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Born and raised in the heart of New York City, BEN LYONS has been surrounded by the world of entertainment his entire life. He has fully immersed himself in every aspect of the business, from hosting to acting, to producing, writing and consulting.
The Grandson of legendary NY Post columnist Leonard Lyons, and the son of WNBC Film Critic Jeffrey Lyons, Ben's unique childhood has greatly influenced the man he is today. He is also comfortable in the presence of some of the world's most artistic and influential people, from actor Steve Martin, to Beat Box artist Rahzell.
After spending summers interning at places like Duck Down Records, Def Jam/Roc-A-Fella Records, and The William Morris Agency (where he is now a client), and writing for YRB magazine, Ben started his own production company in 2002 called, Ruff Sketch, which currently has several film and tv projects in active development. He began producing segments for the nationally syndicated show, Hip Hop Nation, seen in over 100 markets across North America.
After producing segments featuring the likes of Dave Chappelle, Derek Jeter, Ice Cube, and Russell Simmons, Ben went on to produce several noteworthy music videos that garnered much publicity and critical success. The first was for Rich Maye, a Harvard student at the time, that MTV-U selected as the best college hip hop video of 2003. He continued to work with artists like Bone Thugs N Harmony, Wordsworth, Tony Touch, and Black Moon, and has seen his work featured on I-Tunes, BET, and MTV2. Various celebrities and musicians have made cameos in videos produced by Ben including John Leguizamo, Mos Def, Gilbert Gottfried, and DMC of Run DMC fame.
Ben made the transition from producing to hosting when he was asked by MTV to Co-Host Your Movie Show in the fall of 2004. For MTV, Ben interviewed Will Smith, Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, and Vincent "Big Pussy" Pastore of Sopranos fame.
As a Co-Host of The Breckenridge Festival of Film and The Director of Industry Relations, Ben has hosted events with Jon Favreau, Connie Nielsen, and leading executives and independent filmmakers. The festival is now in its 26th year.
Inspired by the creative energy surrounding the film festival scene, Ben appeared in the film Blue Boy, produced by his company Ruff Sketch. The film went on to receive awards at the Palm Beach, Houston, NYU, and Esquire Magazine festivals.
In the summer of 2005, Ben served as a consultant for the 20th annual Impact! Super Summit, an Urban-Business Conference held in New York City. He put together panels and events with sponsors X-Box, GMC, Brand Jordan, and Paramount Pictures.
He frequently appears on MSNBC's At The Movies, and and is NBC's west coast correspondent for REEL TALK. He remains a die-hard NY Knicks fan despite his move to the West Coast.
The Grandson of legendary NY Post columnist Leonard Lyons, and the son of WNBC Film Critic Jeffrey Lyons, Ben's unique childhood has greatly influenced the man he is today. He is also comfortable in the presence of some of the world's most artistic and influential people, from actor Steve Martin, to Beat Box artist Rahzell.
After spending summers interning at places like Duck Down Records, Def Jam/Roc-A-Fella Records, and The William Morris Agency (where he is now a client), and writing for YRB magazine, Ben started his own production company in 2002 called, Ruff Sketch, which currently has several film and tv projects in active development. He began producing segments for the nationally syndicated show, Hip Hop Nation, seen in over 100 markets across North America.
After producing segments featuring the likes of Dave Chappelle, Derek Jeter, Ice Cube, and Russell Simmons, Ben went on to produce several noteworthy music videos that garnered much publicity and critical success. The first was for Rich Maye, a Harvard student at the time, that MTV-U selected as the best college hip hop video of 2003. He continued to work with artists like Bone Thugs N Harmony, Wordsworth, Tony Touch, and Black Moon, and has seen his work featured on I-Tunes, BET, and MTV2. Various celebrities and musicians have made cameos in videos produced by Ben including John Leguizamo, Mos Def, Gilbert Gottfried, and DMC of Run DMC fame.
Ben made the transition from producing to hosting when he was asked by MTV to Co-Host Your Movie Show in the fall of 2004. For MTV, Ben interviewed Will Smith, Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, and Vincent "Big Pussy" Pastore of Sopranos fame.
As a Co-Host of The Breckenridge Festival of Film and The Director of Industry Relations, Ben has hosted events with Jon Favreau, Connie Nielsen, and leading executives and independent filmmakers. The festival is now in its 26th year.
Inspired by the creative energy surrounding the film festival scene, Ben appeared in the film Blue Boy, produced by his company Ruff Sketch. The film went on to receive awards at the Palm Beach, Houston, NYU, and Esquire Magazine festivals.
In the summer of 2005, Ben served as a consultant for the 20th annual Impact! Super Summit, an Urban-Business Conference held in New York City. He put together panels and events with sponsors X-Box, GMC, Brand Jordan, and Paramount Pictures.
He frequently appears on MSNBC's At The Movies, and and is NBC's west coast correspondent for REEL TALK. He remains a die-hard NY Knicks fan despite his move to the West Coast.
