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Marc Platt (producer)

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Marc Platt
Born (1957-04-14) April 14, 1957 (age 67)
Pikesville, Maryland, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Pennsylvania
NYU School of Law
Occupation(s)Film, television and theatre producer
Known forFilmography
SpouseJulie Beren
Children5, including Ben
AwardsTwo Tony Awards
Two Primetime Emmy Awards
BAFTA Award Winner

Marc E. Platt (born April 14, 1957) is an American producer who has worked in film, theatre, and television. He has received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as nominations for three Academy Awards.

Early life

Platt was born and raised in a Conservative Jewish home[1][2][3] in Pikesville, Maryland, the son of Sue Ellen (née Sezzin), a schoolteacher, and Howard Platt, who worked in the retail shoe business.[1][4] He has an older brother and a younger sister.[4] He graduated from Pikesville High School in 1975 and the University of Pennsylvania in 1979, where he was a member of the University of Pennsylvania Glee Club. He then earned his Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law and began his career as an entertainment attorney.[5]

Career

Marc Platt Productions
IndustryFilm Production
Television
Stage
Founded2001
FounderMarc Platt
Headquarters
Universal City, California
,
U.S.
Key people
Marc Platt (Principal)
Adam Siegel (President)
Websitemarcplattproductions.com

Platt started producing in theatre, before moving into film. He has served as president of production for three movie studios: Orion Pictures, TriStar Pictures, and Universal Studios. Platt has since formed his own production company, Marc Platt Productions, within the Universal realm and continues to pursue creative projects. His company is responsible for the Legally Blonde films and the HBO miniseries Empire Falls.[6]

Platt has produced a variety of feature films beginning with the 1987 comedy Campus Man. His films include Legally Blonde (2001), Wanted (2008), Rachel Getting Married (2008), Nine (2009), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), Drive (2011), The Girl on the Train (2016), and Cruella (2021). He also produced critically acclaimed films such as Steven Spielberg's Cold War drama Bridge of Spies (2015), Damien Chazelle's musical La La Land (2016), and Aaron Sorkin's legal drama The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), all of which earned him Academy Award for Best Picture nominations.

He was executive producer of the two-part docudrama The Path to 9/11, shown on ABC on the fifth anniversary of 9/11 on September 10 and 11, 2006. The film was controversial and accused of having a political agenda and fictionalizing the events leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks, especially those involving the Clinton administration.

He collaborated with Walt Disney Pictures producing numerous musicals for the studio including Into the Woods (2014), Mary Poppins Returns (2018), Aladdin (2019, as an executive producer), The Little Mermaid (2023) and the upcoming Snow White (2025), as well as Universal's Wicked films (2024–2025). In 2021 he produced a film adaptation of the musical Dear Evan Hansen (2021) which featured a leading performance from his son Ben Platt, who originated the title role on Broadway. This casting, however, led to accusations of nepotism against them for having Ben, at age 27, reprise his role as the teenage title character in the film.[7][8] For his work on television he produced Grease Live! (2016), Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (2018), and Rent: Live (2019) as well as the HBO projects Empire Falls (2005), and Oslo (2021).

Platt has produced numerous productions on the Broadway stage with his first official credit being Wicked earning his first Tony Award for Best Musical nomination. He was also nominated for Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical for Pal Joey in 2009 and Tony Award for Best Play for Indecent in 2017. He won the Tony Award for Best Musical for The Band's Visit in 2018 and for A Strange Loop in 2022.[9] He will also produce the upcoming stage adaptation of La La Land.[10]

Personal life

Platt and his wife Julie (née Beren) also a Penn graduate and trustee of the university,[11] live in the Los Angeles area. They funded the construction of a performing arts rehearsal and performance space on the campus, the Platt Student Performing Arts House. Platt is a Penn Glee Club alumnus and supporter. His company has taken at least one Penn student intern a year since its inception.[12]

The Platts have five children, including actor and singer Ben Platt and Henry Platt.

Filmography

He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film

Year Film Credit Notes
1987 Campus Man Executive producer
2001 Josie and the Pussycats
Legally Blonde
2003 Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
Honey
2005 Happy Endings Co-producer
The Perfect Man
2007 The Seeker
2008 Wanted
Rachel Getting Married
2009 Legally Blondes Direct-to-video
The Other Woman
Nine
2010 Cop Out
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Charlie St. Cloud
2011 Drive
Honey 2 Executive producer
2013 Evidence
2 Guns
2014 Song One
Winter's Tale
We'll Never Have Paris Executive producer
Lost River
Mockingbird
Into the Woods
Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks Executive producer
2015 Ricki and the Flash
Bridge of Spies
2016 La La Land
Honey 3: Dare to Dance Executive producer Direct-to-video
The Girl on the Train
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
2018 Hotel Artemis
Nappily Ever After
Mary Poppins Returns
2019 Aladdin Executive producer
2020 The Trial of the Chicago 7
2021 Thunder Force
Cruella
Dear Evan Hansen
2022 Better Nate Than Ever
Babylon
2023 The Little Mermaid
2024 Players
Wicked
2025 Snow White
How to Train Your Dragon
Wicked Part Two
As an actor
Year Title Role
2022 Babylon Producer
Thanks
Year Film Role
1991 The Addams Family Special thanks
2013 Bananas Special thanks; short film
2016 The Comedian The producers wish to thank the following for their assistance
Cameo appearances
Year Film Notes
2001 Inside 'Legally Blonde' Documentary
2003 The Hair That Ate Hollywood
2004 Wicked: The Road to Broadway
2007 ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway
2020 Ben Platt Live from Radio City Music Hall Concert film

Television

Year Title Credit Notes
2002 MDs Executive producer
2003 Mr. Ambassador Television film
Legally Blonde Television pilot
2005 Empire Falls
Once Upon a Mattress Television film
2006 The Path to 9/11
2009−10 Taking the Stage
2016 Grease: Live Television special
2017 A Christmas Story Live!
2018 Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
A Very Wicked Halloween
2019 Rent Live!
2021 Oslo Television film
2023 Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
As an actor
Year Title Role
2017 Curb Your Enthusiasm Musical Director
Thanks
Year Title Role
2020 Saturday Night Seder Special thanks
Cameo appearances
Year Title Notes
2001 Backstage Pass
2004 Broadway: The American Musical Episode: "Putting It Together"
2008 Max on Set: Wanted Documentary

Theatre

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Production / Role Result
2015 Academy Award Best Picture Bridge of Spies Nominated
2016 La La Land Nominated
2020 The Trial of the Chicago 7 Nominated
2004 Tony Award Best Musical Wicked Nominated
2009 Best Revival of a Musical Pal Joey Nominated
2017 Best Play Indecent Nominated
2018 Best Musical The Band's Visit Won
2022 A Strange Loop Won
2023 Best Revival of a Play Topdog/Underdog Won
2005 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Miniseries Empire Falls Nominated
2016 Outstanding Special Class Program Grease Live! Won
2018 Outstanding Variety Special (Live) Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert Won
2019 Rent: Live Nominated
2021 Outstanding Television Movie Oslo Nominated
2021 People's Choice Awards Drama Movie of the Year Cruella Won
2022 North Dakota Film Society Best Picture Babylon Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b Berrin, Danielle (February 23, 2016). "Producer Marc Platt: The man behind "Wicked" and "Bridge of Spies" aspires to great art". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Platt grew up in an observant Conservative home in Maryland, where his family kept a kosher home, celebrated Shabbat and went to shul often.
  2. ^ Bloom, Nate (February 25, 2016). "The tribe at the Oscars, 2016". Times of Israel.
  3. ^ Wolfsiz, Francine (February 27, 2017). "La La Land: Who knew it was so Jewish". Times of Israel.
  4. ^ a b "On April 25, 2019, Sue Ellen Platt (née Sezzin); loving wife of Howard Platt; cherished mother of Dr. Jeffrey (Pamela) Platt, Marc (Julie) Platt, & Wendy (Scott) Newberger;". The Baltimore Sun. April 26, 2019.
  5. ^ Hughes, Samuel. "COVER STORY: Passion Plays". Pennsylvania Gazette. May/June 2006.
  6. ^ Empire Falls cast biography. HBO Films.
  7. ^ "Ben Platt Is Facing Backlash Over His Latest Comments About The "Dear Evan Hansen" Film". BuzzFeed. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  8. ^ "Dear Evan Hansen: Ben Platt, 27, hits back at 'rando jerks' after he's mocked with memes for portraying a teenager". The Independent. May 19, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  9. ^ Jacobs, Julia (June 12, 2022). "Tony Awards 2022 Live Updates: 'A Strange Loop' Wins Best Musical". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  10. ^ Galuppo, Mia (February 7, 2023). "'La La Land' to Become a Broadway Musical". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  11. ^ "UPenn Trustees". University of Pennsylvania.
  12. ^ "Lead Gift Creates a Permanent Home for Student Performing Arts at Penn" Archived 2017-06-16 at the Wayback Machine. University of Pennsylvania (September 2005); accessed April 30, 2017.
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