Ben Cook (actor)

Benjamin Tyler Cook (born December 11, 1997)  is an American actor, dancer and singer. A Helen Hayes Award nominee, he has appeared in three Broadway productions, Ragtime, Billy Elliot the Musical, and most recently, Tuck Everlasting. 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 and Veep.

Early life
Cook was born in Eden, North Carolina. He grew up in New York City, Bethesda, Maryland and Lorton, Virginia. He is the youngest child of Jill and Glenn Cook. His mother is an assistant director for the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). His father is an award-winning freelance writer, photographer, publishing consultant and blogger.

Career
Cook is best known for his musical theatre roles. He made his Broadway debut in Ragtime, at the Neil Simon Theatre, understudying and performing the role of "Edgar (the little boy)". He performed in several productions at both Ford's Theatre and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in Washington, D.C. Cook then returned to Broadway, in the role of "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. After that, 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.

On television, Cook has appeared as "Young Jack" to Alec Baldwin's "Jack Donaghy", on 30 Rock, in the episode entitled, "Chain Reaction of Mental Anguish;" as well as appearances, as Walt, in the episode of the HBO series, Veep, entitled "The Choice" and "Chapter 27", as Heather Dunbar's son on the Netflix series, House of Cards.

On January 15, 2016, it was announced that on January 31, 2016, after over 500 performances, Cook would leave the national tour of "Newsies" to become a member of the original Broadway cast of the new musical,"Tuck Everlasting," based on the 1975 children's novel, Tuck Everlasting, written by Natalie Babbitt. Previews began on March 31, 2016 and the show opened, at the Broadhurst Theatre, on April 26, 2016.

The production closed on May 29, 2016, after 28 previews and 39 performances.

Cook subsequently reprised his work in the role of "Race" in "Newsies," in the filmed production of the stage musical, slated to open in movie theatres on February 16, 18, 22, 2017.

Following the filmed production of "Newsies," Cook filmed an appearance on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, playing the role of "Adam Turner," in the episode entitled, "Great Expectations."

Awards
In 2012, Cook received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for his work in Billy Elliot the Musical.

Personal life
Benjamin Cook is the youngest of Jill and Glenn Cook's children. He has three siblings.

Nicholas Cook, his older, half brother, is a May 2015 graduate of Elon University, in Elon, North Carolina, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts. In 2015, Nicholas made his Carnegie Hall debut, performing in Elon's a cappella singing group, "Vital Signs." He is currently an admissions counselor at his alma mater.

Older sister Kate, is a June 2015 graduate of Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, Virginia, lives with ADHD/bipolar disorder and resides in Tampa, Florida Emma, by one minute an older twin sister, is also a trained dancer and a high school student.

The Cook family home remains in Lorton, Virginia.