Ben Platt (born September 24, 1993) is an American actor and singer known for originating the role 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). 　　Platt was born in Los Angeles, California, 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.[5] His family is Jewish. 　　He attended the Adderley School for Performing Arts in Pacific Palisades, performing in productions including Bye Bye Birdie and Into the Woods. Platt attended Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, graduating in 2011. He was accepted to 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.