Ben Platt | |
|---|---|
 Platt in 2019 | |
| Born | Benjamin Schiff Platt (1993-09-24)September 24, 1993 (age 31) Los Angeles, California |
| Education | Harvard-Westlake School |
| Alma mater | Columbia University School of General Studies |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2002–present |
| Spouse | |
| Parent(s) | Marc Platt (father) Julie Platt (mother) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
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| Labels | Atlantic Interscope |
Musical artist | |
| Website | benplattmusic |
Benjamin Schiff Platt (born September 24, 1993)[1] is an American actor and singer. The son of film and theater producerMarc Platt and philanthropistJulie Platt, he began his acting career inmusical theater as a child and appeared in productions ofThe Sound of Music (2006) andThe Book of Mormon (2012–2015),rising to prominence for originating thetitle role in theBroadway coming-of-age musicalDear Evan Hansen (2015–2017). His performance in the latter earned him multiple accolades, including theTony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (making him the youngest solo recipient of the award at the time),[2] aDaytime Emmy, and aGrammy Award.[3] Platt reprised the role of Evan Hansen in the2021 film adaptation of the musical, produced by his father.[4] His portrayal ofLeo Frank in the2023 Broadway revival ofParade earned him nominations for a Tony and a Grammy.
Platt's film credits include thePitch Perfect film series (2012–2017),Ricki and the Flash (2015),Run This Town (2019), andTheater Camp (2023), the latter of which he also co-wrote. Since 2019, he has starred in theNetflix comedy-drama seriesThe Politician, for which he was nominated for aGolden Globe Award.
Platt signed withAtlantic Records in 2017 and released his debut studio albumSing to Me Instead in March 2019. In May 2020, the concert filmBen Platt Live from Radio City Music Hall debuted on Netflix. Platt's second studio albumReverie was released on August 13, 2021.[5] After signing withInterscope in 2023, Platt's third studio albumHoneymind was released on May 31, 2024.[6]
In 2017, Platt was included on the annualTime 100 list of the most influential people in the world.[7]
Platt was born in Los Angeles, the fourth of five children ofJulie andMarc Platt. His father is a film, television, and theater producer whose credits includeLegally Blonde,Into the Woods,La La Land,Mary Poppins Returns, the musicalWicked, and its film adaptation.[8] He has two sisters and two brothers, including actor Jonah Platt.[9] He and his family are Jewish.[10]
He attended the Adderley School for Performing Arts inPacific Palisades, performing in productions likeBye Bye Birdie andInto the Woods. Platt attendedHarvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, graduating in 2011. He then enrolled atColumbia University in New York but dropped out after seven weeks to fulfill his contract withThe Book of Mormon. During his time at Columbia, he was a member of the campusa cappella musical groupNonsequitur.[8][11][12]
At 9 years old, Platt played Winthrop Paroo inThe Music Man at theHollywood Bowl alongsideKristin Chenoweth.[13] At 11, he appeared in a brief national tour ofCaroline, or Change, byJeanine Tesori andTony Kushner. At 17, he played Jean Valjean in Kidz Theater's production ofLes Misérables. His other early roles include the role of Claude Bukowski in Columbia University's production ofHair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical.[14] He has also collaborated on a workshop ofAlice by Heart, byDuncan Sheik andSteven Sater, a new take onAlice's Adventures in Wonderland.
In 2012, Platt was cast as Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Chicago production ofThe Book of Mormon. The show premiered at theBank of America Theatre on December 19, 2012, after a week of previews.[15] The production was well received and closed on October 6, 2013.[16] Critics lauded Platt's performance, calling him a "true revelation in this brand new Chicago production... He really leans into this part, throwing himself out there with the abandonment of youth".[17] Platt later reprised his role as Elder Cunningham onBroadway at theEugene O'Neill Theatre from January 7, 2014, to January 6, 2015.[18]
In 2012, Platt had a supporting role in the musical comedyPitch Perfect, loosely based on the non-fiction bookPitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory. Platt played the magic-loving Benji Applebaum, alongside an ensemble cast includingAnna Kendrick,Skylar Astin,Rebel Wilson,Adam DeVine,Anna Camp, andBrittany Snow. The film emerged as a major commercial success and received mostly positive reviews from critics. He was subsequently nominated at the2013Teen Choice Awards in theChoice Movie Scene Stealer category for his work.[19] In 2015, Platt reprised his role as Benji Applebaum in the sequel,Pitch Perfect 2, followed by appearances in the filmsRicki and the Flash andBilly Lynn's Long Halftime Walk.
Platt became attached toSteven Levenson andPasek and Paul's thenUntitled P&P Project in 2014, participating in early read-throughs and workshops.[20] By 2015, the musical, titledDear Evan Hansen, had begun production in Washington, D.C. at theArena Stage with Platt originating thetitle role. The show premiered on July 9, 2015, and it closed on August 23, 2015.[21] The overwhelming positive reception toward the production andPlatt's performance resulted in the show being transferred toOff-Broadway.[22]
In 2016, Platt once again originated the role of Evan Hansen atSecond Stage Theatre. Platt and the cast played a month of previews, beginning on March 26, 2016, before premiering on May 1, 2016. The limited engagement sold out its entire run with Platt playing his last performance on May 26, 2016.[23]
In December 2016, Platt originated the title role inDear Evan Hansen onBroadway at theMusic Box Theatre. Critics hailed his work, calling it "historic" and "one of the greatest leading male performances [I've] ever seen in a musical".[24][25][26] For his performance, Platt won numerous awards including theTony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. At age 23, Platt was the youngest solo recipient of the Tony Award in the category untilMyles Frost won the award in2022.[27][28] Platt played his final performance on November 19, 2017.[29]
In 2017, Platt signed a record deal withAtlantic Records.[30] On January 28, 2018, he performedLeonard Bernstein's "Somewhere" live at the60th Annual Grammy Awards accompanied byJustin Goldner and Adele Stein and arranged byAlex Lacamoire.[31][32][non-primary source needed]
On March 19, 2018, Platt andHamilton creatorLin-Manuel Miranda released "Found/Tonight", amashup of theHamilton song "The Story of Tonight" and theDear Evan Hansen song "You Will Be Found".[33] Platt donated a portion of the proceeds to support theMarch for Our Lives anti-gun-violence initiative, and also performed on stage with Miranda at the rally in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2018.[34] Platt starred oppositeDamian Lewis,Nina Dobrev, andMena Massoud in theRob Ford historical fiction thrillerRun This Town.[35] The casting of Platt caused minor controversy, over allegations that the filmmakers were appropriating the story of female reporterRobyn Doolittle.[36] On March 1, 2018, Platt was confirmed to star in the indie dramaBroken Diamonds oppositeLola Kirke,Yvette Nicole Brown,Alphonso McAuley, andLynda Boyd. The film premiered at theSanta Barbara International Film Festival on April 1, 2021, and was released in the United States on July 23, 2021.[37][38][39]
In January 2019, Platt announced that his debut studio albumSing to Me Instead was scheduled for release on March 29, 2019. It was made available for pre-order, along with the songs "Bad Habit" and "Ease My Mind" a few days later. Following the release of his debut album, Platt embarked on his first North American tour in May 2019.[40] The tour ended on September 29, 2019, atRadio City Music Hall in New York City, in which the concert there was taped for release on Netflix.[41] Platt released a new single "Rain" on August 23, 2019, followed by a music video on September 10, 2019.[42] On April 21, 2020, Platt revealed on Instagram that the taping of his Radio City concert, in the form of a TV special entitledBen Platt Live from Radio City Music Hall, would be released on Netflix on May 20, 2020.[43]
On August 29, 2019, it was announced that Platt would be starring inRichard Linklater'sfilm adaptation ofMerrily We Roll Along alongsideBeanie Feldstein andBlake Jenner. The project is set to be shot over the course of twenty years, withprincipal photography of the first sequence of the film having already been completed prior to the announcement.[44][45] On January 10, 2023, it was announced that Jenner would be replaced byPaul Mescal.[46]
Platt starred as Payton Hobart on theNetflix comedy-drama seriesThe Politician, which tells the story of a very driven teen convinced that he's destined to become President of the United States.[47] Platt's casting was announced in March 2018,[48] and the series premiered on September 27, 2019.[49] He received aGolden Globe Award nomination forBest Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy for his performance in the series' first season.[50]
Platt released a new single, "So Will I", on May 8, 2020.[51] On May 20, 2020, Platt releasedSing to Me Instead (Deluxe), which includes "So Will I", "Rain", and six songs recorded live at Radio City Music Hall, including cover versions ofBrandi Carlile's "The Joke" andElton John's "Take Me to the Pilot".[52] On June 8, 2020, Platt released "Everything I Did to Get to You", a new single written by David Davis, which he picked as the winner of his episode ofNBC'ssongwriting competition showSongland.[53]
In April 2021, Platt teased the chorus of his new single, "Imagine", onTikTok. The complete song was released on April 23, 2021, followed by a remix by Dutch electronic producerTiësto on May 28, 2021.[54] In July, he announced on Twitter that his second studio album,Reverie, for which "Imagine" was released as its first single, would be released on August 13, 2021. The second single, "Happy to Be Sad", was released on July 16, 2021.[55] TheReverie tour was announced on August 13, 2021, spanning 27 stops in North America beginning February 23, 2022, and concluding at the Hollywood Bowl on April 8, 2022.[56] The tour was later postponed due to the COVID pandemic and rescheduled to begin on September 3, 2022, inSeattle, Washington before concluding inHollywood, Florida on October 7, 2022, for a total of 20 stops.[57]
On June 25, 2021, Platt released a cover version of the song "Yoü and I" byLady Gaga, as part of the tenth anniversary of theBorn This Way album.
On November 29, 2018, it was announced thatUniversal Pictures and Platt's father,Marc Platt, secured the film rights toDear Evan Hansen.[58] On June 18, 2020, Platt confirmed that he was set to reprise his role as Evan Hansen in thefilm, which would be directed byStephen Chbosky from a screenplay by Levenson. It premiered as the Opening Night Gala Presentation of the2021 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2021, followed by a release in theaters on September 24, 2021, in time for Platt's 28th birthday.[59][60][61] Upon the release of the film's first trailer on May 18, 2021, the casting of Platt as Evan Hansen and the appearance of the film's version of the character received substantial criticism, with viewers commenting that he, at age 27, was too old to play a high schooler. Platt, however, dismissed the response, comparing his age to those of actors who played high school students in the 1978 filmGrease.[62] The criticism against the casting went even further, with emerging claims thatnepotism was involved in the decision. On August 8, 2021, in an interview withZach Sang on his YouTube talk show, Platt said "I think the reaction is largely from people who don't understand the context of the piece — the fact that I created the role and workshopped it for three years ... Were I not to do the movie, it probably wouldn't get made. And so, I think, my defensive response is to want to go onto Twitter and be like, 'F you, guys. You don't even know that this wouldn't exist without me.' Of course, that's not true entirely and not my place to say. All I have to do is let the work speak for itself."[63]
On March 2, 2021, it was announced that Platt was in talks to star in thefilm adaptation ofGrant Ginder's novelThe People We Hate at the Wedding. His casting was announced on July 8, 2021, along withAmazon Studios being confirmed to produce the film. The film began production in September 2021 and was released worldwide on streaming platformAmazon Prime Video on November 18, 2022 .[64][65][66]
On May 17, 2022, it was announced that Platt would playLeo Frank in theNew York City Center production ofParade as the gala production of its 2022/2023 season after playing the role in a workshop conducted byRoundabout Theatre Company in 2018.[67][68] Performances ran from November 1 to 6, 2022, and critics responded positively to Platt's return to the theatre stage.[69][70] A limited Broadway run was announced on January 10, 2023, with Platt continuing his role as Leo Frank. The revival began previews on February 22, 2023, and opened on March 16, 2023, at theBernard B. Jacobs Theatre. The limited run concluded on August 6, 2023.[71] High demand for tickets on the first day of sale resulted in temporarily crashing the Telecharge ticket site, resulting in error messages and queues of an hour long.[72] On the night of the show's first preview, members of the neo-Nazi groupNational Socialist Movement protested against the production outside the theater.[73] The cast album for the production was released byInterscope Records on March 23, 2023.[74] For his performance as Leo Frank, Platt received his second Tony nomination forBest Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.
On June 9, 2022, it was announced that Platt would produce and star in the musical comedy filmTheater Camp, inspired by the 2020 short film of the same name he co-wrote withNoah Galvin,Molly Gordon, andNick Lieberman.[75][76] The film had its world premiere at the2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023, and was acquired shortly after bySearchlight Pictures for a theatrical release beginning July 14, 2023.[77][78][79] Themovie soundtrack featuring original songs written by Platt, Galvin, Gordon, and Lieberman was released on the same day byInterscope Records. The film was released on streaming serviceHulu andVOD on September 14, 2023.[80]
On August 31, 2022, before kicking off theReverie Tour, Platt confirmed that he was working on new solo music and was a third of the way through completing his next album.[81] On May 11, 2023, Platt signed with Interscope Records for his future music releases and to operate an imprint for which he will sign and develop talent.[82] On March 12, 2024, Platt announced that his third albumHoneymind would be released on May 31, 2024, with the first single "Andrew" released on March 14, 2024.[83] On March 18, 2024, it was announced that Platt would hold a three-week residency at thePalace Theatre, the first announced event at the theater since its renovations began in 2018.[84] The residency ran for 18 performances between May 28, 2024, and June 15, 2024, and included special guestsKacey Musgraves,Kristin Chenoweth,Alex Newell,Kristen Bell,Meghan Trainor,Cynthia Erivo,Laura Dreyfuss,Micaela Diamond,Gaten Matarazzo andBrian d'Arcy James.[85] On April 11, 2024, the second single "Cherry on Top" was released alongside the announcement ofThe Honeymind Tour, a 21-city North American tour that began on June 18, 2024, inBoston and concluded July 27, 2024, in Seattle.[86]
Platt is openly gay. He told his family when he was twelve years old, and publiclycame out in 2019.[87][88] On January 12, 2020, Platt began a relationship withNoah Galvin (whom he first met in 2015 and the latter succeeded Platt in the title role inDear Evan Hansen in 2017).[89][90][91] They announced their engagement on November 25, 2022, and were married over the Labor Day weekend on September 1, 2024.[92][93]
| Year | Production | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Music Man | Winthrop Paroo | Hollywood Bowl | Los Angeles |
| 2004 | Mame | Patrick Denis | ||
| Caroline, or Change | Noah Gellman | Ahmanson Theatre | National Tour | |
| 2005 | Camelot | Tom of Warwick | Hollywood Bowl | Los Angeles |
| Dead End | Philip Griswald | Ahmanson Theatre | Regional | |
| 2006 | The Sound of Music | Friedrich von Trapp | Hollywood Bowl | Los Angeles |
| 2012 | The Power of Duff | Ricky Duff | Powerhouse Theatre | Regional |
| The Black Suits | Chris Thurser | Barrington Stage Company | Regional | |
| 2012–13 | The Book of Mormon | Elder Arnold Cunningham | CIBC Theatre | Chicago |
| 2014–15 | Eugene O'Neill Theatre | Broadway | ||
| 2015 | Dear Evan Hansen | Evan Hansen | Arena Stage | Washington, D.C. |
| Alice by Heart | White Rabbit / Alfred Hallam /March Hare | MCC Theater | Workshop | |
| 2016 | The Secret Garden | Dickon Sowerby | David Geffen Hall | 25th Anniversary Concert |
| Dear Evan Hansen | Evan Hansen | Second Stage Theatre | Off-Broadway | |
| 2016–17 | Music Box Theatre | Broadway | ||
| 2018 | Parade | Leo Frank | Roundabout Theatre Company | Workshop |
| 2022 | New York City Center | Off-Broadway | ||
| 2023 | Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre | Broadway | ||
| Gutenberg! The Musical! | The Producer (One night only) | James Earl Jones Theatre | ||
| 2025 | Trisha Paytas' Big Broadway Dream! (One night only) | Himself | St. James Theatre |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Red Riding Hood | Boy Scout No. 1 | |
| 2012 | Pitch Perfect | Benji Applebaum | |
| 2015 | Pitch Perfect 2 | ||
| Ricki and the Flash | Daniel | ||
| 2016 | Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk | Josh | |
| 2017 | The Female Brain | Joel | |
| 2019 | Run This Town | Bram Shriver | [94] |
| Drunk Parents | Jason Johnson | [95] | |
| 2020 | Ben Platt Live from Radio City Music Hall | Himself | Also executive producer[41][43] |
| Theater Camp | Angelo Bassett | Short film; also writer and producer[96] | |
| Father of the Bride, Part 3(ish) | George "Georgie" Banks-MacKenzie | Short film[97] | |
| 2021 | Broken Diamonds | Scott | |
| Dear Evan Hansen | Evan Hansen | ||
| 2022 | The People We Hate at the Wedding | Paul | |
| 2023 | Theater Camp | Amos Klobuchar | Also writer and producer[98][99] |
| 2024 | Chow | Mike | Short film |
| TBA | The Technique | TBA | Filming[100] |
| TBA | Merrily We Roll Along | Charley Kringas | Filming[101] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Will & Grace | Blake | Episode: "Who's Your Daddy"[102] |
| 2019–20 | The Politician | Payton Hobart | Lead role (15 episodes); also executive producer |
| 2020 | Songland | Himself | Episode: "Ben Platt" |
| 2020 | Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 | Television special | |
| 2020 | The Simpsons | Blake (voice) | Episode: "Three Dreams Denied" |
| 2020 | The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II | Himself | Television special |
| 2021 | Big Brother 23 | Episode: "Episode 24" | |
| 2021 | The Premise | Ethan Streiber | Episode: "Social Justice Sex Tape" |
| 2022 | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars | Himself | Guest judge;[103]Season 7 Episode: "Dance Like Drag Queen" |
| 2023 | The Other Two[104] | Episode: "Brooke Hosts a Night of Undeniable Good" | |
| 2023 | Teenage Euthanasia | Phineas (voice) | Episode: "Sexually Educated" |
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [105] | AUS [106] | BEL (FL) [107] | CAN [108] | UK [109] | ||
| Sing to Me Instead | 18 | 32 | — | 57 | 79 | |
| Reverie |
| 84 | 67 | 160 | — | 32[110] |
| Honeymind |
| — | — | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released. | ||||||
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [105] | US Cast | US OST [111] | AUS [106] | CAN [108] | ||
| Dear Evan Hansen (Original Broadway Cast Recording) |
| 8 | 1 | — | 34 | 58 |
| The Politician (Music from the Netflix Original Series) |
| —[a] | — | 20 | — | — |
| Dear Evan Hansen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |
| — | — | — | — | — |
| Parade (2023 Broadway Cast Recording) |
| — | — | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released. | ||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [114] | US Adult Pop [115] | US Dance [116] | CAN Digital [117] | NZ Hot [118] | ||||
| "Waving Through a Window" | 2017 | — | — | 1 | — | — | Dear Evan Hansen (Original Broadway Cast Recording) | |
| "Found/Tonight" (withLin-Manuel Miranda) | 2018 | 49 | — | — | 19 | — | Non-album single | |
| "Bad Habit" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | Sing to Me Instead | |
| "Grow as We Go" | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| "Rain"[A] | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "So Will I"[B] | 2020 | —[C] | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Everything I Did to Get to You" (fromSongland) | —[D] | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "Imagine" (original orTiësto remix)[122] | 2021 | — | 27 | — | 48 | 33 | Reverie | |
| "Happy to Be Sad"[123] | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Andrew" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | Honeymind | |
| "Cherry on Top" | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Treehouse" (featuringBrandy Clark)[124] | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released. | ||||||||
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Ease My Mind" | 2019 | Sing to Me Instead |
| "Temporary Love" | ||
| "Yoü and I" | 2021 | Born This Way The Tenth Anniversary |
| "Waving Through a Window" | Dear Evan Hansen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | |
| "You Will Be Found" (withAmandla Stenberg, Liz Kate,DeMarius Copes,Isaac Powell, Hadiya Eshé,Kaitlyn Dever andDear Evan Hansen Choir) | ||
| "Only Us" (with Kaitlyn Dever) | ||
| "Sincerely, Me" (withColton Ryan andNik Dodani) | ||
| "This Is Not Over Yet" (withMicaela Diamond) | 2023 | Parade |
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certification | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Holiday Digital [125] | ||||
| "You Will Be Found" | 2017 | — | Dear Evan Hansen (Original Broadway Cast Recording) | |
| "Sincerely, Me" | — |
| ||
| "River" | 2019 | 24 | The Politician (Music from the Netflix Original Series) | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released. | ||||
Headlining tours
Residency
Platt was nominated for anOuter Critics Circle Award, a Drama League Distinguished Performance Award, and won[126] theObie Award[127] for Distinguished Performance by an Actor andLucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical for Dear Evan Hansen'sOff-Broadway run in 2016.[128]
On May 19, 2017, at the 83rd annualDrama League Awards, it was announced that Platt had won the organization's Distinguished Performance Award. This award, which recognizes a performance on the New York stage in the past year, can only be won once in a performer's career. In winning at the age of 23, for his work inDear Evan Hansen, Platt became the youngest winner in the award's history.[129] Platt earned aDaytime Emmy Award, aGrammy Award, and aTony Award for his performance inDear Evan Hansen. On June 11, at the71st Tony Awards, 23-year-old Platt won theTony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical, at the time becoming the youngest actor to win this award solo.[130] Platt reprised the role in the2021 film adaptation earning a nomination for theGolden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor of the year.
Platt received aGolden Globe Award nomination for his role in theNetflix seriesThe Politician in 2020. At the76th Tony Awards, Platt received his second Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical nomination for his portrayal ofLeo Frank in the2023 musical revival ofParade.
Having received an Emmy, a Grammy and a Tony, Platt is just theOscar away from achieving the EGOT.
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