Ben Marshall (comedian)
American comedian, writer and actor (born 1995)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ben Marshall (born May 1, 1995) is an American comedian, writer and actor. He is best known for his work with the comedy trio Please Don't Destroy, particularly for its shorts created for Saturday Night Live. He joined SNL as a writer in 2021 before becoming a full-time cast member in 2025.
- Actor
- comedian
- writer
Ben Marshall | |
|---|---|
Marshall in 2025 | |
| Born | May 1, 1995 Savannah, Georgia, U.S. |
| Education | New York University (BFA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)[1] |
Early life
Marshall was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, where he attended Savannah Arts Academy, a public high school for the performing and visual arts.[2][3] He earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2017.[4] At NYU, he was involved in the Hammerkatz sketch comedy and Astor Place Riots stand-up comedy groups.[3] Prior to SNL, he worked as an after-school counselor at the 14th Street YMHA while pursuing comedy.[5]
Career
Marshall co-founded the comedy group Please Don't Destroy in 2017 alongside John Higgins and Martin Herlihy while the three were students at New York University.[6] The troupe performed monthly comedy shows and appeared at the 2018 New York Comedy Festival.[7] They also produced sketch videos posted on YouTube and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, began creating short-form videos for TikTok and Twitter.[8]
In 2021, the trio was hired as writers for the 47th season of Saturday Night Live (SNL) to produce prerecorded sketch videos.[9] Please Don't Destroy debuted on SNL on October 9, 2021, with the sketch Hard Seltzer.[10] In 2023, the group did a 26-date live comedy tour of the United States.[11] The same year, they wrote and starred in Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain, a comedy film that follows three friends as they search for hidden treasure.[12]
In June 2025, Marshall joined the cast of the Kevin Hart-led Netflix comedy film 72 Hours, which is set to be released in the summer of 2026.[13] He later guest-starred in an episode of season two of Poker Face.[14] On September 2, 2025, Marshall was announced as a new featured player on SNL, promoted from writer/short maker to full-time cast member.[15]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain | Ben | Also co-writer |
| 2026 | 72 Hours | TBA | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | Lipstick model | Episode: "Drew Barrymore/ Tom Brokaw/Parquet Courts[16] |
| Personal Business | Ben | 8 episodes; Also, writer | |
| Above Average Presents | Groomsman/ Ben/ Scott Mulcher | 5 episodes; Also, writer | |
| 2021 | The Basics | Huge Jacked Man 2 | Episode: "Finale" |
| 2021–present | Saturday Night Live | Himself, various characters | Writer, appeared in Please Don't Destroy sketches (2021–2025); cast member (2025–present) |
| 2025 | Abolish Everything | Himself | Panelist[4] |
| Poker Face | Rusty | Episode: "The Taste of Human Blood" |
