 Benjamin "Ben" Novotny-Bruckner ("né" Bruckner) (Portrayed by Robert Gant) became a main character during season two, when he is the first customer in Michael Novotny's comic book store.He is a gay studies professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and the author of the non-fiction book "RU12" and the unpublished novel "Gentlemen in Paris".Upon first meeting Michael, he states that he is a Pisces.