Ben Carruthers, born Bennie Carruthers (Illinois, August 14, 1936 – Los Angeles, September 27, 1983), was an American actor, best known for his leading role in John Cassavetes' *Shadows* (1959), a landmark film of American independent cinema. In the film, he played Ben, a young, light-skinned African-American musician navigating the complex racial dynamics of late 1950s New York. His intense and largely improvised performance contributed decisively to the film's critical success, which earned the Pasinetti Award at the Venice Film Festival. His career also includes roles in films such as *A High Wind in Jamaica* (1965) and *The Dirty Dozen* (1967), in which he played Glenn Gilpin. He was also the co-writer and an actor in the psychological war film *Universal Soldier* (1971). Despite a relatively short filmography, he remains inextricably linked to the birth of modern American cinema.