A descendant of the Mankiewicz family, Ben Mankiewicz graduated from Tufts University, and earned a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. He subsequently worked as a news reporter and anchor, first for WCSC-TV in Charleston, South Carolina and later for WAMI in Miami. Mankiewicz left news journalism, and auditioned as a television host for Turner Classic Movies.
Mankiewicz was hired in 2003 as an afternoon weekend host, second to Robert Osborne, who was the channel's primetime host. In 2013, for health reasons, Osborne delegated weekday primetime hosting appearances to Mankiewicz. In 2017, Osborne died at the age of 84, and Mankiewicz became the network's primetime host. Additionally, he hosts the TCM-produced podcast series, The Plot Thickens and Talking Pictures.
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