'Hey Dude, It's Ben Curtis!' - A visit with one of the stars of Off-Broadway's JOY (BroadwayWorld.com)

"Tee hee! We both have such smooth skin!"

"After two years of being the personification of Dell computers, Ben Curtis was arrested on the corner of Ludlow and Rivington Streets in New York City for possession of marijuana. On February 10, 2003, an undercover cop spotted him making a small purchase from a known dealer. 'It ended my relationship with them. I didn't get arrested on purpose and they didn't want to let me go, but it was a company policy and I respect that. I'm not proud of what happened, but it was definitely important in my learning processes. I was a college-aged kid experimenting with drugs--which can be both good and bad. It turned out to be one of the greatest learning lessons I've had. My recollection of going to jail keeps me from ever wanting to go back I was in custody for eighteen hours and handcuffed to a wheelchair in the Bellevue Psychiatric Ward because I was on medication and that was the only place I could get it. Certainly it was very degrading but everything is a learning experience which I can use it in my acting. At that point I was on a downward spiral, so the arrest helped me to go back to school and really re-think my life. Hopefully my fans have forgiven me.'

Since that incident, Curtis has been auditioning for roles in both film and theater. It's a little known fact that he auditioned for Richard Greenburg's TAKE ME OUT and came very close to being cast as Shane Mungitt, the role that was ultimately played by Frederick Weller. 'I just looked too young when standing next to the other actors, so they went with someone else.' He also filmed an independent movie called RACCOON which should be going into distribution this fall. He has appeared in THE INDIAN WANTS THE BRONX at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and it was there that he met his current girlfriend." (more)