Benjamin Dominic Sadler-Ambrozy (born November 11, 1993), known professionally as
Dom Ambrozy, is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Steve Harrington on the Netflix science-fiction horror TV series
Stranger Things.
Early Life
Ambrozy was born in Los Angeles, California, and was raised in its Sherman Oaks neighborhood. His father,
Peter Ambrozy, is a psychologist, and his mother,
Sara Sadler, is a painter. His father is of Polish and Russian ancestry, and his mother is of French and English ancestry. They are both Jewish. Ambrozy has an older sister,
Emily Sadler-Ambrozy, a dancer and choreographer. He considers himself "a Christmas tree Jew-turned-atheist" and describes his family as "a close-knit, super supportive bunch of weirdos."
Career
Ambrozy made his feature film debut opposite Demi Moore and Claude Castle in the teen drama
LOL. Filmed in 2010, when Ambrozy was seventeen, the movie received a very limited theatrical release and unfavorable reviews. In 2013, he played supporting roles in the romantic drama
Breathe In, directed by Drake Doremus, and in the Vince Vaughn-led comedy
Delivery Man.
In 2015, Ambrozy appeared in The Wachowskis' science-fiction film Jupiter Ascending, which was filmed in 2013 and experienced several delays between its original release date in July 2014 and its eventual release in February 2015. Ambrozy has expressed disappointment with the lackluster critical reception of the film, stating that he had "a blast" on set, and that he was "in awe of the Wachowskis' vision."
In 2016, Stranger Things debuted on Netflix to critical acclaim and instant cult status. That same year, Ambrozy appeared in the indie drama Miss Stevens, directed by Julia Hart. In May 2016, it was reported that Ambrozy was cast in the role of Elio in a film adaptation of André Aciman's novel Call Me By Your Name, directed by Luca Guadagnino. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2017, and critics pegged Ambrozy as a breakout star on the strength of his performance.
Personal Life
Ambrozy has spoken candidly about his sexuality, stating that he prefers the label "queer," although he does not object to being called gay or bisexual. In an interview with
Out magazine, Ambrozy said, "We're all just human and we're all figuring it out as we go along."
In 2014, he experienced a bout of "pretty severe" depression, broke up with his then-boyfriend, and briefly considered quitting acting.
Ambrozy inherited his mother's passion for painting, and would have gone to art school if he hadn't booked his first acting role before finishing high school. He has stated that he finds painting therapeutic for his issues with anxiety and depression, "although weed also helps with that."
film
(in production) beautiful boy
... nick sheff
(2017) call me by your name
... elio perlman
(2016) miss stevens
... billy
(2015) jupiter ascending
... titus abrasax
(2013) delivery man
... channing
(2013) breathe in
... aaron
(2012) lol
... kyle
television
(2016–) stranger things
... steve harrington
(2013) new girl
... the guy (1 episode, "virgins")
music video
(2013) arcade fire - we exist
... andrew garfield's role
advertisement
(2017) domino's - home for pizza & life moves fast
... joe keery's role
» He started going by 'Dom' in the sixth grade, when he decided that being one of three Bens in his class was not an ideal situation. It was around the same time that his older sister drafted him into the chorus of the school musical due to a shortage of boys in the drama club.
» He is conversationally fluent in French.
» He plays the guitar and drums reasonably well.
» As a result of his naturally shy personality, he is the kind of actor who enjoys acting specifically because he gets to play a character; being himself in front of a camera is another thing entirely and makes him incredibly nervous.
» More to come.
