In 2017, Platt was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.[7]
Early life
Platt was born in Los Angeles, the fourth of five children of Julie and Marc Platt. His father is a film, television, and theater producer whose credits include Legally Blonde, Into the Woods, La La Land, Mary Poppins Returns, the musical Wicked, and it’s film adaptation. [8] He has two sisters and two brothers, including actor Jonah Platt.[9] He and his family are Jewish.[10]
In 2012, Platt was cast as Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Chicago production of The Book of Mormon. The show premiered at the Bank 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 on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre from January 7, 2014, to January 6, 2015.[18]
Platt became attached to Steven Levenson and Pasek and Paul's then Untitled P&P Project in 2014, participating in early read-throughs and workshops.[20] By 2015, the musical, titled Dear Evan Hansen, had begun production in Washington, D.C. at the Arena Stage with Platt originating the title role. The show premiered on July 9, 2015, and it closed on August 23, 2015.[21] The overwhelming positive reception toward the production and Platt's performance resulted in the show being transferred to Off-Broadway.[22]
In 2016, Platt once again originated the role of Evan Hansen at Second 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]
Ben Platt in 2017
In December 2016, Platt originated the title role in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway at the Music 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 the Tony 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 until Myles Frost won the award in 2022.[27][28] Platt played his final performance on November 19, 2017.[29]
In January 2019, Platt announced that his debut studio album Sing 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, at Radio 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 entitled Ben Platt Live from Radio City Music Hall, would be released on Netflix on May 20, 2020.[43]
Platt starred as Payton Hobart on the Netflix comedy-drama series The 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 a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy for his performance in the series' first season.[50]
In April 2021, Platt teased the chorus of his new single, "Imagine", on TikTok. The complete song was released on April 23, 2021, followed by a remix by Dutch electronic producer Tiësto 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] The Reverie 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, in Seattle, Washington before concluding in Hollywood, 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" by Lady Gaga, as part of the tenth anniversary of the Born This Way album.
On November 29, 2018, it was announced that Universal Pictures and Platt's father, Marc Platt, secured the film rights to Dear Evan Hansen.[58] On June 18, 2020, Platt confirmed that he was set to reprise his role as Evan Hansen in the film, which would be directed by Stephen Chbosky from a screenplay by Levenson. It premiered as the Opening Night Gala Presentation of the 2021 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 film Grease.[62] The criticism against the casting went even further, with emerging claims that nepotism was involved in the decision. On August 8, 2021, in an interview with Zach 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 May 17, 2022, it was announced that Platt would play Leo Frank in the New York City Center production of Parade as the gala production of its 2022/2023 season after playing the role in a workshop conducted by Roundabout 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 the Bernard 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 group National Socialist Movement protested against the production outside the theater.[73] The cast album for the production was released by Interscope Records on March 23, 2023.[74] For his performance as Leo Frank, Platt received his second Tony nomination for Best 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 film Theater Camp, inspired by the 2020 short film of the same name he co-wrote with Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, and Nick Lieberman.[75][76] The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023, and was acquired shortly after by Searchlight Pictures for a theatrical release beginning July 14, 2023.[77][78][79] The movie soundtrack featuring original songs written by Platt, Galvin, Gordon, and Lieberman was released on the same day by Interscope Records. The film was released on streaming service Hulu and VOD on September 14, 2023.[80]
On August 31, 2022, before kicking off the Reverie 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 album Honeymind 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 the Palace 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 guests Kacey Musgraves, Kristin Chenoweth, Alex Newell, Kristen Bell, Meghan Trainor, Cynthia Erivo, Laura Dreyfuss, Micaela Diamond, Gaten Matarazzo and Brian d'Arcy James.[85] On April 11, 2024, the second single "Cherry on Top" was released alongside the announcement of The Honeymind Tour, a 21-city North American tour that began on June 18, 2024, in Boston and concluded July 27, 2024, in Seattle.[86]
Personal life
Platt is openly gay. He told his family when he was twelve years old, and publicly came out in 2019.[87][88] On January 12, 2020, Platt began a relationship with Noah Galvin (who he first met in 2015 and the latter succeeded Platt in the title role in Dear 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]
Platt received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in the Netflix series The Politician in 2020. Platt received his second Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical nomination at the 76th Tony Awards for his performance as Leo Frank in the 2023 musical revival of Parade.
Michael Frank Park is an American actor, best known for his roles as Jack Snyder on As the World Turns, Larry Murphy in the original Broadway cast of Dear Evan Hansen (2016), and reporter Tom Holloway in the third season of the Netflix series Stranger Things (2019).
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, known together as Pasek and Paul, are an American songwriting duo and composing team for musical theater, films and television.
Taylor Hunt Trensch is an American stage and film actor.
Dear Evan Hansen is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson. The musical follows Evan Hansen, a high school senior with social anxiety, "who invents an important role for himself in a tragedy that he did not earn".
Noah Egidi Galvin is an American actor and singer. He portrayed Kenny O'Neal in the ABC sitcom The Real O'Neals and was the second person to perform the title role in the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen. He also played Dr. Asher Wolke in the TV series The Good Doctor, originated the role of the Duchess in the off-Broadway musical Alice by Heart, and sung as Brian on the cast recording of the musical adaptation of Goosebumps. For his performance in Theater Camp, Galvin received a nomination for Best Supporting Performance at the 39th Independent Spirit Awards.
Rachel Bay Jones is an American actress and singer. She has played the roles of Catherine in the 2013 Broadway revival of Pippin and Evan Hansen's mother, Heidi Hansen, in Dear Evan Hansen. The latter earned her an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and the 2017 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She emerged as one of few artists to have received three of the four major American entertainment awards.
Dear Evan Hansen: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the 2021 film of the same name, released on September 24, 2021, by Interscope Records. Based on the eponymous stage musical by Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the film is directed by Stephen Chbosky, with Levenson writing the screenplay and stars Ben Platt in the title role, reprising his role from the stage performance.
Dear Evan Hansen: Original Broadway Cast Recording is the cast album to the 2015 musical Dear Evan Hansen, with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson. The recording stars Ben Platt, Rachel Bay Jones, Laura Dreyfuss, Jennifer Laura Thompson, Michael Park, Mike Faist, Will Roland and Kristolyn Lloyd. The album was produced by Alex Lacamoire, Pasek and Paul, and featuring musicians include Rob Jost, Adele Stein, Justin Smith, Ben Cohn, Jamie Eblen, Dillon Kondor, Justin Goldner, Christopher Jahnke and Todd Low. The album was released by Atlantic Records on January 27, 2017, and featured at #8 on the Billboard 200, making the highest debut for a cast album after Camelot (1961). It also topped the Internet Albums chart. It further received the Best Musical Theater Album award at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.
William Frederick Roland is an American actor and singer, best known for originating the role of Jared Kleinman in the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen, for which he received a Grammy and Daytime Emmy Award. On film, he is known for his role in the drama film One Penny. Most recently, he played the lead role of Jeremy Heere in the musical Be More Chill both off-Broadway and on Broadway.
Michael David Faist is an American actor. He is the recipient of a Grammy and a Daytime Emmy Award, with nominations for a Tony and a British Academy Film Award.
"Waving Through a Window" is the second song from Act 1 of the 2015 musical Dear Evan Hansen, which premiered on Broadway in 2016. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul wrote both the music and lyrics for the song, which serves as the main protagonist Evan Hansen's "I Want" song. It has since become the signature tune of the character, one of the musical's most famous songs and an anthem for those who have felt depressed and alone and show a desire for connection.
"You Will Be Found" is the Act 1 finale of the 2015 musical Dear Evan Hansen, which premiered on Broadway in 2016. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul wrote both the music and lyrics to the song.
Justin Goldner is an American music producer, songwriter, arranger and session musician based in New York City, originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Micaela Diamond is an American actress and singer. She made her Broadway debut as Babe in The Cher Show (2018–2019). Diamond starred in the critically acclaimed Broadway revival of the musical Parade as Lucille Frank, a performance for which she was nominated for the 2023 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album.
Colton Ryan is an American actor and singer. He is known for his performance as Conrad Roy in Hulu's miniseries, The Girl from Plainville (2022), for which he garnered critical acclaim, and for playing Connor Murphy, a role which he understudied in the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen and reprised in the 2021 film adaptation. He is also known for playing the main role of Samuel on the Apple TV+ series Little Voice and originating the roles of Gene Laine in Girl from the North Country and Jim Doyle in New York, New York, the latter of which earned him a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical.
"Imagine" is a song by American actor and singer-songwriter Ben Platt. It was written by Platt, with additional writing from Michael Pollack, Eskeerdo, Stefan Johnson, Jon Bellion and The Monsters & Strangerz, the latter two of whom also served as music producers for the song. It was released as the lead single from his second studio album, Reverie, on April 23, 2021, followed by a remixed version by Tiësto on May 28, 2021.
Reverie is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Ben Platt, released August 13, 2021, through Atlantic Records. Two singles preceded the album: "Imagine" on April 23, and "Happy to Be Sad" on July 16.
"Sincerely, Me" is a song from Act 1 of the 2015 musical Dear Evan Hansen, which premiered on Broadway in 2016. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul wrote both the music and lyrics to the song, whose title takes its name from the phrase with which the musical's main protagonist, Evan Hansen, ends his daily letters to himself.
"Only Us" is a song from Act 2 of the 2015 musical Dear Evan Hansen, which premiered on Broadway in 2016. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul wrote both the music and lyrics to the song.
Evan Hansen is the titular character and main protagonist of the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen by Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. A bullied 17-year-old high schooler with social anxiety and depression, who lives with his single mother Heidi Hansen after she divorced from his father Mark Hansen ten years before, he attempts to find the acceptance and love he has been lacking in his life. On his journey to be found, he discovers the consequences of risking it all for the chance to be heard.
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