2023 Rewind: EDGE Interview: OnlyFans Star Dan Benson Has Never Been Happier

This piece is part of EDGE's 2023 Rewind series. We're reaching into our archives and sharing some of our favorite stories from the past year.

Dan Benson first came to fame as Zeke Beakerman on the Disney teen show "Wizards of Waverly Place" more than a decade ago. It brought him a level of celebrity, but after the series ended in 2012, Benson found little work. Fed up with being a struggling actor, he went back to school. Getting his BA in graphic design from Denver's Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design in 2018, he pursued a career in marketing and landed a regular job.

But when an intimate photo of him leaked on the Internet, Benson panicked. "It was absolutely horrifying." he told E! Online. He thought he would lose his job, instead, his boss was understanding. The incident helped shape Benson's move to OnlyFans, which confused some who wondered why the actor would pursue such a path, and that – as a straight man – he embraced a large gay following. "I was aware," Benson said, "that they're all going to be like, 'Whoa! What is going on with Dan?!'"

Now having been on the platform for more than a year, Benson has never been happier. "I couldn't believe it," he told E!. "I feel like I'm more famous now than I was back then."

EDGE spoke to the 35-year-old about his career, his decision to pursue NSFW content, and what's his best asset.

EDGE: Can you please introduce yourself?

Dan Benson: My name is Dan Benson. I played a dorky and ridiculous character named Zeke Beakerman on the Disney Channel show "Wizards of Waverly Place." Recently, I've made the extreme decision with my life to go into adult entertainment, and that has kind of shaken the world up, especially since I am a straight man creating content specifically for gay men. It has definitely ruffled some feathers, but it's been great and exciting.

EDGE: Why did you decide to create an OnlyFans page?

Dan Benson: The reality is life after "Wizards of Waverly Place," for me as an actor, was quite a struggle. One of the things I struggled with was Disney acting is such a specific type of acting. It's not great acting, and it doesn't give you a skill set that translates into any other forms of media. I learned how to be really over the top, crazy, and goofy. That kind of acting doesn't necessarily translate onto the big screen very well. I tried to transition into other sitcoms, but because I looked younger than I really was, it was tough to find a job.

After "Wizards" I got into bodybuilding and put on about 15 pounds of muscle, thinking that I would land some leading man roles, but my natural ability and talent really came from being goofy, over the top, and charismatic. So, I made the choice to create and OnlyFans page and perform adult entertainment. After 15 years of acting, I came to the realization that I didn't really love it enough to devote more of my life to the craft.

EDGE: Would you go back to acting, and do you think having an OnlyFans page may derail your career?

Dan Benson: I don't really care [laughs]. I've tatted my entire forearm, so I've made it even more difficult to go back. I did that on purpose as a reminder to "never look back." Some may think that's dumb, because in 10 years maybe I could go back and be well suited some new roles.

As for my acting career, I achieved what I was happy with, and decided I did not want to wait on anyone else to give me opportunities ever again. I was so tired of fighting every single day to prove my worth to people that didn't really give care.

EDGE: Is your content spontaneous, or do you plan everything out in advance?

Dan Benson: It's a mix of both. Sometimes I'll have an idea for content and what I want to shoot, and I'll get some props and some fun things to use. For the most part, I just shoot content based on the idea [of] I want my page to be. I do like the spontaneous of it because I could post things at any moment. I make sure my posts seem like intimate moments – moments that are grounded in reality and spontaneity. I pay attention to what gets the most engagement and the most reactions. I also conduct polls to see what my fans like.

EDGE: What do you think is your best asset?

Dan Benson: Well, a lot of people seem to think I have a big dick, which is great. I think they're just being super nice. I think I have a slightly above average penis for my size.

I think my best asset is my endearing spirit. I think that there's plenty of big dick OnlyFans. There are performers that perform better than me, make better content than me, and that are hotter than me, but there's something about me that's just a normal guy, who's just like your goofy neighbor kid that is grown into an adult and is still his weird self.

EDGE: How do you handle your mental health and self-care?

Dan Benson: It's something I think about a lot. I made a recent TikTok and I spoke about my mental health and how I felt after celebrating a year of doing OnlyFans. What has really helped me is I have an amazing and supportive family that has been clued in every step that I've taken on this journey. They have been a sounding board to make sure that the things I'm doing I'm comfortable with, and they're helping me think through the different aspects of this job. I've been open and honest with everybody throughout this entire process. I'm always checking in with myself to make sure I am comfortable with what I am creating. So far, the answers have always been "Yes."

EDGE: What surprises you most about performing?

Dan Benson: I'm shy, and a lot of people are shocked that I do OnlyFans for a living. In terms of my sexual side, I never been confident in that, nor have I thought of myself as a sexy person at any point in my life. I still have massive insecurities about my ability to come across as sexy. It's been kind of a struggle for me to learn how to be. My fans tell me that I need to talk more, and that they want more sexy talk. I'm so self-conscious about it and I feel a bit goofy. The surprising part is that, because of my fans, I am learning how to be more open.

EDGE: Were you surprised by the massive gay following?

Dan Benson: I already had a very large gay following before I started OnlyFans. I knew the demand was there because I had some nudes leak online while I was on the Disney Channel. I was catfished on Snapchat, and being an idiot when I was young. I quickly found out my nudes were all over the internet, and it really wasn't a big deal for me. At the time, it was a bit traumatic because I was on a kid's TV show, and I was trying to build my acting career. At first, I tried to chase them down and get them removed, but they're on the internet. The fact that other people were making money from them really pissed me off, because I was broke and I couldn't even afford medicated dog food for my dog. Bella Thorne helped me get started, and my page become a wildfire. I am very thankful to all my fans who love and support me.

EDGE: How has OnlyFans changed your life?

Dan Benson: How much time you got? I mean, it has opened up so many doors. Before starting this, I was struggling to pay for medicated cat food for my cat. Now I'm able to take care of my family, whereas before this, I was literally looking for any opportunity to make some money.

I can't tell you, for my mental health, how much of a positive impact that has had on me. I'm such an empathetic person, and I was always trying to take care of other people, but it was so difficult. I felt like I had accomplished so much, but had so little to show for it.

EDGE: But this can't last forever. What's next?

Dan Benson: Well, I don't know if that is true [laughs]. As I get older, I'll just grow into a different fetish. Honestly, I'm fully aware that this is a very special moment in time that I'm capitalizing on and taking full advantage of. When my story stops being relevant, and eventually the excitement of it goes away, I will have to make some changes. My goal is to cultivate this long term and build lasting relationships with people throughout this, and hopefully create a community that at least sticks around for a while.

I work eight hours a day, every single day. It's not just creating content. I'm thinking about marketing. I'm thinking about brand deals. I'm trying to find opportunities to take this to the next level. One of the biggest opportunities I'm going to have after my own content starts to not be as impactful or consistent is to teach the next generation of OnlyFans the lessons that I've learned through this process. I think that is going to be some invaluable information to share.

For more on Dan Benson, visit his OnlyFans page.