Ben Levi Ross | |
---|---|
Born | January 15, 1998 |
Education | Carnegie Mellon University |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 2017–present |
Benjamin Levi Ross [1] (born January 15, 1998) [2][ non-primary source needed] is an American stage actor and singer. He [a] is best known for his work in the Tony Award winning musical Dear Evan Hansen, where he was an understudy for the roles of Evan, Connor and Jared on Broadway and Evan in the national tour.
Ross was born to a Jewish family on January 15, 1998, and grew up in Santa Monica, California. [2] [3][ non-primary source needed] He attended Santa Monica High School, where he was active in his school's theater program. In 2016, he was named a Presidential Scholar of the Arts as part of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. [4] [5] He was also a grand prize finalist for the 2016 Music Center Spotlight awards. [6] [7] Following high school, he attended Carnegie Mellon University for a year and a half. [8]
At an audition for the play The Low Road at New York's Public Theater, Ross was noticed by Dear Evan Hansen director Michael Greif, who told Ross that he would be great as an understudy in the cast of Dear Evan Hansen. Soon after, he joined Dear Evan Hansen's cast, and made his Broadway debut as the character Jared. Ross then spent ten months understudying for the roles of Evan, Connor, and Jared. [8] [9] In 2018, he left the Broadway company and joined the first national tour of the show in the titular role. [10] [11] He left the production on September 15, 2019. [12][ non-primary source needed] From January 29 to February 3, 2020, Ross starred as Henry in the Kennedy Center's production of Next to Normal. [13] In 2021, Ross appeared in the film Tick, Tick... Boom! as Freddy. [14]
Ross is gay and non-binary, using they/them and he/him pronouns. [15][ non-primary source needed] [16]
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Tick, Tick... Boom! | Freddy |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017–18 | Dear Evan Hansen | Jared, Connor, Evan (understudy) | Music Box Theater | [8] |
2018–19 | Evan | National tour | [9] [10] | |
2020 | Next to Normal | Henry | Limited run at the Kennedy Center | [13] |
2022 | Dear Evan Hansen | Evan | Limited 8-week engagement at the Music Box Theater | [17] |
2024 | The Connector | Ethan Dobson | MCC Theater (Off-Broadway) | [18] |
2024 | Gatsby: An American Myth | Nick Carraway | American Repertory Theatre | [19] |
Year | Award | Category | Show | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards | Best Leading Actor in a Musical - Tour | Dear Evan Hansen | Won | [20] |
BroadwayWorld Washington D.C. Awards | Best Actor in a Musical - Large Professional Theatre | Won | [21] | ||
2020 | Eliot Norton Awards | Outstanding Visiting Musical Performance | Won | [22] [23] |
Ben Levi Ross | |
---|---|
Born | January 15, 1998 |
Education | Carnegie Mellon University |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 2017–present |
Benjamin Levi Ross [1] (born January 15, 1998) [2][ non-primary source needed] is an American stage actor and singer. He [a] is best known for his work in the Tony Award winning musical Dear Evan Hansen, where he was an understudy for the roles of Evan, Connor and Jared on Broadway and Evan in the national tour.
Ross was born to a Jewish family on January 15, 1998, and grew up in Santa Monica, California. [2] [3][ non-primary source needed] He attended Santa Monica High School, where he was active in his school's theater program. In 2016, he was named a Presidential Scholar of the Arts as part of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. [4] [5] He was also a grand prize finalist for the 2016 Music Center Spotlight awards. [6] [7] Following high school, he attended Carnegie Mellon University for a year and a half. [8]
At an audition for the play The Low Road at New York's Public Theater, Ross was noticed by Dear Evan Hansen director Michael Greif, who told Ross that he would be great as an understudy in the cast of Dear Evan Hansen. Soon after, he joined Dear Evan Hansen's cast, and made his Broadway debut as the character Jared. Ross then spent ten months understudying for the roles of Evan, Connor, and Jared. [8] [9] In 2018, he left the Broadway company and joined the first national tour of the show in the titular role. [10] [11] He left the production on September 15, 2019. [12][ non-primary source needed] From January 29 to February 3, 2020, Ross starred as Henry in the Kennedy Center's production of Next to Normal. [13] In 2021, Ross appeared in the film Tick, Tick... Boom! as Freddy. [14]
Ross is gay and non-binary, using they/them and he/him pronouns. [15][ non-primary source needed] [16]
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Tick, Tick... Boom! | Freddy |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017–18 | Dear Evan Hansen | Jared, Connor, Evan (understudy) | Music Box Theater | [8] |
2018–19 | Evan | National tour | [9] [10] | |
2020 | Next to Normal | Henry | Limited run at the Kennedy Center | [13] |
2022 | Dear Evan Hansen | Evan | Limited 8-week engagement at the Music Box Theater | [17] |
2024 | The Connector | Ethan Dobson | MCC Theater (Off-Broadway) | [18] |
2024 | Gatsby: An American Myth | Nick Carraway | American Repertory Theatre | [19] |
Year | Award | Category | Show | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards | Best Leading Actor in a Musical - Tour | Dear Evan Hansen | Won | [20] |
BroadwayWorld Washington D.C. Awards | Best Actor in a Musical - Large Professional Theatre | Won | [21] | ||
2020 | Eliot Norton Awards | Outstanding Visiting Musical Performance | Won | [22] [23] |