Over here at Fangirlish we loooooooove us some Ben Barnes. I mean what’s not to love? He is handsome, has great hair, an accent that makes us melt in the best way, and one of the kindest hearts we’ve ever seen. On top of all that, he can act his British ass off!
If you haven’t heard, Ben has been cast in the role of General Kirigan, AKA “The Darkling” commander of the second army in the upcoming Netflix series Shadow and Bone based on the Grishaverse novels by Leigh Bardugo. I personally had not heard of these books, but it seems the twitterverse, specifically Ben Barnes fans who are familiar with this series, feel he is the perfect choice.
Ben is a great actor and he has an ability to fully transform himself in any role he plays. I have complete faith that he is going to be great in this as well. After hearing the casting news, it got me thinking about some of my favorite Ben Barnes roles.
You know what that means? You guessed it, it’s time for a list!
These are a few of my favorite Ben Barnes TV and film roles.
Bigga Than Ben – Cobakka
In Bigga Than Ben, Ben plays one of two young Russian guys who come to London with the hopes of getting a better life full of opportunity. Reality quickly sets in for them when they realize Londoners aren’t too keen on having foreigners in their country and they face rejection at every turn. Eventually they turn to illegal activities in order to make a living which helps them at first, but as most things go, everything falls apart.
I love Ben in this film because not only did he have to speak with a Russian accent, he also had to learn the language in order to communicate with his co star Andrei Chadov, who only spoke Russian. They had great chemistry on screen, and it was really believable that the two of them were long time friends.
Dorian Gray – Dorian Gray
Ahh, Dorian Gray. Where my love for Ben began, thanks to my sister. I’m not even kidding about this. My sister was a fan of Ben before me and she would literally watch Dorian Gray almost every single day. I would see it in bits and pieces until one day I sat and watched it the entire way through and I loved it.
Ben, in the title role of Dorian Gray, is a sight to behold. He is the embodiment of Dorian Gray, talk about perfect casting with that one. Ben’s ability to go from an innocent, naive young man to a narcissistic lothario was enjoyable to watch. I particularly loved his scenes with Colin Firth.
Locked In – Josh
In Locked In, Ben’s character Josh is driving with his wife and daughter, when they get into a car accident. His daughter slips into a coma, which the doctor labels “Locked In Syndrome.” Josh is struggling with this while trying to figure out what happened, and what led to the crash. He begins to suspect that the woman he cheated on his wife with (played by Eliza Dushku), is behind it.
I really can’t say too much more without giving things away, but I highly recommend watching this movie.
Locked In is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
The Words – Young Man
Although he didn’t have a huge role in this film, the scenes with Ben as the “young Man” in the flashbacks were some of my favorites. His part is pretty significant, being as he is playing the role of the man who wrote the story that Bradley Cooper’s character Rory stole from.
Ben has a knack for portraying broken characters. He can make you smile one minute and then have you crying your eyes out right after that.
The Words is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Jackie & Ryan – Ryan
This particular Ben Barnes film will always have a special place in my heart because this is how my sister and I were able to finally meet him. Back in April of 2015, we attended the Newport Beach Film Festival where this movie was shown.
In Jackie & Ryan, Ben plays a train hopper working to become a successful musician. After he helps newly single mother Jackie, played by Katherine Heigl, she invites him into her home and they begin a relationship that changes both of their lives, but in a good way. I enjoyed this film, but one of my favorite things about it was getting to watch Ben play the guitar and sing. I didn’t even know he could sing until I watched Jackie & Ryan.
Jackie & Ryan is available to stream on VUDU, Tubi TV, and Amazon Prime Video.
By The Gun – Nick Tortano
This movie right here! So many emotions! Seriously, such a good film. Ben plays Nick a young Boston Italian man who wants to follow in the footsteps of his mafia family. He slowly realizes it entails more than he was prepared for. In the midst of all this, he falls in love with the daughter of an enemy, played by Leighton Meester, and she makes him rethink everything about his life.
By The Gun is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Sons of Liberty – Sam Adams
I put this one on the list because it’s just another example of how much range Ben has as an actor. This was a limited series that aired on the History channel, and it was the story of how Sam Adams, John Adams, Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Dr. Joseph Warren came together to develop the United States Declaration of Independence.
I’m not ashamed to admit that had it not been for Ben being in this and playing one of the main characters, I probably wouldn’t have watched. I’m glad I did though because it was actually really good.
Sons Of Liberty is available to stream on the History channel, and Amazon Prime Video.
The Punisher – Billy Russo
I cannot even begin to express how much I loved Ben in The Punisher. He was incredible in season one, but in season two he was PHENOMENAL! If there was ever a doubt in anyone’s mind about Bens acting capabilities, I think this put them to rest.
Bens transformation from a sexy, mysterious, conniving, manipulator in season one to a broken, man suffering from a severe TBI and dealing with some major PTSD in season two, was captivating to watch. I could not take my eyes off the screen whenever he was in a scene. You could really see his emotions take over in season two. One minute he would be calm and quiet, then it was like a switch would go off and his whole demeanor changed.
This scene with Billy and his ex lover Agent Madani is one of my favorites.
Season one and two of The Punisher are available to stream on Netflix.
Are you a Ben Barnes fan? Which of his roles is your favorite? Tell us in the comments below!