About
During his 20+ year career in the entertainment industry Ben Russell has made himself a reputation as a dynamic and unique comic talent. While living in Chicago Ben graduated The Second City conservatory and iO improv. He was a part of the iO Harold team Thunder Road and worked with various other theaters including The Annoyance Theater.
Ben performs stand up and improv all around Australia including recently winning the Director’s Choice award for his stand-up show Ben Russell at the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Other highlights include touring to The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and early on in his career, opening for Martin Short during the Australian leg of his tour.
His TV credits include Aunty Donna’s Coffee Cafe, The Weekly, Home Alone Together and Aaron Chen Tonight (as performer, head writer and showrunner) on ABC, True Story with Hamish and Andy on Nine, Time to Die and Thank God You’re Here on Channel 10. Ben also starred in the primetime sketch comedy show We Interrupt this Broadcast on Seven.
He’s also appeared on The Letdown and Aunty Donna’s Big Ol'‘ House of Fun on Netflix. His screen credits include the recent Australian comedy Emu Wars as the lead villain.
Ben is a frequent collaborator with Aunty Donna appearing regularly in their hugely popular online sketches and podcast.
His short series Hug the Sun can be seen on YouTube channel Grouse House and was nominated for best Comedy webseries and won a WA Screen Actor for Best Innovation in Online Webseries.
His show Ultimate Hollywood Tours won the Moosehead award for the 2023 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and his debut show The Tokyo Hotel was nominated for Best Independent show and was adapted into a radioplay series for ABC radio.