Ben Ashenden (born ) is a British-Irish actor, comedian and screenwriter. He is half of the duo The Pin, with Alexander Owen. Together they co-wrote and starred in Deep Cover to critical acclaim. As an actor, he is best known for his appearances in Black Mirror, Stath Lets Flats and Jurassic World Dominion.
Early life Ashenden was born in He went to the Haberdashers' Aske's School for Boys
Career Ashenden met his double-act colleague, Alexander Owen, at the University of Cambridge. They co-wrote/performed (with Joey Batey, Joe Bannister, Mark Fiddaman and Simon Haines) the sketch show ‘Good Clean Men’. Ashenden and Owen then performed with the Cambridge Footlights, as part of the first troupe to tour America, in a show directed by Liam Williams and Daran Johnson.
Upon graduation the pair took their sketch act, The Pin, to the Edinburgh Fringe. Their recent show from August 2018, The Pin: Backstage, was described by The Guardian as “one of Edinburgh’s most dazzling comedy shows”, and is now in development with Sonia Friedman Productions.
They made four series for BBC Radio 4, picking up nominations at the 2017 Writers' Guild Awards. and Radio Academy Awards, and winning the BBC Radio Award for Best Comedy.
As an actor, his film credits include Bridget Jones's Baby, Sulphur and White, and Horrible Histories: The Movie. His TV credits include Avenue 5 (HBO), The English Game (Netflix), W1A (BBC One), Stath Lets Flats (C4), Brotherhood (Comedy Central), Plebs (ITV2) and Sky Christmas special, Cinderella: After Ever After. In 2019 he also appeared in a Rina Sawayama music video "STFU!", playing her obnoxious date in the introductory sequence.
As a writer, he co-created the animated series Oi, Leonardo! for BBC Three, and has written for BBC One shows Walliams and Friend and Tracey Ullman's Show, BBC Three's Famalam, and Showtime’s Who is America?
In 2020 The Pin released “The Special Relationship” an 8-part series on Audible, co-starring Fred Armisen, Cecily Strong, Jamie Demetriou, Lolly Adefope and Kate Berlant. It largely repurposes sketches from their Radio 4 show within the context of a fictionalised attempt to break into the New York comedy scene.
In early 2025, he featured in Black Mirror, episode 2, season 7: "Bête Noire".
In 2025 it was announced by the BBC that he and Alexander Owen had been commissioned to write Bill's Included, a BBC One sitcom series starring Rob Brydon, with Babycow productions producing.
In September 2025, it was announced that Ashenden would portray DC Ethan Cole in the second series of BBC detective series Ludwig.
Filmography Film Year Film RoleNotes 2014 Morning Has Broken Waiter TV film 2016 Bridget Jones's Baby Pierce2019 Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans Messenger After Ever After Pongo TV film 2020 Sulphur and White Sean 2022 The Bubble Tip, the MoCap Guy Jurassic World Dominion Tyler What's Love Got to Do with It? Sam2024Seize Them!Penda the rebel2025Deep CoverDI Dawes2026WickerThe Baker2027The Entertainment System Is DownEdward MorrisonUpcoming role
Television Year Title RoleNotes 2013 BBC Comedy Feeds Episode: "Kerry" 2014 Siblings Michael Episode: "Balcombe's Funeral"2015 Drunk History Drunk Storyteller Episode: "The Krays/Guy Fawkes" Brotherhood Dan Series regular2016 Halloween Comedy Shorts Nick Episode: "Jamie Demetriou's Horror: Oh God" Crazyhead Luke Episode: "Penguin or Cow?" 2016-17 Witless PC Colin Naysmith 2 episodes2017 Henry IX Damian 3 episodes Coconut James 4 episodes W1A Assistant Floor Manager 1 episode2017-18 Tracey Breaks the News Various 3 episodes Tracey Ullman's Show Various Series regular2018 Oi Leonardo Various Mini-series Sick Note Officer Errol Episode: "Operation Thunderbolt" 2018-19 Stath Lets Flats Tristan 2 episodes 2019 Plebs Posh Man Episode: "The New Flat"2020 Avenue 5 Rick 2 episodes The English Game Cattermole 1 episode2021 Breeders Teaching Assistant Episode: "No Surrender" Petrichor Stuart 1 episode 2021-23 Ghosts Captain of the Guards 2 episodes2022 Deep Heat Mike Episode: "The 'Tour'" Ten Percent Estate Agent 1 episode Ellie & Natasia Various 3 episodes 1899 Darrel 3 episodes2023 A Whole Lifetime with Jamie Demetriou Fred TV special Intelligence Chris Dibbs Episode: "A Special Agent Special" Hijack Adam Recurring role; 5 episodes2025Black MirrorNickEpisode: "Bête Noire"Here We Go writer of 1 episode 2026LudwigDC Ethan ColeUpcoming role
Stage Year Title Role Venue Notes2009 Wind in the Willows Badger Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe Good Clean Men Writer/Performer/Director Corpus Playroom, Cambridge Barry! Pull Your Finger Out! Hugo udderBELLY, Edinburgh as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves Amara ADC Theatre, Cambridge2010 Armageddapocalypse 2: The Explosioning Performer ADC Theatre, Cambridge The Oxford Revue and Friends Writer/Performer Oxford Arts Theatre, Oxford Romeo and Juliet Gregory Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge Cambridge Comedy Fest Writer/Performer Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge Good for You Writer/Performer International Tour with Cambridge Footlights The Pin Writer/Performer/Director ADC Theatre, Cambridge 2011 Pretty Little Panic Writer/Performer International Tour with Cambridge Footlights 2015 Ten Seconds with the Pin Writer/Performer/Director Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe2020The ComebackWriter/PerformerNoël Coward Theatre
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 2009 Footlights Harry Porter Award Barry! Pull Your Finger Out! 2013 London Sketchfest Prize Best New ActThe Pin 2016 Audio and Radio Industry Awards Best Entertainment Production BBC Radio Awards Best Comedy Production or Moment 2017 BBC Audio Drama Awards Best Comedy With a Live Audience Writers' Guild Awards Best Radio Comedy
References
External links
The Pin on Twitter. Ben Ashenden on Hamilton Hodell. The Pin official website. The Pin on Radio 4.