Benito Skinner (born November 3, 1993) is an American comedian and actor. He is known for his online persona Benny Drama, and performs celebrity impressions, skits, and original characters on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
Benito Skinner | |
|---|---|
 Skinner in 2024 | |
| Born | November 3, 1993 Boise, Idaho, US |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University |
| Occupation | Comedian |
| Known for | Benny Drama |
Early life and education
editSkinner was born and raised in Boise, Idaho, and attended Bishop Kelly High School. While a senior in high school, Skinner founded the nonprofit OATHS, which stands for Organization Assisting the Homeless Student, and was recognized at the 2011 National Philanthropy Day Idaho.[1] He also played on Bishop Kelly's football team as a wide receiver.[2]
Some of his early comedic inspirations were Robin Williams in his role as Mrs. Doubtfire, and SpongeBob SquarePants. While he would perform renditions of Britney Spears and Destiny's Child songs for his family, he has discussed repressing some of his early proclivities toward performance and comedy due to bullying and homophobic comments.[3]
He went on to attend Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he studied acting, English, and film and media studies. In college, Skinner began experimenting with performance in the form of recorded lip syncs and other videos. He had created the @BennyDrama7 Instagram account in high school – with the "7" referencing his football jersey number – but only began to post comedic videos while in college.[4][3]
While at Georgetown, Skinner was also the co-creator and host of BEAT$, a weekly campus radio show known for its pop music stylings.[5]
Career
editAfter graduating, Skinner worked as a video editor while continuing to create online content. In 2016, Skinner made his social media accounts public, and this early work developed into comedy videos on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.[6][3] He is known for his celebrity impressions such as Shawn Mendes, Lana Del Rey, and Kourtney Kardashian, as well as for original characters such as Jenni the Hairdresser. He has described his work as fully rooted in pop culture.[2]
In 2018, he performed his debut show "Overcompensating" at Carolines on Broadway to a sold-out audience at the New York Comedy Festival.[7] He hosted the pop culture podcast Obsessed with Mary Beth Barone on Spotify for one season and 50 episodes.[8][9] Skinner and Barone launched a new pop culture podcast, Ride, in 2023.[10]
In 2024, Skinner starred in Chelsea Peretti's first feature First Time Female Director.[10]
Skinner will star, executive produce, and write in the series Overcompensating for Amazon Prime Video.[11]
Personal life
editSkinner is gay, and came out in his senior year of college. He has been in a relationship with director and photographer Terrence O'Connor since 2016. They reside in Los Angeles, California. They are known for their elaborate and carefully constructed annual couples' Halloween costumes.[12]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Hitbox | Scooter | Episode: "Climax" |
| 2021 | Search Party | Nate | Episode: "Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig" |
| 2021–22 | Ziwe | Kim Kardashian / Willet | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | Queer as Folk | Jack Cole Jordan | 4 episodes |
| 2022 | The Kardashians | Himself | Episode: "Bucket List Goals" |
| 2023 | First Time Female Director | Rudy | |
| 2024 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Salesman | Episode: "The Lawn Jockey" |
| TBA | Overcompensating | Benny | Also writer and executive producer |
References
edit- ^ Huff, Jeanne (October 26, 2011). "Idaho philanthropy heroes lauded at event, in publication | Idaho Business Review". Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ a b "BennyDrama Owns the Internet". PAPER. April 3, 2019. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ a b c "'I never want to get too mean': Benito Skinner on his savage viral parodies". the Guardian. December 5, 2020. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ "BennyDrama Owns the Internet". PAPER. April 3, 2019. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ "Instagram Star Benito Skinner Loves To Laugh At Himself, But Says Coming Out Is No Joke". Elite Daily. December 27, 2018. Archived from the original on June 12, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ Valentine, Claire (September 23, 2020). "Benny Drama Loves His Characters As Much As You Do". Nylon. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ tsq_sasha (March 12, 2019). "Benito Skinner: Overcompensating at Carolines". www.timessquarenyc.org. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ "How this comedian who impersonates the Kardashians got Kris Jenner to be in one of his videos: 'She's down'". www.yahoo.com. April 29, 2021. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ "Obsessed". Spotify. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ a b Grobar, Matt (June 12, 2023). "'First Time Female Director's Benito Skinner Signs With Range". Deadline. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (February 27, 2024). "Amazon Orders Benito Skinner Comedy 'Overcompensating' to Series". Variety. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
- ^ "Benny Drama and Terry O'Connor on the Perfect Halloween Costume". Interview Magazine. October 31, 2021. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2022.