Ben Platt (actor)

Ben Platt
Born Benjamin Schiff Platt
(1993-09-24) 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 actor and singer known for his role as Benji Applebaum in the musical films Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2. He performed on Broadway in The Book of Mormon.[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 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.

Next, Platt got a major role as Elder Cunningham in the musical The Book of Mormon at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago, Illinois alongside Nic Rouleau.[4] His role had been played by Josh Gad in the original Broadway cast. On October 21, 2013, it was announced that Platt would be reprising his role as Elder Cunningham in the Broadway production of Book of Mormon beginning in January 2014.[6][7]

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.[8]

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][9]

Platt is performing the title role in the new musical Dear Evan Hansen, written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. The musical runs at the Arena Stage (Washington, D.C.) from July 10 to August 23, 2015,[10] and will transfer to New York's Second Stage Theater in 2016.[11]

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.

Filmography

References

  1. ↑ Ben Platt biodata, time.mk; accessed May 17, 2015.
  2. ↑ Ben Platt interview, hollywoodreporter.com; accessed May 17, 2015.
  3. ↑ https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VL8D-G55
  4. 1 2 3 DePaulia Online: Digging into "The Book of Mormon": an interview with Ben Platt and Nic Rouleau
  5. ↑ Profile, upenn.edu; accessed May 17, 2015.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ The Book of Mormon tour stars Nic Rouleau and Ben Platt to play elders Price & Cunningham on Broadway, broadway.com; accessed May 17, 2015.
  8. ↑ ZOË MILLER (October 20, 2013). "Ben Platt joins The Book of Mormon on the road". Columbia Spectator Daily.
  9. ↑ Profile, columbianonseq.com; accessed May 17, 2015.
  10. ↑ Gioia, Michael. "Pasek and Paul's Dear Evan Hansen, About the High School Struggle to Fit In, Premieres in D.C." Playbill.com, July 30, 2015
  11. ↑ http://variety.com/2015/legit/news/dear-evan-hansen-musical-off-broadway-second-stage-theater-1201569707/

External links

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