Benny Safdie

It's Me, Margaret (2023), Oppenheimer (2023) and Happy Gilmore 2 (2025). In 2026, he voiced Bowser Jr. In The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and portrayed Agamemnon in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.

• Name — Benny Safdie • Birth Name — Benjamin Safdie • Born — 24 February 1986 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Education — Boston University (BS) • Occupation — * Film director • producer • screenwriter • film editor • actor • Children — 2 • Relatives — * Josh Safdie (brother) • Moshe Safdie (great-uncle) • Oren Safdie (first cousin once removed) • Dov Charney (first cousin once removed) • Years Active — 2007–present

Safdie's parents are Amy and Alberto Safdie. He is of Syrian Jewish descent on his father's side, and Ashkenazi Jewish descent on his mother's side. He was raised in New York. When their parents divorced, he and elder brother Josh divided their time between their father in Queens and their mother and stepfather in Manhattan. He attended Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School and graduated from the Boston University College of Communication in 2008.

In 2017, Safdie began taking on performances not directed by himself or Josh, appearing in a role in the film Person to Person. In 2020, he appeared in Pieces of a Woman, and in 2021 he took on a significant supporting role in the Paul Thomas Anderson film Licorice Pizza. In 2022, Safdie appeared in Claire Denis' romantic thriller Stars at Noon, and as Nari in the Disney+ miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi. In 2023, he starred in the film adaptation Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., and appears as Edward Teller in Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan. In 2025, he appeared in Happy Gilmore 2, and reunited with Nolan to play King Agamemnon in The Odyssey in 2026. He played the voice of Bowser Jr. in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Safdie is Jewish. His father was born in Italy and raised in France, and is of Sephardic-Jewish and Syrian-Jewish descent. His mother is of Russian-Jewish descent. His great uncle is architect Moshe Safdie. His cousins once removed are playwright Oren Safdie and entrepreneur Dov Charney. He is married to Ava Safdie (Rawski), with whom he has two sons.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes — Ref. • 2016 — Togetherness — Craddock Brother #2 — Episode: "Advanced Pretend" • 2022 — Obi-Wan Kenobi — Nari — Episode: "Part I" • 2023–2024 — The Curse — Dougie Schecter — Main role, also co-creator, writer, executive producer and editor

• Illustration — Safdie the 2025 Venice Film Festival

• Award — Date of ceremony — Category — Recipient(s) — Result — Ref. References • Venice International Film Festival — September 6, 2025 — Golden Lion — Benny Safdie • Silver Lion • Stockholm International Film Festival — November 16, 2025 — Stockholm Visionary Award

Benny Safdie is recorded as actor, screenwriter and director.

• Year — Title — Director — Writer — Editor — Producer — Collaboration with Josh — Notes • 2008 — The Pleasure of Being Robbed • 2009 — Daddy Longlegs • 2013 — Lenny Cooke • 2014 — Heaven Knows What • 2017 — Good Time • 2019 — Uncut Gems • 2022 — Funny Pages • 2025 — The Smashing Machine • 2026 — Public Access • 2026 — Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall • TBA — Lizard Music

• Year — Title — Role — Director — Notes — Ref. • 2017 — Person to Person — Eugene — Dustin Guy Defa • Good Time — Nick Nikas — Safdie brothers • 2020 — Pieces of a Woman — Chris — Kornél Mundruczó • 2021 — Licorice Pizza — Joel Wachs — Paul Thomas Anderson • 2022 — Stars at Noon — CIA Man — Claire Denis • 2023 — Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. — Herb Simon — Kelly Fremon Craig • Oppenheimer — Edward Teller — Christopher Nolan • 2025 — Happy Gilmore 2 — Frank Manatee — Kyle Newacheck • 2026 — The Super Mario Galaxy Movie — Bowser Jr. — Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic — Voice • The Odyssey — Agamemnon — Christopher Nolan