Pop-Culturalist.com

Ben Levin has quickly emerged as one of Hollywood’s most dynamic storytellers. Whether he’s releasing music under his artist name Grasshapa or starring in projects like Time After Time, Ben’s purpose as an artist has always been to bring authenticity and integrity to his work.

He’s best known for his breakout role in the CW’s Legacies, where he captivated audiences with his nuanced performance as Jed, a werewolf coming to terms with his traumatic upbringing.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Ben about his experience working on Legacies, his plans to write a script about his mixed identity, and his upcoming sophomore album. Plus, he talks about his exciting new role in Season 3 of Kung Fu.

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts and storytelling?
Ben: I was born and raised in New York City. I grew up on the Upper West Side. From an early age, my parents encouraged the arts. I was always into drawing and singing. Eventually, my brother and I both did this program called TADA! Youth Theater in New York City. That was really my foray into acting. That was a nonprofit youth theater company that did original musicals. I probably did seven to ten musicals with them when I was a little kid. That’s how I got bit by the bug.

At about twelve years old, I started auditioning. Growing up in New York was what made that possible. There was never this stage-mom pressure situation. My parents were always like, “Have fun with it. Don’t ever let this make you crazy.” I’ve really tried to carry that with me throughout my career.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Ben: That goes back to my training from TADA! That led me to a performing arts high school called LaGuardia. I credit almost everything to that school as well. It was intense training in high school. That was a free program, which was incredible. LaGuardia led me to NYU where I got my BFA in drama. All of those things led to this nice, slow burn of deepening the work. The Meisner technique is what I studied at NYU.

PC: In addition to being an actor, you’re also a musician. How has that medium impacted the work that you’ve done on screen and vice versa?
Ben: Music has been a passion project. Grasshapa is my artist name because I’m half Asian and I’ve been training in the Kung Fu style. Music has been a way to combat the chaos and arbitrariness that is the audition process. I’m able to control the music. It’s a lot easier to write a two to three-minute song than it is to write an episode or film script. Music has always come really naturally. I’m looking at my ukulele right here. I play guitar and ukulele. I’m a singer. It started with indie folk music. It evolved into what I call a lo-fi rap project. My producer Dave Pizzimenti and I are gearing up to release my sophomore album.

I’m going to, with all my might, push this one out harder than I did with my first album. I’m going to be shooting some content for it. I’m really proud of this batch of songs. We’re sitting on about twelve songs right now. My bucket list goal is to write a screenplay for myself that deals with my identity and what a lot of people deal with when you don’t belong in any exact group. That’s part of what Grasshapa is. That’s a big goal though. That’s something that I really want to express to you: that I definitely plan on writing something that will tackle my mixed identity. That’s something that I know will happen. I want to speak it into existence.

PC: Speaking of identity, this industry has made slow progress towards greater representation and diversity on screen. When did you start noticing that shift? Why do you think it’s taken so long?
Ben: That’s a great question. I played a vaguely Latino character named Gabriel Caras on a soap opera called As the World Turns fifteen years ago, where I had to roll my Rs when I said my name. We’ve come a long way since then because now I wouldn’t even audition for something that was written to be Latino. I don’t know why it’s taken so long. I do have a real vendetta when it comes to Asian representation. It means a lot to see integrity being brought to these breakdowns and the content that we’re seeing right now.

It’s been a slow burn. I remember auditioning for so many characters that I wasn’t right for growing up. I recently turned down an audition that was written to be explicitly Japanese. It wouldn’t have been fitting. Whereas back in the day, I would’ve jumped at the chance to play any Asian character. I’m on a mission to bring as much integrity and dignity as I can to what I portray on screen. I don’t know why it’s taken so long, but it should have happened a long time ago.

PC: You’ve had a breakout moment with Legacies, and that was your first role as a series regular. What do you remember most from that experience? What did you learn about yourself and your craft that you’re going to apply to future projects?
Ben: The sheer fact that I did so many episodes and had such an evolving arc. There are a lot of takeaways. Getting to spend that much time on a show and a character is what Malcolm Gladwell says about putting in the time. Without knowing it, you’re naturally building up your skills. Despite the supernaturalness and the widely changing arc of my character, I learned to make sure to always bring it back to my true experience and my Meisner work, which is really grounded in living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.

Those circumstances were very imaginary. In the end, with the werewolf curse that I was dealing with, I was able to really particularize that and draw parallels to certain experiences and buried traumas in my own life. That was a fun challenge. Brett [Matthews] and Julie [Plec], the creators, did a great job teasing out Jed’s storyline. I loved where it went and ended. It was extremely meaningful to me. I wouldn’t have taken that storyline on had it not been organically written. It’s something that they had broached with me years before with a different character. I was game then, but the fact that it ended up happening with Zane Phillips was a great thing for me.

PC: Your character has had such an incredible journey over your tenure with this show as he breaks down his walls and deals with his trauma. You handle that with so much nuance. As an actor, how do you create the space for yourself to dive into those more emotional arcs?
Ben: I lost my beloved grandmother at the very beginning of COVID. I infused as much as I could into that traumatic backstory. Jed was dealing with a toxic male father figure. I tapped into that feeling of loss that I felt at the beginning of the pandemic. That was something that was key for me in keeping it feeling honest. But at the same time, it comes down to your scene partner.

You never know when you’re going to shoot your biggest moment. It could be three o’clock in the morning or when you least expect it. You have to pull the different tricks out of your hat. Sometimes it was a matter of getting myself worked up physically because that may create the feelings I need for the scene. I also have songs that I can put on if I need to feel loss, fear, or disappointment, which is part of Jed’s final journey. It’s always a grab bag because you never know what it’s going to be that unlocks that piece inside of you. I like to work pretty openly and try different things. It’s a combination of all the different experiences and the training that I have had in my life.

PC: Like you were saying earlier, your character is a part of a groundbreaking moment and relationship within the Vampire Diaries and Legacies history. What has it meant to be a part of a storyline and project that’s pushing these inclusive storylines forward? What was it like getting to collaborate with Zane as you brought that to life?
Ben: One of the greatest things about Legacies is how inclusive it was. It was such a diverse cast. They really leaned into that in the writers’ room. It meant a lot to me to play an Asian character. I was able to contribute to my character’s last name which was Tien, which is my mom’s maiden name.

At first, Brett wanted it to be my late grandmother’s last name which was Wong, but that did not get cleared for some reason. We went with my mother’s maiden name. Seeing how my mother beamed at that idea is what it’s all about for me. Getting to play this dynamic Asian character who has a love story is so special and important.

We need to see a lot more of that. In the past, I remember auditioning for characters that were either sexless or two-dimensional. Getting to play Jed as he’s coming to terms with his bisexuality, which he repressed for so long, was so rich and fun to work on. I have family members who are queer and gay. I knew that I had to do this in a responsible way. It would have been great to see more storylines like this growing up. I was honored to portray that on camera and getting to work with Zane was the icing on the cake.

I don’t think we would have done it if it was something that wasn’t authentic. He was incredible to work with. Right off the bat, we connected. We really worked through our scenes, especially the last one. We rehearsed that the day before. When it came to the actual day, we really inserted our own thoughts into the scene, which made it a lot more intimate. That puts the cap on why I loved working with Zane. It was the fact that we were able to be so collaborative and connected.

PC: Fans have really gravitated towards this relationship. What has it been like for you to get to see the response through social media?
Ben: It was my first time being on a show that was this popular, and I loved it. The fans have been so kind and so excited. When I get DMs where fans say, “As a queer Asian American, seeing your storyline has meant so much to me,” that really makes the whole thing worthwhile. I only see love online. It might be the algorithms. [laughs] But I’m not seeing negativity or hate. I know that exists out there, but I only want to fan the flames of love and inclusivity. In my real life, I don’t stand for bullying, which is what makes the Jed storyline so interesting. It started with this extreme, violent bullying behavior. Then we learn over time that it’s from his traumatic past. I’ve been really touched by the fan base, and I have so much love for the VD universe.

PC: Fans were devastated to learn that Legacies wasn’t going to be picked up for another season. If you could share parting words with the fans and your character, what would it be?
Ben: I speak for the whole cast when I say we were deeply honored that the fans stood with us. I see the love on social media where people are clamoring to keep it going. It means the world to us. We were braced for the possibility that we weren’t going to be picked up, but I don’t think anyone really thought that was going to happen. I know that the network being sold resulted in a big chaotic shakeup, but the fans were so loving, supportive, and on our side, especially with the Ben/Jed storyline.

I’m going to keep embracing that community. It’s so special to me. To have a show that’s connecting with people and making people feel accepted is beautiful. Jed and Ben were about to have a pretty powerful Season 5. I know that I’ve heard that through the grapevine. It’s unfortunate, but I hope I get the chance to work with Zane again.

PC: What’s next for you?
Ben: I have a heavy, recurring role on Kung Fu, which is amazing because Olivia Liang and I have been good friends since I met her on Legacies. I was actually just chatting with the showrunners about this character. It’s going to be a really fun part. I’m psyched because it also relates to my music. I got the name Grasshapa from the ’70s Kung Fu. That’s what’s ahead for me!

I’m so excited for it. I actually tested for the Henry role two years ago. I believe I was extremely close. To get to come back to this show now is going to be really fun. The fact that it’s a primarily Asian cast is so meaningful to me. It’s emotional and beautiful. I’m so glad that it worked out! I can’t wait to do it.

To keep up with Ben, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Photo Credit: Damari Butler