Like many working professionals, Ben Rawnsley has a home office. But instead of paperwork piled high on his desk, Rawnsley has award-nominated DVD copies of movies that aren’t even released yet, sent directly to him by the Screen Actors Guild. And on his wall are pictures of movie stars, autographed to him. Even more impressive, the wall features pictures of him with some of Hollywood’s brightest.
Truthfully, Rawnsley himself could be considered a star. One Google search yields hundreds of results, including an impressive IMDb filmography, where he appears in 23 titles, including movies starring Tom Hanks and Tom Selleck. And not even all of his appearances are listed on the IMDb site.
Despite his success, Rawnsley wasn’t always an actor. He was working in TV sales in Ohio, while his friend, Bob Smith, was working as a model in Chicago. Eventually, Smith talked Rawnsley into doing a shoot — an advertisement for the company that owned Yellow Pages in southern Ohio. He didn’t get paid, but the shoot piqued his interest in modeling.
After the shoot, Rawnsley flipped through magazines to see work by other models.
“I saw dads, I saw farmers, (and) I thought, ‘I could do this,’” Rawnsley said.
Rawnsley had caught the acting bug. He did local commercials for department stores in Dayton. Then, he set his eyes on a bigger city. Rawnsley and his wife, Jayne, moved to Chicago, where he got an agent.
Rawnsley had amazing beginner’s luck. In industry terms, he just had the look. He landed national spots, including McDonalds, several beer companies and Oscar Meyer commercials.
Chicago allowed Rawnsley to become a working actor. But when Jayne was offered a transfer to Los Angeles with her real estate management company, the two jumped at the opportunity.
Los Angeles is where Rawnsley was able to shine. TV shows and movies paid better than commercials, and he was getting roles in both. Rawnsley has played everything from a detective to a butcher.
In 1986, he landed a minor role as one of the advertising representatives alongside Tom Hanks in “Nothing in Common,” directed by Garry Marshall. Rawnsley was in a softball league with Marshall.
“I said, ‘Gary, here’s my résumé. I’ll never bother you again,’” Rawnsley said.
Marshall must have appreciated Rawnsley’s frankness. He asked Rawnsley to read for the part. While on the movie, Rawnsley played poker with Hanks. They called it “Extras Poker.”
“He’s like a buddy you’ve known your whole life,” Rawnsley said. “A very easy guy to work with.”
Rawnsley also worked with Madonna on the film, “Who’s that Girl.” During a break, he sat next to her for lunch.
“She was talking and everyone was laughing at what she was saying,” Rawnsley said. “She turned to me and said, ‘Isn’t it funny how everything I say is funny?’”
Rawnsley’s filmography also includes “Continental Divide” and “An Innocent Man,” and he worked on several TV shows, including the “Young and the Restless” and “Golden Girls.”
To this day, Rawnsley still receives residual checks when an episode airs. He also gets phone calls from friends saying they saw him on the “Golden Girls” as Dr. Jerry.
“It’s still fun to get a call from time to time,” Jayne said.
Rawnsley and Jayne moved to Plant City to be between Orlando and Tampa for gigs, but he no longer acts. Instead, he works on his video business, producing wedding videos, commercials and even a documentary on the strawberry season.
“You don’t work a day in your life if you love what you do,” Jayne said.