David Alford

Ben David Alford, born December 20, 1964, in Adams, Tennessee, is an American actor, playwright, and author. Raised on his family's farm, he is the son of Ben Robert Alford, a minister, and Sheridan (Durham) Alford. He attended Jo Byrns High School in Cedar Hill, Tennessee, before pursuing higher education at Martin Methodist College in Pulaski for two years. He subsequently transferred to Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, where he began as a vocal performance major before moving into the theatre program.

Alford's path to professional training was shaped by a chance encounter at Austin Peay State University, where playwright Arthur Kopit was serving as an artist in residence. Kopit recognized Alford's talent and arranged an audition for the Juilliard School drama program, which Alford successfully completed and was admitted to. Following his graduation from Juilliard, he spent several years working in New York before returning to Tennessee. In Nashville, he founded Mockingbird Theatre and served as its artistic director from 1994 to 2004. He then became artistic director of Tennessee Repertory Theatre, holding that role until 2007 and remaining at the organization for an additional year as an artist in residence.

In 2012, Alford joined the cast of the television series Nashville, playing Bucky Dawes, the manager of country music star Rayna Jaymes, portrayed by Connie Britton. He remained with the series until its conclusion in 2018. His Broadway career includes the 2017 revival of The Little Foxes, in which he portrayed Mr. Marshall and also understudied both Michael McKean and Richard Thomas. The production featured Laura Linney, Cynthia Nixon, McKean, and Thomas.

Beyond performing, Alford has written two plays staged annually at the Bell Witch Fall Festival in his hometown of Adams. Spirit: The Authentic Story of the Bell Witch of Tennessee, written in 2002, recounts the Bell Witch legend, while Smoke: A Ballad of the Night Riders, written in 2010, is set during the Black Patch Tobacco Wars. He also co-authored the book Living the Dream: The Morning After Drama School with Brian Horner. Since the fall of 2018, Alford has served as a visiting artist in residence at Berry College in Mount Berry, Georgia. He has two children from his first marriage.