Ben Robertson was born in Louisville, Kentucky and grew up in many places, including the Appalachian Mountains, lower Manhattan, and New England. After studying at Fudan University in Shanghai following his senior year of high school, Ben studied Chinese and was an interpreter for CNN during the student protests in Tiananmen Square.
After several years working in business, Ben later became a professional actor under the tutelage of Penny Templeton and Harold Guskin in New York City.