Sir Ben Kingsley was actually born Krishna Bhanji, his father of Indian descent and his mother of Russian Jewish origin. He was born and raised in England, studying stage acting at an early age. Kingsley’s mixed ethnic background would later provide legitimacy for the many diverse roles (Gandhi, for one), but Ben originally planned on becoming part of the British Invasion as a musician; yet, his devotion to acting began a highly regarded and respected career in which he can absorb any part given him.
The majority of Ben’s work was on British television, appearing in recurring roles in shows and many TV movies. It was Richard Attenborough, the esteemed British actor and director, who pulled Ben out of near obscurity to take on “Gandhi” in 1982. Totally immersing himself in the role, Ben delivered a tour-de-force performance and snagged the Oscar for Best Actor. For the rest of the decade, Ben busied himself with features, but nothing came as close to the grandeur of “Gandhi.” That is, until Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List.” As Oskar Schindler’s go-to guy Stern, much of the film’s moral and emotional center was placed on Ben’s shoulders – and much of the movie’s success is due to his quiet but strong performance.
As he aged, it seemed Ben Kingsley only got better. His status in parts grew, such as playing Moses on TV, and he often jumped back and forth between comedy and drama. Another powerhouse part was as badass Don Logan in “Sexy Beast” in 2000, followed by Anne Frank’s father, and then as Behrani in “House of Sand and Fog,” culminating in 2004 with “Thunderbirds.” Talk about versatility. He’s keeping especially busy as of late, sometimes producing his own work but always game to play a fun villain, a man with humility, or one of history’s great figures. Ben Kingsley is all of these things.
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Badass Bracket – Don Logan
In 2007, we created a Badass Bracket for 32 of the most badass characters from the movies and TV that we could think of. It was pretty hard narrowing it down to that number, and Don Logan made the cut as a #15 seed. But then he ran into badass Ripley in round one.
Here’s the Badass Bracket profile for Don Logan:
Sir Ben Kingsley, “Sexy Beast“
What happens when you say “no” to a guy like Don Logan? Well, he’ll convince you otherwise, whether it’s by charming you with his undeniable class (“I gotta change my shirt, it’s sticking to me. I’m sweating like a cunt.”), or threatening you in front of your friends. He’ll show up unannounced, piss on your favorite carpet, insult your wife, and not even think twice about, but just utter his name in the presence of company and you’ll experience a wave of terror unlike you’ve ever seen before. His vocabulary is, to state the obvious, colorful, and his dedication to the job is unrivaled, if only because we’ve never seen someone rattle off 25-straight “no”s in a single rant with such fervor. In other words, he’s fucking crazy, and you’d be wise to steer clear.Definitive badass moment: After being told to put out his cigarette by an airplane stewardess, Don kindly refuses, suggesting that they either 1) wait until he’s finished before they take off, 2) allow him to cut off another passenger’s hands to use as an ashtray, or 3) let him put out the cigarette in said passenger’s eyeball.
Classic badass line: “What do you think this is, the “Wheel of Fortune”? You think you can make your dough and fuck off? Leave the table? ‘Thanks Don, see you Don, off to sunny Spain now Don, fuck off Don.’ Lying in your pool like a fat blob laughing at me, you think I’m gonna have that? You really think I’m gonna have that, ya ponce? All right, I’ll make it easy for you. God knows you’re fucking trying. Are you gonna do the job? It’s not a difficult question, are you gonna do the job, yes or no?”
Seed: #15
Occupation: Mobster
Strengths: The mere mention of his name makes even the toughest men wet their pants
Weaknesses: His words are his only weapon
Ben on the Screen
He started as Peter on the Brit show “Orlando” in 1966, and his first big screen part came six years later in “Fear is the Key,” thus beginning a decade long work in television before “Gandhi” brought him worldwide attention in 1982. He’s Dr. Watson to Michael Caine’s Sherlock Holmes in “Without a Clue” in 1988, Meyer Lansky in “Bugsy,” and Cosmo in “Sneakers.” 1993 showed Kingsley could do just about anything: he’s in the comedy “Dave” with Kevin Kline, Bruce Pandolfini in “Searching for Bobby Fischer,” and Itzhak Stern in “Schindler’s List.” He’s Sweeney Todd in 1997, Graydon in Mike Nichols’ “What Planet Are You From?,” and Don Logan in “Sexy Beast.” He narrates “A.I.” for Spielberg in 2001, is part of “Suspect Zero,” “Lucky Number Slevin,” “A Sound of Thunder,” “BloodRayne,” and Merlin in “The Last Legion.”
Ben Says
On his profession:
“I am – hello! – an actor, an entertainer, a song-and-dance man. I can do anything.”
On his great wish:
“I would like to make it known loud and clear that I would absolutely embrace with all five of my arms being a Bond villain.”
On talking craft:
“There’s so much crap talked about acting.”