# Ben Cook (actor)

Benjamin Tyler Cook (born December 11, 1997) is an American actor, singer and dancer, known for his work across stage and screen.
Cook has appeared on the Broadway stage in Ragtime, Billy Elliot the Musical (for which he was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award), Tuck Everlasting, Mean Girls, West Side Story, and Illinoise. He has also performed in two Broadway national tours, Billy Elliot the Musical and Newsies the Musical, and appeared on television in episodes of 30 Rock, House of Cards, Veep, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and in the HBO film Paterno. He most recently appeared as a Jet in the 2021 film version of West Side Story and as Henry in the HBO Max horror series Pretty Little Liars (2022–2024), a reboot of the original 2010s series.

## Early life

Cook was born in Eden, North Carolina, and grew up in New York City and Lorton, Virginia. He is the youngest child of Jill and Glenn Cook. His mother is the executive director of the American School Counsellor Association. His father is a photographer, blogger, and publishing consultant.
He attended the Professional Performing Arts School in New York City for middle school and during high school.

## Career
### Musical theatre

Cook performed in several productions as a child in Washington, D.C., including at Ford's Theatre and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He made his Broadway debut at the age of eleven in Ragtime at the Neil Simon Theatre, understudying and performing the role of Edgar (The Little Boy). His next Broadway role was Tall Boy in Billy Elliot the Musical at the Imperial Theatre, and played the roles of Michael, then Billy in the North American National Tour of the production. His final tour performance as "Billy" was in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 19, 2013.
From the age of 16, he toured for a year and a half in the role of Race and occasionally performed the role of Crutchie as the understudy in the first national tour of Newsies the Musical. In January 2016, after over 500 performances, Cook left that tour and joined the original Broadway cast of Tuck Everlasting. Previews began in March 2016, and the show closed the same May.
Cook joined the ensemble of the musical adaptation of the film Mean Girls. Its pre-Broadway tryout began in October 2017 at the National Theatre, in Washington D.C. The show premiered on Broadway in April 2018. He was set to appear in the 2020 Broadway revival of West Side Story as Riff, the leader of the Jets, but he left the production after being injured in a preview performance.

### Film and television

On television, Cook appeared as young Jack on 30 Rock, in the episode "Chain Reaction of Mental Anguish" (2010); and as Walt in the episode of the HBO series Veep titled "The Choice" (2014). He played Heather Dunbar's son in the episode "Chapter 27" of the Netflix series House of Cards (2013). On Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, he played Adam Turner in the episode "Great Expectations" (2017).
Cook reprised his role of Race in Newsies in the film adaptation of the musical, which received a limited release in February 2017 and later on Netflix before moving to Disney+. In 2018, he appeared in the HBO film Paterno.
He also appeared in the 2021 film adaptation of West Side Story as Mouthpiece, a member of the Jets.

## Credits
### Theatre

Theatre :
| Date | Title | Role | Theatre | Note |
| November 16-December 30, 2007 | A Christmas Carol | Tiny Tim | Ford's Theatre | Washington D.C. |
| February 28- April 13, 2008 | Macbeth | Young Macduff | Folger Shakespeare Library | Washington D.C. |
| December 2- December 28, 2008 | A Christmas Carol | Urchin, Ignorance, Turkey Boy | Ford's Theatre | Washington D.C. |
| February 3- March 8, 2009 | The Heavens Are Hung in Black | Tad Lincoln | Lansburgh Theatre | Washington D.C. |
| April 18- May 17, 2009 | Ragtime | Understudy: Edgar (The little boy) | John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | Washington D.C. |
| November 15, 2009-January 10, 2010 | Ragtime | Understudy: Edgar (The little boy) | Neil Simon Theatre | Broadway |
| March 12– April 4, 2010 | The Golden Age | The Page | John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | Washington D.C. |
| July 7, 2010-October 14, 2011 | Billy Elliot the Musical | Tall/Posh Boy, Understudy: Michael | Imperial Theatre | Broadway |
| November 3, 2011-January 22, 2012 | Billy Elliot the Musical | Michael | National Tour | National Tour |
| June 30, 2012-May 19, 2013 | Billy Elliot the Musical | Billy | National Tour | National Tour |
| October 11, 2014-January 31, 2016 | Newsies the Musical | Race, Understudy: Crutchie | National Tour | National Tour |
| April 26- May 29, 2016 | Tuck Everlasting | Ensemble, Understudy: Jesse Tuck, Hugo | Broadhurst Theatre | Broadway |
| October 31– December 3, 2017 | Mean Girls | Ensemble | National Theatre (Washington, D.C.) | Pre-Broadway Out of Town Run |
| April 8, 2018-April 8, 2019 | Mean Girls | Ensemble | August Wilson Theatre | Broadway |
| Previews began: December 10, 2019 Left production on: January 5, 2020 | West Side Story | Riff | Broadway Theatre | Broadway |
| June 23–July 2, 2023 | Illinoise | Will/Player | Bard SummerScape | Regional |
| January 28– February 18, 2024 | Illinoise | Carl/Player | Chicago Shakespeare Theater | Regional |
| March 2– March 26, 2024 | Illinoise | Carl/Player | Park Avenue Armory | Off-Broadway |
| April 24– August 10, 2024 | Illinoise | Carl/Player | St. James Theatre | Broadway |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2021 | West Side Story | "Mouthpiece" | |
| 2023 | Happiness for Beginners | Beckett | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Network |
| 2010 | 30 Rock | Young Jack Donaghy | Episode: "Chain Reaction of Mental Anguish" | NBC |
| 2013 | House of Cards | Heather Dunbar's son | Episode: "Chapter 27" | Netflix |
| 2014 | Veep | Walt | Episode: "The Choice" | HBO |
| 2017 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Adam Turner | Episode: "Great Expectations" | NBC |
| 2018 | Paterno | Aaron Fisher | Television film | HBO |
| 2022 | The First Lady | Steven Ford | Recurring; 5 episodes | Showtime |
| 2022 | Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin | Henry Nelson | Recurring; 15 episodes | HBO Max |
| 2023 | FBI: Most Wanted | Luke Spottiswood | Episode: "Black Mirror" | CBS |
| 2024 | The Penguin | Calvin | Recurring; 2 episodes. | HBO |

## Awards

| Year | Award | Category | Role | Result |
| 2012 | Helen Hayes Awards | Outstanding Supporting Performer, Non-Resident Production | Billy Elliot the Musical | Nominated |
| 2022 | Critics' Choice Awards | Best Acting Ensemble | West Side Story | Nominated |
| 2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical | Illinoise | Nominated |