved with acting until he was a student at the University of Virginia where he majored in Foreign Affairs and Economics.