'Phantom Of The Opera' And 'Love Never Dies' Star, Ben Lewis, Has Passed Away At The Age of 46
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Ben Lewis, the Australian stage actor known for portraying the Phantom of the Opera in the original Australian production of Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, and in the West End production of The Phantom of the Opera in 2017 and 2018, passed away on October 6th at age 46 from bowel cancer. The actor was diagnosed with the disease in February of last year, and it was deemed incurable. His passing was confirmed by his friend and Australian television presenter, Todd Woodbridge, who posted a tribute to the late actor on his social media channels, including his Instagram.
Lewis was born on September 28th, 1979, in London, England, to opera singers Michael Lewis and Patricia Price. His brother, Alexander Lewis, is also an opera singer and actor, and he completed three years as a young artist at the Metropolitan Opera. Ben and his family moved back and forth between London, England, and the North Shore of Sydney, Australia, throughout his childhood.
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Lewis began his studies in England but graduated from Newington College in Sydney. He enrolled at the University of Sydney to pursue an arts degree but dropped out after three and a half years. During this time, he was introduced to the Drama Society, and he enrolled in the Australian Theatre for Young People, where he was awarded a lend-lease scholarship to study voice at the Royal College of Music. He also studied at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts alongside his brother, and it is here that he met his future wife, actress Melle Stewart.
Lewis’s first major role was Frank in the musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. However, his true breakout role was The Phantom of the Opera in Love Never Dies, a sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, in 2011. He reprised this role in the filmed version of the musical. From 2017-2018, Lewis played the role in the West End production of The Phantom of the Opera. Lewis also appeared in Urinetown, A Little Night Music, and Spamalot.
Lewis had minor success outside of the theatre. Some of his television and internet media roles include Troy O’Rouke in McLeod’s Daughters, Ned Bick in Doctors, a guard in Cyanide and Happiness, and Iain in the long-running British soap opera, EastEnders.
Ben Lewis is survived by his wife, Melle Stewart, and his extended family.
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Sources: TheaterMania, People, Wikipedia
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