Benito Skinner

{{Infobox person

| name = Benito Skinner

| image = Benito Skinner.webp

| caption = Skinner in 2024

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1993|11|03}}

| birth_place = Boise, Idaho, US

| alma_mater = Georgetown University

| occupation = Comedian

| known_for = Benny Drama

}}

Benito Skinner (born November 3, 1993) is an American comedian and actor. He is known for his online persona Benny Drama, and performs celebrity impressions, skits, and original characters on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

Early life and education

Skinner was born and raised in Boise, Idaho, and attended Bishop Kelly High School. His father is Anglo-American and his mother is Mexican. While a senior in high school, Skinner founded the nonprofit OATHS, which stands for Organization Assisting the Homeless Student, and was recognized at the 2011 National Philanthropy Day Idaho.{{Cite web |last=Huff |first=Jeanne |date=October 26, 2011 |title=Idaho philanthropy heroes lauded at event, in publication {{!}} Idaho Business Review |url=https://idahobusinessreview.com/2011/10/26/idaho-philanthropy-heroes-lauded-at-event-in-publication/ |access-date=May 20, 2022 |language=en-US |archive-date=June 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629141034/https://idahobusinessreview.com/2011/10/26/idaho-philanthropy-heroes-lauded-at-event-in-publication/ |url-status=live }} He also played on Bishop Kelly's football team as a wide receiver.{{Cite web |date=April 3, 2019 |title=BennyDrama Owns the Internet |url=https://www.papermag.com/bennydrama-interview-2633387698.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1?rebelltitem=1 |access-date=May 20, 2022 |website=PAPER |language=en |archive-date=May 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520051359/https://www.papermag.com/bennydrama-interview-2633387698.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1?rebelltitem=1 |url-status=live }}

Some of his early comedic inspirations were Robin Williams in his role as Mrs. Doubtfire, and SpongeBob SquarePants. While he would perform renditions of Britney Spears and Destiny's Child songs for his family, he has discussed repressing some of his early proclivities toward performance and comedy due to bullying and homophobic comments.{{Cite web |date=December 5, 2020 |title='I never want to get too mean': Benito Skinner on his savage viral parodies |url=http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/dec/05/benito-skinner-comedy-viral--benny-drama-grimes-kardashians |access-date=May 20, 2022 |website=the Guardian |language=en |archive-date=May 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520054736/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/dec/05/benito-skinner-comedy-viral--benny-drama-grimes-kardashians |url-status=live }}

He went on to attend Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he studied acting, English, and film and media studies. In college, Skinner began experimenting with performance in the form of recorded lip syncs and other videos. He had created the @BennyDrama7 Instagram account in high school – with the "7" referencing his football jersey number – but only began to post comedic videos while in college.{{Cite web |date=April 3, 2019 |title=BennyDrama Owns the Internet |url=https://www.papermag.com/bennydrama-interview-2633387698.html?rebelltitem=20#rebelltitem20?rebelltitem=20 |access-date=May 20, 2022 |website=PAPER |language=en |archive-date=May 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520051400/https://www.papermag.com/bennydrama-interview-2633387698.html?rebelltitem=20#rebelltitem20?rebelltitem=20 |url-status=live }}

While at Georgetown, Skinner was also the co-creator and host of BEAT$, a weekly campus radio show known for its pop music stylings.{{Cite web |title=Instagram Star Benito Skinner Loves To Laugh At Himself, But Says Coming Out Is No Joke |url=https://www.elitedaily.com/p/benito-skinner-shares-how-coming-out-through-comedy-allowed-him-to-explore-his-most-authentic-self-13207224 |access-date=May 20, 2022 |website=Elite Daily |date=December 27, 2018 |language=en |archive-date=June 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612152557/https://www.elitedaily.com/p/benito-skinner-shares-how-coming-out-through-comedy-allowed-him-to-explore-his-most-authentic-self-13207224 |url-status=live }}

Career

After graduating, Skinner worked as a video editor while continuing to create online content. In 2016, Skinner made his social media accounts public, and this early work developed into comedy videos on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.{{Cite web |last=Valentine |first=Claire |title=Benny Drama Loves His Characters As Much As You Do |url=https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/benny-drama-faces-of-fall-interview |access-date=May 20, 2022 |website=Nylon |date=September 23, 2020 |language=en |archive-date=May 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520051400/https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/benny-drama-faces-of-fall-interview |url-status=live }} He is known for his celebrity impressions such as Shawn Mendes, Lana Del Rey, and Kourtney Kardashian, as well as for original characters such as Jenni the Hairdresser. He has described his work as fully rooted in pop culture.

In 2018, he performed his debut show "Overcompensating" at Carolines on Broadway to a sold-out audience at the New York Comedy Festival.{{Cite web |last=tsq_sasha |date=March 12, 2019 |title=Benito Skinner: Overcompensating at Carolines |url=https://www.timessquarenyc.org/whats-happening/benito-skinner-overcompensating |access-date=May 20, 2022 |website=www.timessquarenyc.org |language=en |archive-date=September 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921043732/https://www.timessquarenyc.org/whats-happening/benito-skinner-overcompensating |url-status=live }} He hosted the pop culture podcast Obsessed with Mary Beth Barone on Spotify for one season and 50 episodes.{{Cite web |title=How this comedian who impersonates the Kardashians got Kris Jenner to be in one of his videos: 'She's down' |url=https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/comedians-benito-skinner-mary-beth-161447270.html |access-date=May 20, 2022 |website=www.yahoo.com |date=April 29, 2021 |language=en-US |archive-date=May 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520054720/https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/comedians-benito-skinner-mary-beth-161447270.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Obsessed |url=https://open.spotify.com/show/0eJAIXFpqSfOhO01Puwq9G |access-date=May 20, 2022 |website=Spotify |language=en |archive-date=May 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520054744/https://open.spotify.com/show/0eJAIXFpqSfOhO01Puwq9G |url-status=live }} Skinner and Barone launched a new pop culture podcast, Ride, in 2023.{{Cite web |last=Grobar |first=Matt |date=2023-06-12 |title='First Time Female Director's Benito Skinner Signs With Range |url=https://deadline.com/2023/06/benito-skinner-first-time-female-director-range-media-partners-1235414548/ |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}

In 2024, Skinner starred in Chelsea Peretti's first feature First Time Female Director.

Skinner will star, executive produce, and write in the series Overcompensating for Amazon Prime Video.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/amazon-benito-skinner-comedy-series-overcompensating-1235923943/|title=Amazon Orders Benito Skinner Comedy 'Overcompensating' to Series|website=Variety|first=Joe|last=Otterson|date=February 27, 2024|access-date=October 2, 2024}}

Personal life

Skinner is gay, and came out in his senior year of college. He has been in a relationship with director and photographer Terrence O'Connor since 2016. They reside in Los Angeles, California. They are known for their elaborate and carefully constructed annual couples' Halloween costumes.{{Cite web |date=October 31, 2021 |title=Benny Drama and Terry O'Connor on the Perfect Halloween Costume |url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/benny-drama-and-terry-oconnor-on-how-to-make-the-perfect-couples-halloween-costume |access-date=May 20, 2022 |website=Interview Magazine |language=en-US |archive-date=November 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101172256/https://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/benny-drama-and-terry-oconnor-on-how-to-make-the-perfect-couples-halloween-costume |url-status=live }}