Benny Safdie Biography

Benny Safdie was born and raised in New York. After his parents divorced, he divided his time between his mother in Manhattan and his father in Queens. He is best known for his film collaborations with his older brother, Josh Safdie.

In 2009, the Safdie brothers released their first feature film, Daddy Longlegs. The brothers caught the eye of many when the film was showcased at the Cannes Film Festival that same year. In February 2016, the brothers began filming their crime thriller Good Time, in which Benny starred alongside Robert Pattinson. The film was a commercial success. For his performance, Benny was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male.

Their next film, Uncut Gems, starred Adam Sandler, with Martin Scorsese serving as executive producer. The film was a critical success. At the time, it was A24’s highest-grossing film. The brothers won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Director.

Benny later co-created The Curse with Nathan Fielder. The Showtime series, starring Fielder and Emma Stone, premiered in November 2023 and received widespread acclaim from audiences and critics.

In his first solo directorial effort without his brother, Benny directed the MMA-themed film The Smashing Machine (2025), starring Dwayne Johnson as a former wrestler and MMA fighter. The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival before releasing to movie theaters. 

Benny married Ava Safdie (née Rawski) in 2013, and they have two sons.

Filmography (director):

The Smashing Machine (2025)
Uncut Gems (2019)
Good Time (2017)
Heaven Knows What (2014)
Lenny Cooke (2013)
Daddy Longlegs (2009)

Filmography (actor):

The Odyssey (2026)
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026)
Happy Gilmore 2 (2025)
Oppenheimer (2023)
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (2023)
Stars at Noon (2022)
Licorice Pizza (2021)
Pieces of a Woman (2020)
Good Time (2017)
Person to Person (2017)