Benjamin James Ayres was born on January 19, 1977, in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. He is a distant relative of horror film icon Boris Karloff. In his early twenties, Ayres studied at The Lyric School of Acting under studio head Michele Lonsdale Smith. He built a stage career there, appearing in productions such as Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll and Miss Julie.
Ayres made his screen debut in 2002’s Summer, building guest roles on shows including Battlestar Galactica and Smallville. He landed his first series regular role in 2008, playing Casper Jesperson on the CBC hit jPod. That year, he joined the HBO Canada sitcom Less Than Kind as Eric Blake, earning a Canadian Screen Award nomination. Ayres also starred on the CTV comedy Dan for Mayor from 2010 to 2011.
He then starred as Dr. Zachary Miller for five seasons on the medical drama Saving Hope. Ayres later joined the cast of Family Law and guested on Suits and Burden of Truth. He also became a mainstay of Hallmark’s holiday slate, appearing in The Santa Class and Field Day. As of 2026, Ayres hosts The Hallmark Christmas Experience: A Hometown Holiday, drawn from Hallmark’s annual Kansas City fan festival.
