<P> Benjamin Schiff Platt (born September 24, 1993) is an American actor and singer known for his portayal of the title character in the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen, a performance for which he has won numerous awards, including the 2017 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical . Platt's credits also include the role of Elder Arnold Cunningham in The Book of Mormon, as well as Benji Applebaum in the musical films Pitch Perfect (2012) and Pitch Perfect 2 (2015). </P> <P> Platt was born in Los Angeles, the fourth of five children of Julie (née Beren) and Marc Platt . His father is a film, television and theater producer whose credits include the musical Wicked . His family is Jewish . </P> <P> He attended the Adderley School for Performing Arts in Pacific Palisades, performing in productions like Bye Bye Birdie and Into the Woods . Platt attended Harvard - Westlake School in Los Angeles, graduating in 2011 . He attended Columbia University in New York, but dropped out after six weeks to fulfill his contract with The Book of Mormon . Subsequently, he attended the school and became a member of the campus a cappella musical group Nonsequitur . </P> <P> At 9 years old, Platt played Winthrop Paroo in The Music Man at the Hollywood Bowl alongside Kristin Chenoweth . At 11, he appeared in a brief national tour of Caroline, or Change, by Jeanine Tesori and Tony Kushner . At 17, he played Jean Valjean in Kidz Theater's production of Les Misérables . His other early roles include the role of Claude Bukowski in Columbia University's production of Hair: The American Tribal Love - Rock Musical . He has also collaborated on a workshop of Alice by Heart, by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, a new take on Alice in Wonderland . </P>

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