In February of this year, Ben was interviewed by Las Vegas Review-Journal movie and TV critic, Christopher Lawrence, about Ben’s hopes to inspire with charity movie premieres for Vegas Voices, a weekly series featuring notable Las Vegans. Below is an excerpt from that interview.
You moved to Vegas in 2002, and your first break was working in “Star Trek: The Experience.” What was that like?
At the time, “The Klingon Encounter” was going on, so the actors would play multiple roles, from Star Fleet to the janitor. … We were just living our dreams, being paid actors. That was my first real job as a paid actor.
What came next?
Through a good period of, I would say, seven or eight years after “Star Trek” — of being an usher for Blue Man Group, “Phantom of the Opera,” The Beatles’ “Love” — I was never living my potential. I got the chance to still be, in a way, slightly part of the experience, to see these amazing shows. But every one of those shows, I always had that desire and dream of wanting to be on stage.
How did it feel to finally act on the Strip, when “Evil Dead: The Musical” moved from community theater to Planet Hollywood?
That was a huge dream come true for me, after all those years being an usher on the Strip in these big spectacles, to take a local theater show and believe that it had the possibility of making it.
Getting to know: Ben Stobber
Favorite movie?
“Ben-Hur. It’s the classic epitome of an epic that we really don’t see so much anymore in Hollywood — a film that has scope and romance and drama and faith and humor and action. … A close second place would be Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid.’ ”
Favorite thing about living in Las Vegas?
“There’s always something to do every hour of the day, whether you are going to see a movie or go hiking up at Red Rock or bowling at 2 or 3 a.m. and getting a burger and hitting up some slot machines.”
The last show you attended?
“‘Masters of Illusions’ at Bally’s has five incredibly talented magicians with a lot of great energy and variety. There are so many acts that I’d never seen before that just took my breath away.”
TV show you’re currently obsessed with?
“‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ on Amazon Prime is funny, so witty and cleverly written.”
Collections?
“My entire house is a museum of collectibles … Disney snowglobes and movie posters.”
You can read the entire interview in the original article from The Las Vegas Review-Journal here: https://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/movies/las-vegas-actor-hopes-to-inspire-with-charity-movie-premieres/
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