Ken Baumann

Born in Urbana, IL, Kenneth Robert Baumann was raised in Abilene, TX, where his family operated a miniature horse ranch and wildlife rescue. His acting career was launched at age 10 when he participated in an actor-model search in Abilene. Baumann qualified to go on to a larger competition in Dallas, where he landed a talent agent and headed to New York to audition for print and commercials. He later returned to Texas to complete more work of that ilk before realizing that his true interest laid in acting. The teenager headed for Los Angeles to try his hand at landing a pilot. By 2003, he was appearing in independent features and TV pilots; billed as Kenny Baumann for many of these, he earned his big break when was cast as the son of Kristen Johnson and Alan Ruck in "Don't Ask" (2005), a pilot for Fox TV. The following year, Baumann was cast on "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," which became one of the network's most popular and acclaimed series. Baumann received considerable praise for his performance as Ben Boykewich, a sweet-natured teen who was madly in love with the show's main character, Amy Juergens (Shailene Woodley). His affection remained untested even after she became pregnant by the school "bad boy;" even attempting to use his family's considerable wealth to help raise the child. Baumann's gawky tenderness and likability made him a fan and critical favorite, which helped yield two Teen Choice Award nominations for TV Actor in a Drama and Summer Star Male in 2009. The exposure afforded to Baumann by the success of "American Teenager" led to film roles, though their nature was considerably more adult but less mature than his television work, including turns in the showbiz drama "Whore" (2008) and the teen sex comedy parody "Spring Break '83" (2009). Off-screen, Baumann maintained several interests outside of acting, including photography, writing and editing an online literary journal.