Benjamin Levi Ross (born January 15, 1998) is an American stage actor and singer. He is best known for his work in the stage musical Dear Evan Hansen, where he was Evan on Broadway and in the national tour. He received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in the second Broadway revival of Ragtime as Mother's Younger Brother.
Early life and education Ross was born to a Jewish family on January 15, 1998, and grew up in Santa Monica, California. He attended Santa Monica High School, where he was active in his school's theater program, and during the summer, he trained at Interlochen Center for the Arts. . In 2016, he was named a Presidential Scholar of the Arts as part of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. He was also a grand prize finalist for the 2016 Music Center Spotlight awards. Following high school, he attended Carnegie Mellon University for a year and a half.
Career 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 Hansens cast, and made his Broadway debut as the character Jared. Ross then spent ten months understudying for the roles of Evan, Connor, and Jared. In 2018, he left the Broadway company and joined the first national tour of the show in the titular role. He left the production on September 15, 2019.
From January 29 to February 3, 2020, Ross starred as Henry in the Kennedy Center's production of Next to Normal. In 2021, Ross appeared in the film Tick, Tick... Boom! as Freddy.
From March to May 2022, he returned to the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen in the title role of Evan Hansen for a limited engagement.
In the summer of 2024, Ross starred as Nick Carraway in Florence Welch's Gatsby: An American Myth at the American Repertory Theatre. Later that year in the fall, he portrayed Mother's Younger Brother in the New York City Center production of Ragtime opposite Joshua Henry, Caissie Levy and Colin Donnell. He joined the cast of the CBS drama Elsbeth in season two, in a recurring role as title character Elsbeth Tascioni's son Teddy. He went on to reprise his Ragtime role beginning in September 2025 at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre. Ross will depart the show early on July 12th ahead of its closing on August 16th, 2026.
Personal life Ross is gay and non-binary, using they/them and he/him pronouns.
Filmography +YearTitleRoleNotesRef.2021Tick, Tick... Boom!FreddyFilm2024-presentElsbethTeddy TascioniRecurring
Theater credits +YearTitleRoleNotesRef.2017–18Dear Evan HansenEvan / Jared / Connor (understudy)Music Box Theater, Broadway2018–19Evan HansenNational tour2020Next to NormalHenryKennedy Center2022Dear Evan HansenEvan HansenMusic Box Theater, Broadway2024The ConnectorEthan DobsonMCC Theater, Off-BroadwayGatsby: An American MythNick CarrawayAmerican Repertory TheatreRagtimeMother's Younger BrotherNew York City Center, Off-BroadwayGans, Andrew Critics Sound Off on City Center Ragtime; Get a 1st Look at the Gala Staging Playbill, October 31, 20242025 The Connector Ethan Dobson Webster HallCulwell-Block, Logan Original Cast of Jason Robert Brown's The Connector Will Perform 1-Night-Only Benefit Reunion Concert Playbill, May 14, 20252025–26 Ragtime Mother's Younger Brother Vivian Beaumont Theatre, BroadwayGordon, David Ragtime reveals additional Broadway casting WhatsOnStage, May 28, 2025
Awards and nominations +YearAwardCategoryShowResultRef.2019BroadwayWorld Los Angeles AwardsBest Leading Actor in a Musical - TourDear Evan HansenBroadwayWorld Washington D.C. AwardsBest Actor in a Musical - Large Professional Theatre2020Eliot Norton AwardsOutstanding Visiting Musical Performance2024Drama Desk AwardsOutstanding Lead Performance in a MusicalThe Connector2026Outer Critics Circle AwardsOutstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway MusicalRagtimeCulwell-Block, Logan chmigadoon!, Ragtime Win Big at 2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards; Read the Full List of Winners Playbill, May 11, 2026Drama Desk AwardsOutstanding Featured Performance in a MusicalGordon, David Schmigadoon!, Two Strangers Land Drama Desk Best Musical Nominations TheaterMania, April 29, 2026Broadway.com Audience AwardsFavorite Featured Actor in a Musical Tony AwardsBest Featured Actor in a Musical Rosky, Nicole 2026 Tony Nominations: Updating Live! BroadwayWorld, May 5, 2026Dorian AwardOutstanding Featured Performance in a Broadway Musical
See also LGBT culture in New York City List of LGBT people from New York City NYC Pride March
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