Meet Benjamin Mayer

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Benjamin Mayer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Benjamin , thank you so much for making time for us today. We can’t wait to dive into your story and the lessons you’ve learned along the way, but maybe we can start with something foundational to your success. How have you gone about developing your ability to communicate effectively?

Developing one’s communication skills can be either incredibly arduous, or fairly straightforward given one’s disposition to socializing, general intuition, and emotional intelligence. If I had to define “communication” in my own words, I would say that communication is the implementation of verbal/non-verbal phrases or actions that convey thoughts, feelings, and information from one party to another in a given situation. With that being said, what makes communication difficult and nebulous is the simple fact that it varies greatly from person to person and is influenced by numerous outside factors like culture, upbringing, language, and even things like ailments and disabilities, just to name a few. Those factors alone are what make communication so interesting and important! It is something that we should strive to make efficient and inclusive as possible, because that is how we learn and grow together in the most uplifting and effective way.

If you are already prone to being chatty and you have a certain level of emotional intelligence, you would have a much easier time honing those communication skills. I happen to be one of those people. Growing up (and to this day) I was known for being a bit of a chatterbox and someone who was prone to talking one’s ear off if the topic of conversation was one I was well-versed or interested in. That fact, coupled with the fact that I was quite the softie and got incredibly stressed if someone disliked me for any reason, pushed me to investigate how I could effectively communicate with people in my life so I can positively move through the world.

Now, I understand that may seem reactionary, as it is because of my anxiety surrounding displeasing others that I focused so heavily on honing my communication skills, but I will clarify that those instances were rare, so that stress was not at the front of my mind all the time. What really fueled the growth of my communication skills was, and still is, my curiosity. My curiosity of the world around me spurred me to constantly ask questions and to comment on what was happening right in front of me. That simple feeling, curiosity, pushed me to tweak and respond to the different answers and feedback I got when exploring the world. What drove that curiosity even more, was the world I couldn’t see and that wasn’t right in front of me. Growing up in middle America, things all start to kind of look the same. The same types of people, the same types of places, etc. I wanted to know what the world was like outside of my bubble. I was curious about how people lived, what they ate, how they kept themselves busy, what their history was, what secret wonders their land held, what languages they spoke, and on and on and on.

Surprisingly, one of the ways I was able to address these questions while also working on my confidence and emotional intelligence was through live theater. As a kid, I loved being a part of plays and had quite the intense imagination. My favorite thing about doing live theater is that I can put away “boring old Ben” and step into the life of a totally different person. I get to see the world through their eyes, react to things as they likely would, learn about things in their life that I would never be able to experience; all with a little imagination and curiosity. Another important aspect of theater that honed my communication skills were all the acting exercises I got to do in order to prepare for shows. We would frequently sit with our scripts and discuss things like “motivation”, “circumstances”, “context”, and various other aspects of a given character/situation. Those exercises challenged us to truly place our minds in the heads of the characters we were being asked to play. To feel what they’re feeling, to know what they know, to understand what they do or don’t understand. Asking those questions and having that inherent curiosity in a controlled environment preemptively set me up to ask about things like, “what is this person’s motive?”, “what circumstances are causing this response?”. In other words, I could ask myself, “what is this person’s life’s context”, all in a split, subconscious second. Furthermore, it naturally gave way to the ability to subconsciously extrapolate on my influence on a person’s interaction with me. How am I making this person feel in this moment? Am I making my thoughts clear? Am I interacting in a way that is positive and coherent? And many other questions. This combination of emotional intelligence tools all came about because of my work in live theater.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My name is Ben Mayer, and I am an actor and producer based outside of Des Moines, Iowa. I act in commercials, industrial videos, and narrative films of all sorts. I am a huge fan of all things fantasy, so I have recently been getting involved in lots of film projects focused on sci-fi and high fantasy. However, I’ve acted in several non-fiction dramas and comedies. I’ve played a Viking villain, a simple henchman, a gritty soldier, a faithful father, an unfaithful husband, a high school delinquent, and many other various roles that I am incredibly proud of. Most recently and notably, I was cast as Blippi in the popular children’s YouTube show. I have played all kinds of characters from various walks of life, and I am so honored and thrilled that people trust me to play such a wide variety of unique and fascinating characters. I absolutely love it and am so so lucky.

I guess I should probably talk about how I got started doing all of this. It’s kind of a classic story really, one that most actors can probably relate to. I started off acting in church plays when I was very little and loved being in the spotlight. That was only as a child though. Believe it or not, I actually don’t really enjoy being the center of attention nowadays. That’s the exact opposite of why I am in the film industry today, but I’ll elaborate on that later. Anyways, I used to always tell my parents that I wanted to be an actor and be in action movies. However, as I got older, I realized that profession was pretty unrealistic and probably impossible, so I didn’t really pursue it as a career. That shifted my mindset to focus on acting in all of its mediums as an activity that was just fun to do and held my attention. I tried many sports and was active throughout my schooling, but the one extracurricular I kept coming back to was theater and music. I was in band and choir for my teen years and did many musicals and plays. In high school, I did all of that on top of show and jazz choir which, for those who may not know, show choir basically what they did in Glee and jazz choir is what Pentatonix does. The common theme for my choice in doing all of these extracurriculars was that I simply found it fun and enjoyed being in cool performances with my friends. I was never super into it like some theater kids, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and wanted to put on a good show, so that fueled me to give it my all. Now, I did take it seriously because when I do something, I do it to the best of my ability because I don’t like to do a mediocre or average job, but I never took it as seriously as what some might think of when they picture your stereotypical “theater kid”. I certainly had my moments, but it was truly only in the spirit of doing something cool and fun, not because I envisioned going to college and making a career out of theater and music. I live in Iowa for god’s sake! That sort of thing was always a huge long shot, so I never really considered doing it to the extent I am now.

Now, flash forward to college at Iowa State, and yet again, I found myself yearning for an extracurricular to occupy the free time I had outside of my studies. Once again, I found myself back in the theater department auditioning for ten-minute plays and one act plays the directing students would direct for their final semester projects. I was cast in a play that ended up going to KCACTF (Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival), where I won some puppetry awards on the main stage for my role as Achilles in “Iphigenia” by Euripides. After I won those awards, I started to get an idea that maybe I was at least alright at this acting thing, and that maybe it would be cool to try and work in some commercials and such as a side gig. I was in college, so I definitely could use the extra cash, so what did I have to lose? Therefore, I submitted to the talent agency in Des Moines, The Peak Agency, and have been represented by them since 2019. I have really only gotten commercials and industrial video gigs from them, but that was a huge reason why I connected with people who would eventually cast me in their creative projects outside of their professional lives as filmmakers.

After I graduated college, I found myself working as a landscaper in Ames as a private contractor so I could keep my schedule flexible for acting gigs that would occasionally arrive. That’s when a classmate of mine who was in Iphigenia with me posted onto her story that she was doing the local 48 Hour Horror Film Festival in Des Moines, and that thoroughly piqued my interest so I reached out to offer my help however she needed it, and she asked if I wanted to act in it, which I immediately said yes to. To cut a long story short, that 48 Hour Film won Best In City and catapulted me into the narrative film world in Des Moines. People slowly began to reach out to me out of nowhere after seeing my 48 film to help them with their projects, and that continued all the way up to this very day. This year has been absolutely surreal and totally bonkers, to my utter disbelief and elation, but I’ll get to that.

Now, things have been really picking up for me these past couple years especially. About two years ago, I received a very rare, narrative/creative audition from my agent at the Peak Agency (I say rare because the auditions I get from him are primarily commercial and industrial video auditions). It was a national audition to boot, which was really cool to get from my agent. This audition was for a kid’s show named Blippi, which I hadn’t the faintest idea what that was, but it seemed really fun. It was a kids show that advertised adventure and curiosity, exploration and excitement, and that was all I needed to hear. I submitted my audition and expected to never hear from them again, as it was a national call and I’m just some chump from Iowa, so the chances were astronomically slim that I would make it anywhere past the initial call. That being said, to my shock, a month later, I got a callback! It was so cool to get that email and I was giddy to get my audition out, so I did it as quickly as I could. However, I again had a feeling that I would never hear back from them, since again, this was a national audition and I am just some random dude from nowhere Iowa. Yet again I was proven wrong… and again… and again… and before I knew it, I was doing a two week intensive learning the character of Blippi in preparation for the official role. From my first audition to when I signed my contract was about a year-and-a-half, so it was a long and fantastically fun walk, but I eventually signed. I still can’t believe it and I am not sure I will ever get used to it. I had to wait about six months from when I signed onto the show to talk about it publicly, but once I went live in November, I have had an overwhelmingly positive reception. Sure, there are some haters, but I grew up in the age of the internet, so I knew what was coming and loved the creativity and passion behind some of the hate comments. I genuinely get a kick out of them and find them unendingly fascinating. All that aside, I have gotten to do some absolutely incredible activities like going to Monster Jam and standing in the arena and going to a Formula 1 race in Austin, Texas. There are so many other amazing things I’ve been able to do in my short time as Blippi, and I am so excited to see what comes in this new year.

Due to my hard work over the past few years, I have been able to help out on many different projects, but this year I have been stepping into the role of “producer” behind the camera. Becoming a producer has been such an amazing way for me to unintentionally discover just how much I’ve learned about how to run a smooth set and to assist in making interesting creative choices that enhance and streamline the filmmaking process. I did many leadership-oriented activities growing up (Student Council, NHS, leadership seminars and camps, etc.), so pairing that experience with my knowledge of acting and how a set flows helped me truly thrive in a leadership position behind the camera. That has been a recent delight that has gotten me incredibly interested in directing and producing even more. I am hoping to become well known, not just for my diverse acting skills, but also for my leadership behind the camera and for my creative style.

To close all of this off, the one thing I want people to understand about my situation, is firstly, that I do this because it’s fun. Secondarily, I do it because I love making cool and interesting content. I love telling compelling stories and showcasing those stories in interesting, compelling, and visually stunning ways. I have so much fun piecing together that puzzle that it makes me never want to stop creating. I love collaborating with my friends on fascinating projects and I love that we all do it for the love of the craft, not to make it big or make tons of money. That mentality of “making cool things because it’s fun” is the only reason I have found success in this market. I feel like people are too easily bogged down with the idea that they are only successful if they “make it big” and become a household name, but as soon as you resign to that standard, you’ve already set yourself back, in my opinion. If you put positivity and love for the craft out into the world, you are much more likely to be rewarded for your hard work. Along with that, you take so much pressure off yourself and can truly live in the moment and just create fantastic work. I realize that my stance on “just doing it because it is fun” is fairly privileged, but I truly think it is necessary to have a healthy outlook on your creative endeavors. That even extends beyond the film industry and is applicable to any facet of life. Now, there are exceptions to that, of course. I mean, we all gotta eat and pay our bills, but as far as extracurriculars and other various side endeavors, why would you do them if you didn’t enjoy them? That is not any way to enjoy your free time, so doing those side projects with the full intention of just having a good time will not only be rewarding for yourself, but will enhance your chances of finding success in those creative endeavors and extracurriculars.

There is just so much I had to leave out for brevity’s sake, but I cannot thank the people who have been alongside me and trusted me to work in their films throughout my short career in the film world. I am absolutely itching to see what we can all create next and I can’t wait to take them along with me on the fantastic ride that I am currently on. I have several projects coming up and I hope y’all stay tuned to see what comes from our hard work and collaboration. For now, check out my new Alien fan film called, “Alien: Lost Transmission” on YouTube and my work on a concept piece for the Blade Runner franchise called, “Do Androids Dream”, which is also on YouTube.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

As an actor, there are several qualities, skills, and areas of knowledge that are equally important, so it’s really tough to choose. I will do my best to distill my thoughts into something that people wanting to get into acting can utilize.

Firstly, I think communictation is a massively important skill to have. Whether you’re on set or networking, having the ability to effectively communicate with potential clients, directors, producers, writers, scene partners, you name it, is absolutely imperative. Acting is about communicating the thoughts, feelings, and actions of a specific character in a way that is realistic, nuanced, and genuine to the audience. One would have a very tough time communicating these things if they struggle with communication in general. I talked extensively on some ways/qualities that can help you hone your communication skills, so refer to that section for some insight into what you can do to boost that skill in a controlled and healthy environment.

Secondly, I think abandoning one’s ego is essential to the acting process. There are a select few people who haven’t done that and can get work because they are insanely talented, but those few actors are also notorious for their bad attitudes and touchy temperaments when they are working. Who wants to work with a person like that, even if they are brilliant? Not me! Not only that, but it is very difficult to give notes to an actor who thinks that their choices are the best ones and the only ones that should be made. An actor’s vision is important, but if your director wants you to take it a different way, you must be able to abandon your thoughts of superiority and I-know-bests in order to satisfy the people who hired you. Plus, you never know, maybe that way ends up working way better for the scene. Plays, musicals, operas, skits, movies, cartoons; all of them are collaborations. If an actor cannot abandon their ego in the pursuit of collaboration, then that actor will have a tough time having any fun or taking any pride in the work they create with people.

Finally, just have fun. Acting is all about playing, so play! Throw yourself into a role and abandon the stresses of your life. Sure, you may be playing a character who is also stressed, but that isn’t yours, it’s theirs! If you go into a shoot with the mindset of just having fun, you’ll very quickly abandon your self-consciousness and fears of doing a poor job. I am of the firm belief that you were hired because they know you can do the job, so now just enjoy it. Take in the moments where you get to have fun conversations with so many diverse people and see some incredible sets. Have fun letting go and diving fully into tense or exciting moments when the camera is rolling or when the curtain opens. Just. Have. Fun. If you do that, you’ll already be setting yourself up to do some incredible work devoid of any stress and worries that you may have had about your performance. And hey, if it doesn’t go well for whatever reason, then at least you can look back on it and say, “well, at least I was having a blast”.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

I’m going to be very vulnerable right now and mention a trilogy that is immensely impactful on me for various reasons beyond even my acting career. It’s not some self-help book, profound poem, or glorious guidebook.

It’s “The Lord of the Rings”.

Those books have taught me so many important lessons. From what positive masculinity is, to how to tell a compelling story, these books showcase a life that I strive to live and wish for everyone to live. One of peace, discovery, relief, adventure, friendship, kindness, courage, and selflessness. The following quote is massively famous, and for good reason, it speaks to many of those very qualities:

“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost…”

The poem goes on to reference more book-specific circumstances, but this first half is what is important.

“All that is gold does not glitter”- Things that are precious and beautiful may not outwardly present themselves as such, yet hold just as much value as a thing that is typically deemed as such. In essence, do not judge a book by its cover.
“Not all those who wander are lost”- Sometimes, what may seem as fruitless and futile to one, may be worthwhile and exciting to another. People have their reasons for doing things, and that is a wonderful thing that we don’t need to understand, but appreciate.
“The old that is strong does not wither”- Things that are steadfast in their beliefs and values are not swayed easily. Strength lies in the longevity of the values that we hold dear. Especially ones that are positive and uplifting. Not only that, but when you conquer trials and grow beyond them, you also grow stronger in your sense of self and purpose, further fortifying yourself for any future trials and tribulations.
“Deep roots are not reached by the frost”- This goes hand in hand with the previous line. If you are strong and steadfast in your sense of self and have tested those aspects against the trials of life, when the frost of future struggle comes once again, your core cannot be shaken and upheaved by the stress of that chill. You can remain tall and strong, old and beautiful, steadfast and proud.

These quotes are geared towards the morals and values of a character called Aragorn, who is kind, loyal, mighty, caring, spry, and adventurous. Those qualities are the ones that are especially amplified by the words of this poem. They are qualities that I strive for every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.benjaminmayeractor.com
• Instagram: @benthemayer