Dan Benson is best remembered as Zeke Beakerman, Justin Russo’s lovable, nerdy best friend on Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place. Years after the show ended, the former child star made headlines for a very different reason: a bold career change into adult entertainment. His story covers a Disney career, a privacy breach, a reboot he wasn’t part of, and an exit from OnlyFans in 2025. Here is the full picture of his life and career.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Daniel Lee Benson |
| Nickname/Stage Name | Dan Benson |
| Date of Birth | September 10, 1987 |
| Place of Birth | Springfield, Missouri, USA |
| Age | 39 years (as of November 2026) |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac Sign | Virgo |
| Profession/Occupation | Former actor, voice actor, former adult content creator |
| Years Active | 2003–2018 (acting), 2022–2025 (OnlyFans) |
| Genre/Field | Television, film, voice acting, online content |
| Parents | Jim Benson and Marilee Benson |
| Siblings | Michael Benson and Nick Benson |
| Height | 1.79 m (5′10½″) |
| Notable Works | Wizards of Waverly Place (Zeke Beakerman), Rick and Morty (Ethan), Hanna’s Gold |
| Social Media | Instagram: @danleebenson |
Dan Benson Biography and Early Life
Daniel Lee Benson was born on September 10, 1987, in Springfield, Missouri, USA. As of November 2026, he is 39 years old. He grew up in a close family with his parents, Jim and Marilee Benson, alongside his brothers Michael and Nick.
His path into entertainment started early. At around 15, Benson’s family relocated to Florida, a move that opened the door to modelling and acting. A scouting event gave him his first real push toward the industry, and it shaped the direction of his teenage years.
From there, Benson moved from small modelling gigs to acting auditions. Like many young performers, he started with minor and one-off parts before landing regular roles. That steady build-up eventually led him to the Disney Channel audition that defined his career.
Dan Benson Career and Filmography
Dan Benson’s career peaked with Wizards of Waverly Place, the fantasy teen sitcom that ran on Disney Channel from 2007 to 2012. He played Zeke Beakerman, the goofy, sci-fi-loving best friend of Justin Russo (David Henrie). Zeke appeared in 32 of the series’ 109 episodes, making him one of the show’s most recognizable recurring characters.
Before Disney, Benson picked up a small guest part on Two and a Half Men in 2003. During and after his Wizards years, he worked as a guest star on network shows and took roles in smaller independent films.
His most widely heard later work came in animation. Benson provided the guest voice of Ethan in Rick and Morty on Cartoon Network, a role that introduced him to an adult animation audience far removed from his Disney fan base.
| Year | Title | Type | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Two and a Half Men | TV series | Guest role |
| 2007–2012 | Wizards of Waverly Place | TV series | Zeke Beakerman |
| 2010 | Hanna’s Gold | Film | Luke |
| 2010 | The Rig | Film | Supporting role |
| 2012 | Private Practice | TV series | Guest star |
| 2013–2017 | Rick and Morty | Animated series | Ethan (voice) |
| 2018 | Killing Diaz | Film | Last credited acting role |
After Wizards ended, Benson has said he spent around seven years grinding for every opportunity, often in projects he wasn’t proud of. He described feeling that the Disney show might be the biggest thing he would ever do. Killing Diaz in 2018 became his last credited acting role.
Dan Benson OnlyFans Career and Adult Entertainment
Benson’s move from acting to OnlyFans is the part of his story most people search for today. It wasn’t a sudden decision. It grew out of a privacy breach, years of career frustration, and a choice to take control of his own image.
Leaked Photos and Why He Chose to Own Them
While he was on Wizards of Waverly Place, Benson regularly received online messages from fans, including women he found attractive. Some of those conversations turned out to be catfishing, and personal photos he shared privately ended up leaked and posted online around 2012.
Benson has called the experience traumatic. For years, the nude photos kept resurfacing on websites across the internet, and he felt he was constantly fighting to remove them. The show’s fame made the leak far more visible than it would have been for a private person.
Eventually, he said he got tired of fighting it. Instead of letting strangers profit from his images, he decided to own them. His reasoning was simple: if the content was going to exist anyway, he wanted control over it and the income from it.
In a January 2023 TikTok video, Benson explained how he “tripped and fell” into adult entertainment. The video went viral and brought widespread attention to his career change, with many fans learning for the first time what happened to the actor who played Zeke.
OnlyFans Launch for LGBTQ+ Charities (2022)
Benson launched his OnlyFans account in mid-2022, at age 34. He tied the launch to a cause, pledging to support LGBTQ+ charities with part of his earnings.
His account was priced at around $20 for a monthly subscription. He publicly credited the LGBTQ+ community on social media for boosting his profile, which helped his page grow quickly in its early weeks.
This charity angle is often missed in coverage that only focuses on the shock value. The launch was framed as both a personal reset and a way to give back to the community that showed him early support.
OnlyFans Boundaries and His Gay Male Audience
Benson has openly said he is straight, yet around 99 percent of his OnlyFans audience were gay men. He didn’t treat this as a problem. He said he found it surprising, and even funny, given that Zeke was the dorky character on a Disney show.
He also set clear limits from the start. His main boundary was that he would not film sexual content with men, despite his audience. He kept the camera work focused on his own content and stuck to that line throughout his time on the platform.
Benson spoke about building a genuine connection with his subscribers and described the work as giving him control he never had as an actor. He said it was among the best things to happen in his life and that he had no regrets about the move.
Using OnlyFans to Pay for His Sick Dog
One of the more personal reasons behind Benson’s OnlyFans work involved his dog, Lynn. The ageing dog developed serious health issues, and the medical bills quickly added up.
Benson shared that his income from the platform helped him cover Lynn’s vet bills. For many fans, this detail made his career change easier to understand, since it showed a practical, relatable reason for earning money this way.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Reboot: Why He Wasn’t Asked Back
In January 2024, news broke that Disney was developing a sequel series, later titled Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. Selena Gomez and David Henrie were set to return as Alex Russo and Justin Russo, which got fans excited about a full cast reunion.
Benson reacted with a mix of excitement and disbelief. He called the reboot news exciting, then joked about what his own career choices meant for any chance of a return. He even wondered whether Zeke might be recast with a new actor.
Speaking later, Benson said he understood why Disney didn’t invite him back. As an adult content creator, he knew a family-friendly network wasn’t going to bring him onto a children’s series. He admitted he was sad about it, since the show was a big part of his childhood and early career.
Still, he took responsibility for the outcome. Benson said he made his choices knowingly and felt he was now his own boss, no longer waiting on anyone else to hand him an opportunity. He also said he wasn’t sure he would return even if asked.
Dan Benson and David Henrie Feud: Blocked on Social Media
The tension around the reboot grew in late October 2024, around the time of the Wizards Beyond Waverly Place premiere. Several former cast members and guest stars, including Bridgit Mendler, Hayley Kiyoko, Gregg Sulkin, Jennifer Stone, Skyler Samuels, Josh Sussman, and David DeLuise, were part of reunion moments and group interviews tied to the new series. Benson was not among them.
On October 30 and 31, 2024, Benson shared a screenshot showing that David Henrie, his on-screen best friend as Justin Russo, had blocked him on Instagram. Given that Zeke and Justin shared most of their scenes, the block caught many fans off guard.
Benson responded with a sarcastic video, mocking the situation with exaggerated fake crying. In an interview clip around the same time, he gave a crude reply when asked about the snub, which kept the story trending on social media.
For fans of the original show, the feud felt like an awkward end to a famous on-screen friendship. It also highlighted how differently two former child stars from the same series had chosen to handle their adult careers.
Quitting OnlyFans in 2025: What Dan Benson Is Doing Now
On February 4, 2025, Benson announced that he was quitting OnlyFans. He was 37 at the time and had spent about two and a half years on the platform.
By then, he had posted more than 500 videos. In his announcement, he said he was done with that chapter and wanted to move toward a normal job, with interest in a possible return to acting. He later deleted the video in which he made the announcement.
Reports noted that his account remained active for a period after the announcement, which led to some confusion among fans about whether he had truly left. His public message, however, was clear that he considered his time in adult entertainment finished.
Now 39, Benson’s next step remains open. His story is a real example of how child stars often have to rebuild their identity once the spotlight fades, and his openness about each turn has kept public interest in him alive long after Zeke’s final episode.
FAQs
How old is Daniel Benson?
Daniel Benson is 39 years old as of November 2026. He was 35 when his OnlyFans career first went viral in January 2023 and 37 when he announced he was quitting the platform in 2025.
When was Daniel Benson born?
Daniel Lee Benson was born on September 10, 1987. His birthday makes his zodiac sign Virgo.
Where was Daniel Benson born?
Dan Benson was born in Springfield, Missouri, USA. He moved to Florida with his family as a teenager, which led to his start in modelling and acting.
Who did Dan Benson play in Wizards of Waverly Place?
He played Zeke Beakerman, the nerdy best friend of Justin Russo. Zeke was a recurring character who appeared in roughly a third of the show’s episodes from 2007 to 2012.
Is Dan Benson in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place?
No, Dan Benson was not cast in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. He has said he believes his adult entertainment career ruled him out of the Disney Channel sequel.
Is Dan Benson still on OnlyFans?
Benson announced on February 4, 2025, that he was quitting OnlyFans after posting more than 500 videos. He said he wanted to pursue a regular job and possibly return to acting.
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