Meet Jill Benjamin | Event Planner & Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jill Benjamin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jill, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
First, if you remove “give up” as an option, then you never give up. You can re-direct, transition, and thoughtfully walk away, but you can’t just “give up.” For example, while I happen to be going through a divorce and pivoting towards a new career path, during a strike in Hollywood…my father passed away. I figured most people under these circumstances would fold, collapse, or perhaps scream “mercy” and just “give up.” But the result of giving up is being stuck. I want to keep moving ahead and build my own happiness filled with financial security, independence, and demonstrate for my kids that if you can navigate through life’s obstacles by managing disappointments, tolerating frustrations, and delayed gratification…THAT is how you keep going. So, I re-focused my career from acting to event planning and at the same time I get to be present for my children. All things my father did in his life: inspire, create, be present.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

As a performer, I am most proud of my two-person comedy show I did with Seth Meyers called “Pick-Ups & Hiccups.” We met performing improv/sketch at the famed Boom Chicago theater in Amsterdam, Holland. There we created our show and performed all over the world, including London’s West End, four years at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, twice at the Singapore Comedy Festival, Chicago, NY, and LA, Recently, this summer Seth and I performed our show in Amsterdam at Boom Chicago’s 30th Anniversary show to a sold out crowd. The on-stage chemistry we have is something that will never go away!

As a creative, I’m proud to announce I’m working at Artists Creating Entertainment where we customize entertainment for brand marketing and special events to create immersive and innovative experiences. I really enjoy building out the narrative for a production, such as murder mystery, scavenger hunts, and themed parties. For example, our big Halloween event called Creepy Couture will be this weekend on Oct. 14 & 15 at Lexington Studio in West Hollywood. ACE will be showcasing our custom costumes (some for sale!), live entertainment like our choreographed mummy dance, activations like our haunted gallery, potion making, flash tattoos, and super fun surprises. Guests will include some of my funny improviser friends like Ike Barinholtz (Blockers, The Mindy Project), Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso), Jack McBrayer (30 Rock), Josh Meyers (White Oaks), and special shout out to Kay Cannon (writer for Pitch Perfect and Cinderella) for her efforts on the WGA negotiating committee and helping come to an agreement. Anyone may purchase tickets at:

https://www.artistscreatingentertainment.com/haunted-haus

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

Well, first on my list is to invite them to Artists Creating Entertainment Halloween event on Oct. 14 & 15.

Tandem bike ride around Studio City (specifically around Colfax Meadows)

Hike Fryman Canyon
Uovo Italian restaurant to get a different pasta on menu each time then next door to Van Leeuwen to get honeycomb ice cream

Sit outside in my garden while I invite my kid’s friends and their parents over for a drink and cheese plate

Magic Castle to see Doc Eason perform magic since I’m a member

A movie in a theater with recliners

Other interesting places I went this past weekend:
Bacetti in Los Feliz for dinner
The Largo Theater to see stand up
Bellwether Theater to see Maya Rudolph do Prince cover songs with her band “Princess”
Bourbon Room to see Zach Selwyn’s band perform Zachariah

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

My father David Benjamin who invented the word “Hanahaka” as a celebratory word to say when you call to say, “Hanahaka!” (I booked a job!). I have this tattoo in his hand writing on my arm.

To all the women who have gone through a divorce and have come out stronger and happier!

To my boss Masha Berenboym for hiring me as the Account Sales Manager at Artists Creating Entertainment (entertainment booking agency) and Nima Fazeli at Blace (venue booking agency).

To my kids, the reason I keep going…

Website: www.jillbenjamin.com

Instagram: @jillbenjaminevents

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jill-benjamin-6898497

Image Credits
Seth Meyers and Jill Benjamin together photo credit: Wesley Verhoeve