Benito Skinner, the comedic genius better known as Benny Drama to his millions of social media followers, is taking a big leap from viral TikTok sketches to the small screen with his new Prime Video series, Overcompensating. The semi-autobiographical comedy, which dropped on May 15, 2025, dives into the messy, hilarious, and heartfelt world of college life through the eyes of Benny, a closeted freshman navigating identity, friendships, and frat parties. But for Skinner, stepping onto the show’s college and dorm sets wasn’t just another day at work—it was a surreal, emotional trip down memory lane.
In a recent post on X from @filmindependent, Skinner shared his raw reaction to seeing the meticulously crafted sets for Overcompensating: “I feel triggered, I feel heartbroken again, it’s kinda sexy, but sad also?” His words capture the whirlwind of emotions that came with recreating the college experience that shaped him—a mix of nostalgia, vulnerability, and catharsis. The sets, designed to reflect the fictional Yates University, brought back vivid memories of his own time at Georgetown University, where he grappled with his identity as a closeted gay man in a hyper-masculine environment.
Overcompensating follows Benny (played by Skinner), a former high school football star and homecoming king who’s trying to keep his true self under wraps while diving into the chaos of college life. From dorm room hookups gone wrong to frat house shenanigans, the show leans into the cringe-worthy moments of early adulthood, all while exploring deeper themes of self-discovery and acceptance. The sets, complete with posters of Megan Fox and clouds of Axe body spray, perfectly capture the early 2010s vibe—a time Skinner describes as “pre-Trump, pre-TikTok, pre-pandemic.”
For Skinner, seeing the dorm and college sets come to life was like stepping into a time machine. “I just dissociated so many times,” he admitted on Jake Shane’s Therapuss podcast, reflecting on moments when he’d watch scenes he wrote years ago being performed by actors he admired. “I’d be like, ‘I wrote this scene four and a half years ago, and now I’m seeing an actor I’ve respected my whole life doing it, and I’m kind of me but not really me.’” The experience was both thrilling and disorienting, as he confronted the insecurities and struggles of his younger self through the lens of his character.
The dorm sets, in particular, hit close to home. They’re filled with nostalgic touches—think Britney Spears’ “Lucky” blasting and references to George of the Jungle as Benny’s sexual awakening—that mirror Skinner’s own college years. These details weren’t just for laughs; they were a way for Skinner to reclaim and reframe his past. “I loved that I felt like I finally had power over it,” he told That Shelf. “I could control my voice and my mannerisms. And I could finally laugh at it and, at times, cry and have a cathartic experience of forgiving myself for not coming out sooner.”
The show’s heart lies in Benny’s friendship with Carmen (Wally Baram), a fellow outsider who becomes his ride-or-die. Skinner has said this dynamic is inspired by a real-life friend who changed his life in college, helping him feel safe enough to stop hiding. Walking onto the set where Benny and Carmen’s scenes were shot felt like honoring that friendship. “It was the love story of the show,” Skinner said, noting how those moments brought back the relief of finding someone who let him be himself.
Fans on X have been eating up Overcompensating, with posts praising its mix of raunchy humor and raw emotion. One user called it “a chaotic, heartfelt binge that’s so relatable it hurts,” while another shouted out the “dorm room vibes” as “millennial perfection.” The show’s stacked cast—featuring Connie Britton, Kyle MacLachlan, Charli XCX, and Bowen Yang—adds to the buzz, but it’s Skinner’s personal touch that makes the sets feel alive.
For Skinner, Overcompensating isn’t just a comedy; it’s a chance to heal old wounds and make queer viewers feel seen. “I hope people who are in situations like mine was in high school see themselves and feel a little less alone,” he told Out. Stepping onto those college and dorm sets was more than a job—it was a way to laugh, cry, and finally take control of his story.