Quick Facts
Biography
Benjamin Frederick "Ben" Mankiewicz (born March 25, 1967) is an American television personality. He is a host on Turner Classic Movies and has been a commentator on The Young Turks and What the Flick?!
Early life
Mankiewicz was born in Washington, D.C. He is the son of Holly (née Jolley) and Frank Mankiewicz, the cousin of the screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz, grandson of screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, and great-nephew of screenwriter, producer, and director Joseph L. Mankiewicz. He is the brother of NBC News reporter Josh Mankiewicz. His cousin is filmmaker/television producer Nick Davis.
He attended Georgetown Day High School, Tufts University, and Columbia University.
Career
Mankiewicz began his career as a reporter and an anchor for WCSC-TV (a CBS affiliate) in Charleston, South Carolina. He joined WAMI in Miami, Florida in 1998, where he served as anchor of The Times, a daily news magazine show and the station’s highlight program.
Mankiewicz is currently a host of Turner Classic Movies. When he made his debut on TCM in September 2003, he became only the second host hired in the network’s history.
As a film critic, Mankiewicz co-hosted the nationally syndicated television series At the Movies from 2008-2009 and currently co-hosts the on-line film review show What the Flick?! on The Young Turks Network.
He is a regular commentator on the progressive YouTube talk show The Young Turks, which he co-founded with Cenk Uygur, and hosts TYT Sports and What the Flick?!, two spinoff shows on The Young Turks Network.
Mankiewicz has made cameo appearances in the Lifetime television movie The Bling Ring (2011) and the action film White House Down (2013).
