Here at Fangirlish we have major love for Shadow and Bone star Ben Barnes. Today, August 20th, marks his fortieth birthday, so we wanted to do something to celebrate it, which is why we put together a list of some of our favorite things about Ben Barnes.
So, let’s dive into it!
The Way He Reads A Story
We just love the way Ben Barnes reads a story whether he’s narrating an audiobook or just reading on camera for us. Ben’s lovely accent is so soothing and when we listen to him read, it feels like he’s wrapping us up in a warm blanket.
What we love even more about his reading is the way he does character voices. Whatever he narrates, he puts his all into and his acting chops definitely come in handy. I personally am very picky about the audiobooks I listen to, but if Ben Barnes was narrating them I would buy every single one. Seriously, I need Ben Barnes to narrate at least one of the romance books I own.
Last year with COVID-19 hitting us, everything sucked. Nobody felt motivated, and we were all depressed. Ben Barnes was one of the people who helped us get out of that funk if only by reading us a three-minute bedtime story for Disney. The story he read was based on the character Robin Hood and we must say, Ben did a fine job. We cracked a lot of smiles as he read Prince John’s voice. It didn’t matter if you were an adult or a child, this story was delightful coming from Ben.
That Fan Appreciation Video
One thing we can all agree on is that Ben Barnes loves his fans. He interacts with them on his social media accounts; mainly Instagram, he posts fan art and as we have told you before, he has an entire highlight dedicated to it. Come on, how many celebrities have you seen dedicate one of their own highlights to fans?
When Ben reached 1M followers on Instagram he made the sweetest, most heartwarming video we have ever seen. He looked straight into the camera, and it felt just like he was having a conversation with all of us. It made each and every one of us feel seen in a way some celebrities honestly haven’t done. Ben remembers that us fans are people, and that it feels nice when our favorites recognize we exist.
If you’re ever having a bad day, I highly recommend re-watching that video because it will brighten your day.
That Post That Reminded Us All To Wear A Damn Mask!
Ben has never shied away from doing the right thing and that’s something we adore about him. During the height of the pandemic, he reminded us to keep those masks on. We know it sucks to have our faces covered up all the time, but Ben participating in a photoshoot to remind us of the importance speaks to his character. He wants us all to be safe.
And hey, if a shirtless Ben is telling us to keep our damn masks on, you better believe we’re gonna do it.
The Way His Singing Got Us Through 2020
We’ve already told you about Ben singing and how much we love it. With rumors that he’s planning to announce his own album, we’ve been reminded of just how much he got us through last year with his singing. We all had a lot of unexpected free time and Ben used that to grace us with his voice by posting multiple covers of some classic songs. He even did a few duets. This cover of Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway’s song ‘Where is the love’ he did with singer Anoushka Lucas is one of our favorites.
The Way He Appreciates Nature/The Outdoors
It’s obvious how much Ben loves the nature and being outdoors. Whether it’s mountain peaks or the ocean, he loves it all. Whenever he goes on an adventure, he never hesitates to share some beautiful shots with us. Each photo he posts makes us wish we were there experiencing what he experienced. He makes us want to explore new places and just take the time to be present in the moment.
How About That!
Just in case you needed a reminder, Ben Barnes is very funny. He’s always had a great sense of humor, and we love him for it. He’s not afraid to be silly or poke fun at himself. His humor is another thing that also got us through last year when one of Ben’s friends created a fun quarantine news program, and Ben had a special segment called ‘How About That!’
In ‘How About That!,’ Ben would spout off the most random factoids. What made it so funny was that he did every segment with such a straight face. Each clip was just a few seconds long, but they gave us enough laughs to forget about what was happening in the outside world.
So, Happy Birthday, Ben! We hope it’s a good one!
Tell us what you love about him in the comments.