BEN SCHWARTZ

Name & Birth Details

Full Name: Benjamin Joseph Schwartz
Date of Birth: September 15, 1981
Place of Birth: The Bronx, New York City, USA 

Age & Family Background

As of June 2025, Ben Schwartz is 43 years old.
Born to a Jewish family in Riverdale (The Bronx), he is the son of a former social worker turned real estate agent (father) and a music teacher (mother). He has a sister named Marni. At age 11, his family moved to Edgemont in Westchester County .

Education & Early Interests

• Graduated from Edgemont Junior-Senior High School in 1999, where he was active in basketball and chorus .

• Earned a B.A. in Psychology and Anthropology from Union College in 2003 .

Career Beginning & Improv Roots

• Launched his career in 2006, training at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and joining the improv group “Hot Sauce” alongside Adam Pally and Gil Ozeri .

• Worked as a studio page for Late Show with David Letterman, and contributed writerly input to Friday Night Live and Robot Chicken.

• Created and starred in online sketch series like Terrible Decisions (HBO) and Jake and Amir (CollegeHumor) .

Breakthrough TV Roles

• Gained attention playing the eccentric Jean‑Ralphio Saperstein in Parks and Recreation (22 episodes, 2010–2015) .

• Starred as Clyde Oberholt in Showtime’s House of Lies across 58 episodes (2012–2016) .

Voice‑Acting & Iconic Characters

• Voices include:

  • Randy Cunningham in Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja 

  • Dewey Duck in DuckTales (2017–2021) 

  • Leonardo in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 

  • Sonic the Hedgehog in Paramount’s Sonic film series and spin-offs

Additionally, he served as a voice consultant in Star Wars: The Force Awakens for the BB‑8 droid alongside Bill Hader .

Recent Television & Streaming Projects

• Co‑starred in Netflix’s Space Force (2020–2022) as F. Tony Scarapiducci.

• Co-created and headlined Middleditch & Schwartz (2020), a 3‑part long‑form improv series on Netflix.

• Starred in Apple TV+’s The Afterparty as Yasper Lennov (main role in Season 1, guest in Season 2); his character’s unexpected murder reveal showcased his dramatic range.

Notable Film Roles

• Appeared in major films such as The Other Guys, Transformers: Age of Extinction, The Walk, and Flora & Ulysses .

• Played a New Orleans gangster, Teddy Lobo, opposite Nicolas Cage in Renfield (2023), recalling it fondly as "an absolute joy" to perform with Cage in stunts .

• Continues voicing Sonic in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) and the short A Very Sonic Christmas .

Awards & Creative Ventures

• Earned a Primetime Emmy in 2009 for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics (co-wrote the opening number for the Academy Awards) .

• His creative portfolio extends to writing books (with Amanda McCall and Laura Moses) and directing TV specials like The Earliest Show (2016) .

Improv, Podcasts & Hosting

• A regular guest on podcasts including Comedy Bang! Bang!, Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend, and If I Were You, often performing in the Olympic Song Challenge on Comedy Bang! Bang! .

• Created and starred in The Earliest Show, an improvised fake morning show series on Funny or Die .

Summary

Ben Schwartz is a dynamic entertainer whose career spans acting, voice work, writing, improvisational comedy, and directing. From breakout roles like Jean‑Ralphio to voicing fan‑favorite characters like Sonic and Dewey, he continues to impress with versatility and creativity. At 43, he remains a vibrant and multifaceted presence in entertainment.