# Ben Platt
**Ben Platt** (Benjamin Platt) is an American actor, singer, and songwriter who rose to prominence originating the title role in the Broadway musical *Dear Evan Hansen* (2015–2017), for which he won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical as the youngest solo recipient of that award at the time[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Platt/). He has since added a Grammy Award and a Daytime Emmy, released three studio albums, and returned to Broadway as [Leo Frank](https://www.edgepedia.org/leo-frank) in the 2023 revival of *Parade*[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Platt/). He is the son of film and theater producer Marc Platt, whose credits as a producer range from *Wicked* to *La La Land*, and philanthropist Julie Platt[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Platt/) • [2](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/ben-platt-dear-evan-hansen-midnight-never-get-b3016974.html).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Breakthrough role | Originated Evan Hansen in *Dear Evan Hansen* on Broadway, 2015–2017; won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical as the youngest solo recipient of the award at the time, plus a Daytime Emmy and a Grammy[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Platt/) |
| Early career | Child musical theater work including *The Sound of Music* (2006) and *The Music Man* at the Hollywood Bowl at age nine; Broadway debut as Elder Cunningham in *The Book of Mormon* after originating the role in Chicago[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Platt/) • [3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ben-platt-mn0002804667) • [4](https://www.arenastage.org/globalassets/press-room/releases_1516/dear-evan-hansen-full-production-release-web.pdf) |
| Film work | Benji in the *Pitch Perfect* series (2012–2017), *Ricki and the Flash* (2015), *Run This Town* (2019), and *Theater Camp* (2023), which he co-wrote[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Platt/) |
| Recording career | Debut album *Sing to Me Instead* (2019, Atlantic Records) reached number 18 on the Billboard 200; followed by *Reverie* (2021) and *Honeymind* (2024)[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ben-platt-mn0002804667) • [5](https://www.elle.com/culture/theater/a60924282/ben-platt-interview-palace-residency/) |
| *Parade* revival | Played Leo Frank in the 2023 Broadway revival, earning Tony and Grammy nominations; his first return to Broadway since *Dear Evan Hansen*[6](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-05-18/ben-platt-tony-award-parade-leo-frank) • [7](https://apnews.com/article/f4f424fb3dd2b6759ac2db8d7c6651ac) |
| London debut | *Midnight at the Never Get* at the Menier Chocolate Factory (2026), his first full theatrical run in London, directed by David Cromer[8](https://playbill.com/article/midnight-at-the-never-get-starring-tony-winner-ben-platt-begins-london-run-july-11) • [9](https://theatreweekly.com/review-midnight-at-the-never-get-at-menier-chocolate-factory/) |
| Family | Son of producer Marc Platt and philanthropist Julie Platt; married to actor Noah Galvin[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Platt/) • [10](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jul/20/ben-platt-actor-interview-queer-musical-midnight-at-the-never-get) |
## Early life and stage beginnings
Platt grew up in a show-business family; his father, Marc Platt, is a producer whose projects include *Wicked* and *La La Land*[2](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/ben-platt-dear-evan-hansen-midnight-never-get-b3016974.html). He has said he caught the acting bug at age nine, when he was cast as Winthrop in *The Music Man* at the [Hollywood Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/hollywood-bowl) alongside [Kristin Chenoweth](https://www.edgepedia.org/kristin-chenoweth) and [Eric McCormack](https://www.edgepedia.org/eric-mccormack)[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ben-platt-mn0002804667). As a child he appeared in productions of *The Sound of Music* (2006) and *The Secret Garden*, and regional credits included *The Black Suits* at Barrington Stage, *Dead End* at the Ahmanson, and *The Music Man*, *Mame*, and *Camelot*[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Platt/) • [11](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Benjamin-Platt/). In an interview with the *Guardian*, Platt recalled early signs of his theatrical bent: he asked for a fog machine for his seventh birthday for a bedroom production of *Cinderella*, and clip-on microphones at eight or nine[10](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jul/20/ben-platt-actor-interview-queer-musical-midnight-at-the-never-get).
He enrolled at Columbia University's School of General Studies in the early 2010s but stayed only a matter of weeks before dropping out to accept the role of Benji in the 2012 film comedy-musical *Pitch Perfect*[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ben-platt-mn0002804667) • [12](https://magazine.columbia.edu/print/pdf/node/10051). In 2012 he originated the role of Elder Cunningham in the Chicago production of *The Book of Mormon*, winning a BroadwayWorld Chicago Award for Best Actor in a Touring Production, and made his Broadway debut in the same role, with *The New York Times* calling his performance "sensational"[4](https://www.arenastage.org/globalassets/press-room/releases_1516/dear-evan-hansen-full-production-release-web.pdf).
## Dear Evan Hansen
Platt workshopped *Dear Evan Hansen* starting in 2014, when he was already 20, and developed the title role through readings, the out-of-town production at Arena Stage, and the [Off-Broadway](https://www.edgepedia.org/off-broadway) run before it reached Broadway in 2016[13](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/ben-platt-evan-hansen-album-b1884708.html) • [4](https://www.arenastage.org/globalassets/press-room/releases_1516/dear-evan-hansen-full-production-release-web.pdf). The musical, about a lonely teenager whose absent-minded lie about a deceased classmate spirals out of control, turned Platt into an international phenomenon. "I really built it with the writers and a lot of me, my rhythms, my voice and who I am is embedded in the character," he told *The Independent*[13](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/ben-platt-evan-hansen-album-b1884708.html).
**Awards and recognition.** His performance won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, making him the youngest solo recipient of the award at the time, as well as the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance, of which he was also the youngest winner[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Platt/) • [14](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/stars/ben-platt/profile/). The role's cast recording earned him a Grammy, and the role's televised performance material a Daytime Emmy[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Platt/).
## The 2021 film adaptation
[Universal Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/universal-pictures) agreed to produce the film adaptation of *Dear Evan Hansen* only on the condition that Platt reprise the role, and he was the sole original cast member to do so[13](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/ben-platt-evan-hansen-album-b1884708.html) • [15](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/09/09/dear-evan-hansen-review-ben-platt-toronto). The film, directed by [Stephen Chbosky](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-chbosky) and produced by his father, faced wide criticism after its 2021 release[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Platt/). Much of the backlash focused on Platt's age: he was 27 when filming began[16](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/dear-evan-hansen-review-film-b1942505.html). Reviewers also argued that his highly articulated stage performance, with Evan's hunched gait and stammered speech, read as mannered on film rather than as it had from the back of a theater[15](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/09/09/dear-evan-hansen-review-ben-platt-toronto). Platt later called the reaction painful but said it did not tarnish his bond to the character: "sometimes it doesn't go well and you have to let the rollercoaster dip so that it can go back up"[10](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jul/20/ben-platt-actor-interview-queer-musical-midnight-at-the-never-get).
## Screen work and Theater Camp
Beyond *Pitch Perfect*, Platt's film credits include *Ricki and the Flash* (2015) with [Meryl Streep](https://www.edgepedia.org/meryl-streep), *Run This Town* (2019), and *Theater Camp* (2023)[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Platt/). *Theater Camp*, about the afterlife of a beloved adirondacks drama camp, grew from a 2020 short film and was co-written by Platt, Molly Gordon, Noah Galvin, and [Nick Lieberman](https://www.edgepedia.org/nick-lieberman), who were all theater kids themselves; it incorporates real footage of Platt and Gordon performing together as children[17](https://apnews.com/article/ed167ee354764e8ec382d699e1093b87) • [14](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/stars/ben-platt/profile/). On television he starred in Ryan Murphy's Netflix series *The Politician*, and his career on screen and stage led to a record deal with [Atlantic Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlantic-records)[7](https://apnews.com/article/f4f424fb3dd2b6759ac2db8d7c6651ac).
## Parade and the return to Broadway
In November 2022 Platt returned to the New York stage for the first time since *Dear Evan Hansen*, leading New York City Center's annual gala concert production of *Parade* opposite [Micaela Diamond](https://www.edgepedia.org/micaela-diamond), directed by [Michael Arden](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-arden) with composer [Jason Robert Brown](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-robert-brown) conducting[18](https://www.vogue.com/article/ben-platt-parade). The production transferred to Broadway, opening March 16, 2023 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre[7](https://apnews.com/article/f4f424fb3dd2b6759ac2db8d7c6651ac).
*Parade*, with a book by Alfred Uhry and music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, dramatizes the 1913 trial of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory manager in [Marietta, Georgia](https://www.edgepedia.org/marietta-georgia), falsely accused of murdering a 13-year-old girl; the case prompted the founding of the [Anti-Defamation League](https://www.edgepedia.org/anti-defamation-league), and Frank was lynched by a mob after his death sentence was commuted[18](https://www.vogue.com/article/ben-platt-parade) • [7](https://apnews.com/article/f4f424fb3dd2b6759ac2db8d7c6651ac). Platt grew up listening to the show's songs and called it a "hidden gem" that closed within months in 1998 despite later winning Tonys for best book and score[7](https://apnews.com/article/f4f424fb3dd2b6759ac2db8d7c6651ac). The revival arrived amid a wave of antisemitism, and its first preview was marred by a few neo-Nazi protesters outside the theater[7](https://apnews.com/article/f4f424fb3dd2b6759ac2db8d7c6651ac). Reviewers praised Platt's pricklier take on Frank, and he earned Tony and Grammy nominations for the performance[19](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2023/mar/16/parade-broadway-musical-review-ben-platt-micaela-diamond) • [6](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-05-18/ben-platt-tony-award-parade-leo-frank).
## Recording career
Platt signed with Atlantic Records in 2017 and released his debut studio album, *Sing to Me Instead*, in March 2019; it reached number 18 on the Billboard 200[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Platt/) • [3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ben-platt-mn0002804667). He followed it with the singles "Found / Tonight" with Lin-Manuel Miranda and "Grow as We Go," the latter reworked as a duet with Sara Bareilles in 2019[20](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621229778) • [3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ben-platt-mn0002804667). His second album, *Reverie*, was released on August 13, 2021 and supported a tour[13](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/ben-platt-evan-hansen-album-b1884708.html). His third album, *Honeymind*, was released on May 31, 2024, celebrated with a Broadway residency at the Palace Theatre, a venue he connected to his hero Judy Garland[5](https://www.elle.com/culture/theater/a60924282/ben-platt-interview-palace-residency/) • [21](https://broadwaydirect.com/ben-platt-on-his-upcoming-broadway-residency-at-the-palace-theatre/). On August 10, 2025 he released a streaming version of Addison Rae's song "Diet Pepsi" after performing it at the 2025 Las Culturista Culture Awards[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Platt/).
## London and recent stage work
In March 2026 Platt made his West End debut in a concert production of Jason Robert Brown's *The Last Five Years* at the London Palladium, opposite Rachel Zegler, for a limited one-week engagement marking the show's 25th anniversary[1](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Platt/).
In July 2026 he began his first full theatrical run in London as Trevor Copeland in the UK premiere of *Midnight at the Never Get* at the Menier Chocolate Factory, directed by David Cromer, with book, music, and lyrics by Mark Sonnenblick, the writer of the Grammy- and Oscar-winning "Golden" from *KPop Demon Hunters*[8](https://playbill.com/article/midnight-at-the-never-get-starring-tony-winner-ben-platt-begins-london-run-july-11) • [9](https://theatreweekly.com/review-midnight-at-the-never-get-at-menier-chocolate-factory/). The intimate cabaret musical, set in a 1960s Greenwich Village gay bar, stars Platt as a lounge singer recounting his love affair with a songwriter, played by Gregor Milne[2](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/ben-platt-dear-evan-hansen-midnight-never-get-b3016974.html). Platt described the role as a milestone: after years of straight stage characters in *The Book of Mormon*, *Parade*, and *Dear Evan Hansen*, it was the first time he played a queer character on stage, singing "expressly queer songs with details of queer romance"[10](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jul/20/ben-platt-actor-interview-queer-musical-midnight-at-the-never-get). London critics were broadly positive; the *Guardian* praised his "sky-gliding voice," and *Time Out* called his performance superb in a four-star review[22](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jul/21/midnight-at-the-never-get-review-ben-platt-menier-chocolate-factory-london-) • [23](https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/midnight-at-the-never-get-review).
## Personal life
Platt told his family he liked boys when he was 12, and he has said his parents always knew[2](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/ben-platt-dear-evan-hansen-midnight-never-get-b3016974.html). He is married to the actor Noah Galvin, who briefly replaced him as Evan Hansen on Broadway; the two met through that production and have been public about their relationship since 2021[13](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/ben-platt-evan-hansen-album-b1884708.html) • [10](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jul/20/ben-platt-actor-interview-queer-musical-midnight-at-the-never-get). Platt has spoken openly about living with anxiety and credits his marriage and creative work with helping him manage it[10](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jul/20/ben-platt-actor-interview-queer-musical-midnight-at-the-never-get).
## References
1. [Ben Platt (Actor) - Broadway & Theatre Credits, Bio, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ben-Platt/)
2. [Ben Platt: 'My parents always knew I was gay – I asked for a fog machine at 7', The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/ben-platt-dear-evan-hansen-midnight-never-get-b3016974.html)
3. [Ben Platt — Biography, Discography & Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ben-platt-mn0002804667)
4. [Arena Stage announces full company for Dear Evan Hansen (press release)](https://www.arenastage.org/globalassets/press-room/releases_1516/dear-evan-hansen-full-production-release-web.pdf)
5. [Ben Platt Shares How the Cast of Parade Came Together, Elle](https://www.elle.com/culture/theater/a60924282/ben-platt-interview-palace-residency/)
6. [Ben Platt, up for a Tony for his performance in 'Parade', Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-05-18/ben-platt-tony-award-parade-leo-frank)
7. [Broadway's 'Parade' fights hatred both onstage and off, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/f4f424fb3dd2b6759ac2db8d7c6651ac)
8. [Midnight at the Never Get, Starring Tony Winner Ben Platt, Begins London Run July 11, Playbill](https://playbill.com/article/midnight-at-the-never-get-starring-tony-winner-ben-platt-begins-london-run-july-11)
9. [Review: Midnight at the Never Get at Menier Chocolate Factory, Theatre Weekly](https://theatreweekly.com/review-midnight-at-the-never-get-at-menier-chocolate-factory/)
10. ['Being American feels helpless and scary': actor Ben Platt on nerves, queer songs and why he couldn't do it without his husband, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jul/20/ben-platt-actor-interview-queer-musical-midnight-at-the-never-get)
11. [Benjamin Platt (Actor) - Broadway & Theatre Credits, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Benjamin-Platt/)
12. [Columbia Magazine on Ben Platt and the School of General Studies](https://magazine.columbia.edu/print/pdf/node/10051)
13. [Ben Platt: 'Evan Hansen is a painful role to live in all the time', The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/ben-platt-evan-hansen-album-b1884708.html)
14. [Ben Platt Biography, Broadway.com Buzz](https://www.broadway.com/buzz/stars/ben-platt/profile/)
15. [Even on Film, 'Dear Evan Hansen' Can't Fix the Musical's Main Problem, Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/09/09/dear-evan-hansen-review-ben-platt-toronto)
16. [Dear Evan Hansen review: Teen musical is sabotaged by creative mistakes, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/dear-evan-hansen-review-film-b1942505.html)
17. [Friendship lies behind Sundance comedy 'Theater Camp', AP News](https://apnews.com/article/ed167ee354764e8ec382d699e1093b87)
18. [Ben Platt Is Back on the New York Stage in a Timely Production of Parade, Vogue](https://www.vogue.com/article/ben-platt-parade)
19. [Parade review – resonant, beautifully performed Broadway revival, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2023/mar/16/parade-broadway-musical-review-ben-platt-micaela-diamond)
20. [Ben Platt - Movies, TV Shows, Music, Apple Snapshot](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621229778)
21. [Ben Platt on His Upcoming Broadway Residency at the Palace Theatre, Broadway Direct](https://broadwaydirect.com/ben-platt-on-his-upcoming-broadway-residency-at-the-palace-theatre/)
22. [Midnight at the Never Get review – Ben Platt soars in honey-hearted cabaret-musical, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/jul/21/midnight-at-the-never-get-review-ben-platt-menier-chocolate-factory-london-)
23. [Midnight at the Never Get, Menier Chocolate Factory review, Time Out London](https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/midnight-at-the-never-get-review)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Theater and dance › Stage practitioners and craft › Acting: theory, technique, and teachers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license