Steven Krueger didn't plan to be an actor. Growing up in Sarasota, Florida, he wanted to be a lawyer and even scored in the 99th percentile on the LSAT. But after graduating from the University of Virginia, he spent an unhappy summer interning at a law firm and decided to try something that until then had been "a casual hobby." In the dozen years since, that hobby has turned into major roles on The Originals and Roswell, New Mexico and, most recently, Showtime's Yellowjackets, on which he plays Coach Ben.

A producer's advice led him to give acting a serious try. Brad Fuller, who's behind such blockbuster franchises as A Quiet Place and The Purge, is a family friend. Krueger recalls, "He told me three things: 'You've got to give it 10 years to figure out if you even like it. You've got to figure out if you're good at it. And, of course, can you deal with the roller coaster of it all?'" Having played tennis from age 4 through high school, Krueger can deal — though he prefers pickleball these days.

Yellowjackets creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, both of whom wrote on The Originals, had him in mind for Coach Ben, but they didn't just hand it to him. That was fine, Krueger says: "I like the process of auditioning. It helps me figure out the role. It manifests all that in a really nice way, where I get done with it, and I get the part, and I know this is the part for me, and I'm excited."

Krueger appreciates what his work means to his fans, and he gives back. "I try to find ways to use the platform that I have, whether through volunteer work or community service. Even going to fan conventions has been one of the most rewarding things, because you get to interact with so many people that have watched you on-screen. You realize this is a big deal for them, and the impact this work can have on people's lives is massive."

Yellowjackets is now streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime.

This article originally appeared in emmy Magazine, issue #3, 2025, under the title "Acting Coach."