Ben Platt (actor)
| Ben Platt | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Benjamin Schiff Platt September 24, 1993 Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Film and stage actor |
| Years active | 2004–present |
Benjamin Schiff "Ben" Platt[1] (born September 24, 1993) is an American film and stage actor best known for his work on Broadway as Evan in Dear Evan Hansen (a role which he originated) and Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon and,[2] on screen for his role as Benji Applebaum in the musical films Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2.
Life and career
Platt was born in Los Angeles, California,[3] the fourth of five children of Julie (née Beren) and Marc E. Platt. His father is a film, television and theater producer[4] whose credits include Wicked. His brother is actor Jonah Platt. His family is Jewish.[5] At age 11, Platt took part in a brief national tour with Caroline, or Change (originally by Jeanine Tesori and Tony Kushner). Platt studied at Los Angeles' private Harvard-Westlake School, graduating in 2011.
Platt landed a supporting role in the film Pitch Perfect as Star Wars-obsessed Benji Applebaum. He was nominated at the Teen Choice Awards for the category "Choice Movie: Male Scene Stealer" for his role in the film.
He has also collaborated on a workshop of Alice by Heart, by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater as a new take on Alice in Wonderland. Other roles include the role of Claude in Columbia Musical Theatre Society's production of Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical.[6]
Platt was accepted to Columbia University in New York, but put his university education temporarily on hold pending the end of his contract for Book of Mormon. He later began attending the school and became a member of the campus Nonsequitur A Cappella group.[4][7]
Theatre Credits
| Category | Production | Role | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago sit-down production (Broadway in Chicago)/2nd National Tour
Notes: The Book of Mormon Chicago sit-down production was a limited engagement that closed in October 2013 and became the 2nd national tour. Platt took part in the full chicago engagement but did not join the 2nd national tour, reprising his role in the Broadway production from January 2014 through January 2015.[8][9] |
The Book of Mormon
December 11, 2012 - October 6, 2013 |
Elder Cunningham | Bank of America Theatre
(Original Chicago Cast) |
| Broadway | The Book of Mormon
January 2014 - January 2015 |
Elder Cunningham | Eugene O'Neill Theatre |
| Regional | Dear Evan Hansen
July 10, 2015 - August 23, 2015 |
Evan Hansen | Arena Stage
(Original World Premiere Cast) |
| Off Broadway | Dear Evan Hansen
March 26, 2016 - May 29, 2016 |
Evan Hansen | Second Stage Theater
(Original Off Broadway Cast) |
| Broadway | Dear Evan Hansen
November 14, 2016 – Present |
Evan Hansen | Music Box Theatre
(Original Broadway Cast) |
Awards and nominations
In 2013, Platt was nominated for "Choice Movie: Male Scene Stealer" for his role in Pitch Perfect during the Teen Choice Awards.
In 2016, Platt was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his performance in Dear Evan Hansen.[10]
In 2016, Platt was nominated for a Distinguished Performance Drama League Award for his performance in Dear Evan Hansen.[11]
In 2016, Platt was awarded an Obie Award for his performance in Dear Evan Hansen.
Filmography
- 2012: Pitch Perfect as Benji Applebaum
- 2015: Pitch Perfect 2 as Benji Applebaum
- 2015: Ricki and the Flash as Daniel
- 2016: Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk as Josh
References
- ↑ Ben Platt biodata, time.mk; accessed May 17, 2015.
- ↑ Ben Platt interview, hollywoodreporter.com; accessed May 17, 2015.
- ↑ https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VL8D-G55
- 1 2 DePaulia Online: Digging into "The Book of Mormon": an interview with Ben Platt and Nic Rouleau Archived October 23, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Profile, upenn.edu; accessed May 17, 2015.
- ↑ ZOË Miller (November 13, 2012). "Ben Platt joins The Book of Mormon on the road". Columbia Spectator Daily. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ↑ Profile, columbianonseq.com; accessed May 17, 2015.
- ↑ Kerry Reid. "The youngest Elder in Book of Mormon - The 19-year-old Ben Platt steals the show as the sidekick Elder Cunningham in Chicago's show". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
- ↑ The Book of Mormon tour stars Nic Rouleau and Ben Platt to play elders Price & Cunningham on Broadway, broadway.com; accessed May 17, 2015.
- ↑ American Psycho and She Loves Me lead 2016 OCC Nominations. Retrieved May 8, 2016
- ↑ "Drama League". dramaleague.org. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
External links
- Ben Platt at the Internet Movie Database
- Ben Platt at the Internet Broadway Database
