Ben Platt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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
Occupation	Actor singer songwriter
Years active	2002–present
Spouse(s)	Noah Galvin ​ (m. 2024)​
Parent(s)	Marc Platt (father) Julie Platt (mother)
Musical career
Genres	Broadway • Pop • Folk
Instruments	Vocals piano
Labels	Atlantic Interscope

Benjamin Schiff Platt (born September 24, 1993) is a talented American actor and singer. He is the son of famous film and theater producer Marc Platt. Ben started acting in musical theater when he was a child.

He became very well-known for playing the main character, Evan Hansen, in the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen. This show is about growing up and finding your place. For this role, Ben won many awards, including a Tony Award. He was the youngest person at the time to win this award by himself! He also won a Daytime Emmy and a Grammy Award. Ben later played Evan Hansen again in the movie version of the musical in 2021.

Ben has also been in movies like the Pitch Perfect series (from 2012 to 2017) and Theater Camp (2023), which he also helped write. Since 2019, he has starred in the Netflix TV show The Politician. For this role, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

In 2017, Ben signed with Atlantic Records and released his first album, Sing to Me Instead, in 2019. His second album, Reverie, came out in 2021. In 2024, he released his third album, Honeymind. In 2017, Time magazine named him one of the most influential people in the world.

Ben's Early Life and Family

Ben Platt was born in Los Angeles, California. He is the fourth of five children. His mom is Julie Platt and his dad is Marc Platt, a well-known producer. His dad has produced many famous movies and musicals. These include Legally Blonde, La La Land, and the musical Wicked. Ben has two sisters and two brothers, including actor Jonah Platt. His family is Jewish.

He went to the Adderley School for Performing Arts. There, he acted in plays like Bye Bye Birdie. Ben graduated from Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles in 2011. He then started college at Columbia University in New York. But he left after only seven weeks to act in The Book of Mormon. While at Columbia, he was part of an a cappella singing group called Nonsequitur.

Ben's Acting and Singing Journey

Starting Out: Stage Roles and The Book of Mormon (2002–2014)

When Ben was just 9 years old, he played Winthrop Paroo in The Music Man at the Hollywood Bowl. At 11, he was in a national tour of Caroline, or Change. At 17, he played Jean Valjean in a production of Les Misérables.

In 2012, Ben was cast as Elder Arnold Cunningham in The Book of Mormon in Chicago. Critics really liked his performance. He later played the same role on Broadway from 2014 to 2015.

Movies and Dear Evan Hansen (2015–2017)

In 2012, Ben had a supporting role in the musical comedy movie Pitch Perfect. He played Benji Applebaum, a character who loves magic. The movie was a big success. He was even nominated for a Teen Choice Award. Ben played Benji again in the sequel, Pitch Perfect 2, in 2015. He also appeared in other films like Ricki and the Flash.

In 2014, Ben started working on a new musical called Dear Evan Hansen. He was involved in early readings and workshops for the show. In 2015, the musical began in Washington, D.C., with Ben playing the main character, Evan Hansen. The show was a huge hit, especially because of Ben's amazing performance.

Ben Platt in 2017

In 2016, Dear Evan Hansen moved to Off-Broadway, and Ben continued his role. Then, in December 2016, he brought the show to Broadway. Critics praised his work, calling it "historic." At 23 years old, Ben won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. This made him the youngest solo winner in that category. He left the show in November 2017.

First Album and The Politician (2017–2020)

After Dear Evan Hansen, Ben signed a record deal with Atlantic Records in 2017. In 2018, he performed "Somewhere" at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. He also released a song called "Found/Tonight" with Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of Hamilton. They donated some of the money from the song to support the March for Our Lives movement against gun violence.

In January 2019, Ben announced his first album, Sing to Me Instead, which came out in March 2019. He then went on his first North American tour. The final show at Radio City Music Hall in New York City was filmed for Netflix. This concert film, Ben Platt Live from Radio City Music Hall, was released in May 2020.

Ben also stars as Payton Hobart in the Netflix series The Politician. The show is about a very determined teenager who wants to become President. Ben was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role in the first season.

Reverie, Parade, and More (2021–Present)

In April 2021, Ben released a new single called "Imagine". In July, he announced his second album, Reverie, which was released in August 2021. He then went on the Reverie tour in 2022.

In 2021, Ben reprised his role as Evan Hansen in the movie version of the musical. Some people thought he looked too old to play a high school student at 27. Ben said that actors often play characters younger than themselves.

Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond with First Lady Jill Biden at the White House in 2023.

In 2022, Ben played Leo Frank in a production of Parade at New York City Center. The show was very popular and moved to Broadway in 2023. For his performance, Ben received another Tony nomination.

In 2023, Ben produced and starred in the musical comedy film Theater Camp. He also helped write the movie. It premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and was released in theaters in July 2023.

Ben signed with Interscope Records in 2023 for his future music. In March 2024, he announced his third album, Honeymind, which was released in May 2024. He also had a special three-week concert series at the Palace Theatre in New York City.

Personal Life

Ben Platt is married to actor Noah Galvin. They met in 2015, and Noah later took over Ben's role as Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen in 2017. They got engaged in November 2022 and were married in September 2024.

Acting Credits

Theater

Film

Television

Discography

Studio albums

Soundtrack and cast albums

Singles

Promotional singles

Other charted and certified songs

Tours and Residency

Headlining tours

• Sing to Me Instead Tour (2019)
• Reverie Tour (2022)
• Honeymind Tour (2024)

Residency

• Ben Platt: Live at the Palace (2024)

Awards and Nominations

Ben Platt and Rachel Bay Jones with their Tony Awards for Dear Evan Hansen

Ben Platt has won many awards for his acting and singing. For his role in Dear Evan Hansen Off-Broadway in 2016, he won an Obie Award and a Lucille Lortel Award.

In 2017, Ben won the Drama League Distinguished Performance Award. This award can only be won once in a performer's career. At 23, Ben became the youngest person to win it for his work in Dear Evan Hansen. He also won a Daytime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award for Dear Evan Hansen. At the 71st Tony Awards, he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, becoming the youngest solo winner.

In 2020, Ben was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role in the Netflix series The Politician. He received his second Tony Award nomination in 2023 for his performance as Leo Frank in the musical Parade.

Ben has won an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony Award. This means he is only an Oscar away from achieving the EGOT, which is a huge achievement in entertainment!

See also

In Spanish: Ben Platt para niños

• LGBT culture in New York City