Center Stage with Ben Ahlers

My first imdb credit is myself!

Lights, camera, action! This week, Tim sits down with an up-and-coming lead on the screen and stage from Fort Dodge, IA. Ben Ahlers is a star of a new Quibi show When the Streetlights Go On. At 23 years old, Ahlers has already played many different roles, including one on the NBC series The Village - and some upcoming shows yet to be released. Tim and Ben talk about how preparing for roles is like competing on the field and how Ben’s background as an athlete has impacted his career as an actor.

They would drive across country and always stop at Tom Thumb in Fort Dodge

Ben Ahlers grew up in Fort Dodge playing about every sport he could get involved with. Playing baseball, football, swimming, basketball, tennis, and track helped shape him as a competitor and person. After high school, Ahlers went to the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater, and Dance which is one of the most prestigious programs in the country. He shares that his experiences were very different than many of his peers at Michigan who had always focused on acting or dance. After a few years in the program, Ahlers got an opportunity to go out to New York and start his career. His athletic background has contributed to his career already as he plays basketball on screen in the recently released When the Streetlights Go On and as a baseball player in the to-be-released Walkoff. 

Frontal nudity, you’ll do it?

Ben Ahlers takes Tim through his career as an actor and the various opportunities he has had and how he compares playing a role on a set with being part of a team. The way that he prepares himself, gets into a mindset, and even the nerves before a show debuts are all reminiscent of competing on the court or field. The physical demands of performing on the stage, the mental tax, the routine, and the toll that performing night after night takes on him are all similar to a full-time athlete. As Ahlers tries to continue to climb in his career, he always wants to be at the top of his game.

Ben Ahlers has already had some big credits to his name to go along with When the Streetlights Go On which was just released on the new platform Quibi.