Ben Curtis is an American actor who became known as the Dell Dude in a series of commercials for Dell Computers between 2000 and 2003. Since then, he has acted on stage and on screen.
As part of a commercial advertising campaign, Curtis portrayed the character Steven. The casting call asked for a boy 12 to 17 years old; Curtis was 20.[1] This advertising campaign popularized the phrase "Dude, you're getting a Dell". The commercials would usually feature Steven informing prospective buyers of all the perks of owning a Dell. When the party was sold on the idea, he would close with the catchphrase "Dude, you're getting a Dell." The campaign was a success and brought prominence to Dell and Curtis.[2]
Curtis's tenure with Dell ended shortly after he was arrested and accused of buying a bag of marijuana in 2003. Dell terminated the role and according to Curtis, he was blacklisted from the entertainment community, and it was difficult for him to find work.[1]
In 2005, Curtis played the role of Christian in the Off-Broadway comedy Joy by John Fisher. The show ran at the Actors' Playhouse in Manhattan's West Village from August 14 to September 25.[3]
In 2006, Curtis starred in the short film Raccoon opposite Jonathan Togo.[citation needed]
Curtis appeared in Take Me Out at NYU's Abe Burrows Theatre, and in Alexander Klymko's 2011 film Spy.[4]
Curtis has made various appearances in What Would You Do?
Curtis returned to Dell in internal training for Dell Technologies employees in 2022 to ask a question during Q&A for Dell leadership pertaining to Dell’s marketing strategy.