# Ben Lewis (Australian actor)

Ben Lewis (born 28 September 1979) is an Australian actor and baritenor. His most well-known role is The Phantom of the Opera in the original Australian production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies. In 2017 and 2018, he reprised the role in Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera in the original West End production.
Other notable roles include Chad and Frank Farmer in the UK tours of Love Me Tender and The Bodyguard, as well as Larry in the 2018 West End revival of Company.

## Childhood

Lewis was born in London to a theatrical family. His father, Michael Lewis, is an opera singer and his mother, Patricia Price, was also an opera singer and has retired as Head of Vocal Studies and Opera at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. His brother, Alexander Lewis, is an opera singer and actor who completed three years as a young artist at New York’s Metropolitan Opera. During his childhood, his family went back and forth between England and the North Shore of Sydney, Australia.

## Education

After starting at a British secondary school, the family moved back to Australia and Lewis graduated from Newington College in Sydney and then undertook an Arts Degree at Sydney University. He performed with the Australian Theatre for Young People and was awarded a Lend Lease scholarship to further his studies overseas, where he studied voice at the Royal College of Music. Upon returning to Australia, Lewis applied to study at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) with his brother and both were successful. It was during his time at WAAPA that Lewis met his wife, actress Melle Stewart. The leading Australian performer Tony Sheldon was a visiting Director during Lewis’s time at WAAPA and Lewis credits Sheldon for helping him through his student years.

## Personal life

Lewis is married to Australian actress Melle Stewart.

## Career
### Theatre credits

| Year | Title | Character | Company |
| 2005 | The Windows Project | - | Darlinghurst Theatre, Sydney |
| 2005 | Odyssey | - | The Malthouse/Black Swan Theatre Company |
| 2006 | Urinetown | - | Sydney Theatre Company |
| 2006-2007 | Priscilla, Queen of the Desert | Frank | Lyric Theatre, Star City Casino, Sydney |
| 2007 | Spamalot | Sir Dennis Galahad / Prince Herbert's Father / Black Knight | Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne |
| 2009 | A Little Night Music | Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm | Opera House, Sydney |
| 2009 | Metro Street | Chris Barnes | The Production Company |
| 2010 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Lysander / Snug / Cobweb | WildRumpus |
| 2011-2012 | Love Never Dies | The Phantom of the Opera | Really Useful Group |
| 2013 | Candide | Governor / Vanderdendur | Menier Chocolate Factory |
| 2014 | Thérèse Raquin | Laurent | Finborough Theatre |
| 2014 | Forbidden Broadway | various characters | Menier Chocolate Factory and Vaudeville Theatre |
| 2015 | Devilish! | Nick Brimstone | Tristan Bates Theatre |
| 2015 | Love Me Tender | Chad | UK Tour |
| 2016 | Annie Get Your Gun | Frank Butler | Crubicle, Sheffield |
| 2017-2018 | The Phantom of the Opera | The Phantom of the Opera | Her Majesty's Theatre, West End |
| 2018-2019 | Company | Larry | Gielgud Theatre, West End |
| 2019-2020 | The Bodyguard | Frank Farmer | UK, Ireland & Japan Tour |

### Film and television credits

| Year | Series/Film/Event | Character | Episode | Company |
| 2001 | McLeod's Daughters | Troy O'Rouke | Who's a Big Girl Now? | Channel Nine Australia |
| 2011 | Carols By Candlelight | Himself | - | Nine Network |
| 2012 | Love Never Dies | The Phantom / Mr. Y | - | Universal Pictures |
| 2012 | Side By Side by Sondheim | Himself | - | Theatre Royal |
| 2013 | Doctors | Ned Bick | Bleeding Hearts | BBC 1 |
| 2016 | Cyanide and Happiness Shorts | Guard | The Execution | YouTube |
| 2020 | EastEnders | Iain | 6150 | BBC 1 |

## Awards and nominations

In 2012, Ben Lewis received a nomination for Helpmann Award and won a Judith Johnson Award for Best Actor in Leading Role in a Musical at the 2012 Sydney Theatre Awards for his role of the Phantom in Love Never Dies.