Photography by TERRENCE O’CONNOR

BENITO SKINNER

Comedian, Writer, and Producer

The comedian, otherwise known as Benny Drama, comes to Prime Video next month as the writer and producer of "Overcompensating", his new series about a closeted jock.

WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? Marissa Cooper dying in The O.C.

WHAT’S ONE BOOK, WORK OF ART, OR FILM THAT GOT YOU THROUGH AN IMPORTANT MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE? Frank Ocean’s Tumblr letter got me through that gay phase where you fall in love with a straight man… really scary.

WHO DO YOU CALL THE MOST? God, I call Mary Beth Barone 30 times a day—usually from the tub. She’s seen my dick on FaceTime once a week for five years. That’s family.

“Marissa Cooper dying in "The O.C."”

WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE, WHAT WERE YOU KNOWN FOR? Performing “Oops! … I Did it Again” anytime we had people over to my house. I didn’t take requests.

WHAT’S COMING UP FOR YOU IN 2025? My TV show Overcompensating is coming out on little miss Prime Video! I’ve been working on it for about five years now, so it feels so surreal that it’s finally happening. I’m gonna throw up!

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SURPRISED YOURSELF IN YOUR PRACTICE? When I was writing Overcompensating, I never thought about having to actually perform the scenes. I just wanted them to be as truthful, funny, or devastating as possible. Then I would show up on set, read the sides, and be like, Damn, Benny. Why the fuck did you do this to us?

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