Ben Ahlers

Ahlers was born on August 17, 1996,^[1][2] in Fort Dodge, Iowa. He began singing and acting in community theatre from 6-years old, landing his first role as an orphan in a local production of Oliver!.^[3] After graduating as valedictorian from Fort Dodge Senior High School, he attended the University of Michigan, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre.^[3]

In 2017, Ahlers starred in the short film Anna Garcia Does a One Woman Play. He then landed a small role on the NBC drama The Village, his first appearance on network television.^[3] In 2020, he starred in the Quibi miniseries When the Streetlights Go On, playing the main role of Brad Kirchoff.^[4][5][6] He also briefly appeared in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina playing Lucas Hunt, a love interest of the main character.^[7]

In 2022, Ahlers was cast on the HBO series The Gilded Age, playing the role of footman and clockmaker John "Jack" Trotter.^[8] Beginning as a recurring role, he was promoted to a series regular in the second season.^{[9][10][11][12]} In preparation of the show's second season, Ahlers took watch-making classes with the Horological Society of New York.^[13][14]

In 2025, Ahlers was cast in the second season of HBO series The Last of Us as Burton, a loyal soldier of the Seattle rebel militia group Washington Liberation Front (WLF).^[15] Introduced during a flashback as a naïve rookie serving the government, he is recruited to the WLF by Jeffrey Wright's Isaac.^[16][17]

In May 2025, Ahlers played the titular role in John Wilkes Booth: One Night Only!, a stage show from Mad Men screenwriter Matthew Weiner that premiered at Baltimore's Center Stage.^[18][19]

In a July 2025 announcement, he was cast in Little Brother, an upcoming comedy film on Netflix.^[20] That December, it was announced that he would appear in Death of a Salesman in the Broadway revival being led by Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf.^[21]

Ahlers grew up Catholic, but is no longer a practicing Christian.^[22]

Due to his The Gilded Age character's clock-making arc, Ahlers has been widely nicknamed "Clock Twink" by fans online, which he has embraced.^[23][24][25] Following the show, he retained an interest in clock-making, and began collecting vintage watches. He has remained involved with the Horological Society, attending their 2024 gala,^[26] and serving as co-chair of the Society's 2026 gala, alongside watchmakers Danièla Dufour (daughter of Philippe Dufour) and Roger W. Smith.^[14]

Outside of acting, Ahlers enjoys yoga and meditation;^[27] he worked as a personal trainer before his acting career became sustainable.^[12]

He is a fan of directors Sean Baker, Chloé Zhao, Sam Mendes and Yorgos Lanthimos,^[28] and says his favorite author is David Foster Wallace.^[27]

• List of American actors
• List of people from Iowa
• List of University of Michigan alumni