Ethan Slater
| Name | Ethan Slater |
| Image |  |
| Caption | Slater in 2025 |
| Birth Name | Ethan Samuel Slater |
| Birth Date | 1992-6-2 |
| Birth Place | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor ⋅ singer |
| Yearsactive | 2012–present |
| Alma Mater | Vassar College (BA) |
| Spouse | Lilly Jay (2018 – 2024) |
| Children | 1 |
Ethan Samuel Slater (born June 2, 1992) is an American actor and singer. He played the character of SpongeBob SquarePants in the 2016 musical of the same name, for which he won a Drama Desk Award and received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He played Boq Woodsman / The Tin Man in the musical films Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025). As a singer, he has released the extended plays Wanderer (2019) and Life Is Weird (2020).
Early life and education
Ethan Samuel Slater was born on June 2, 1992, in Washington, D.C. He is the third child of Jay Slater, an employee at the Food and Drug Administration. He is Jewish and was raised Conservative, attending Ohr Kodesh in Silver Spring. After attending Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, his family moved to Silver Spring, Maryland. Slater's mother died when he was 7, which he describes as a "really big, formative thing in my life. She had left this huge imprint on me, even though I had so few memories."
Slater graduated from Georgetown Day School in Washington, DC, and studied drama at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. During his time in college, he auditioned to apprentice at a Shakespeare workshop, which then got him an audition in front of director Tina Landau. Slater graduated from Vassar with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama in 2014.
Career
Slater's first theater appearance was at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in July 2015, in which he starred as Luis in the musical Claudio Quest, directed by John Tartaglia, earning a nomination for the festival's award in the category for Best Individual Performance. Between September 30 and October 24, 2015, he starred in Please Excuse my Dear Aunt Sally in the One Year Lease Theater Company. In December 2015 he joined the Delaware Theatre Company in Wilmington, acting in Barry Levinson's play Diner, directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall. During the same period he appeared in several short films, including Lightning Bugs in a Jar and Evol.
In 2016 Slater was cast in the lead role SpongeBob SquarePants in Kyle Jarrow's musical of the same name directed by Tina Landau at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago. The musical achieved success and was praised by theater critics, bringing the production to Broadway at the Palace Theatre in New York between 2017 and 2018. For his performance, Slater earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical at the 72nd Tony Awards in 2018, winning Outstanding Actor in a Musical at the Drama Desk Awards and Outstanding Actor in a Musical at the Outer Critics Circle Awards. He is also awarded the Theatre World Award for Best Performance in a Broadway Debut in 2018.
Between 2018 and 2019 he appeared in a few episodes of television series, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Murphy Brown, Instinct, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. On March 4, 2019, Slater was cast by director Bartlett Sher in the theatrical special of Camelot at the Lincoln Center Theater in New York. Between 2021 and 2022 he starred in the Classic Stage Company production of the musical Assassins, directed by John Doyle, at the Lynn F. Angelson Theater in New York, playing Lee Harvey Oswald. His performance earned him a Lucille Lortel Awards nomination for Best Performance. From March to April 2022, Slater originated the role of Max Weinbaum in the play Good Night, Oscar at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. From 2023 to 2024, he played the Historian, Prince Herbert, and other roles in the Broadway revival of Spamalot at the St. James Theatre. He played Boq Woodsman in the two-part film adaptation of the musical Wicked, directed by Jon M. Chu.
Personal life
In 2012, Slater began dating his former high school classmate, clinical psychologist Lilly Jay. They married in 2018 and their son was born in August 2022. They separated in 2023, and Slater filed for divorce in July of that year. Their divorce was finalized in September 2024. Since July 2023, Slater has been in a relationship with singer Ariana Grande, whom he met on the set of Wicked.
Works
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | A Guy Walks Into a Bar | Young Man | Short film | |
| 2015 | Lightning Bugs in a Jar | Ben | Short film | |
| 2016 | Evol: The Theory of Love | Ronny | ||
| 2017 | FunEmployment | Issac's Roommate | Short film | |
| 2022 | Intervenors | Miles | Short film; also writer | |
| 2024 | Lost on a Mountain In Maine | Henry | ||
| Wicked | Boq Woodsman / The Tin Man | Also contributed to "Dancing Through Life" on the film's soundtrack | ||
| 2025 | Wicked: For Good | |||
| TBA | The Man Behind the Camera | Gerald | Completed |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Riley Porter | Episode: "Revenge" | |
| Murphy Brown | Officer Reynolds | Episode: "Thanksgiving and Taking" | ||
| 2019 | Fosse/Verdon | Joel Grey | Episode: "Me and My Baby" | |
| Instinct | Noah | Episode: "After Hours" | ||
| SpongeBob SquarePants | Himself | Episode: "SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout" | ||
| The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage! | SpongeBob SquarePants | Television adaptation of The SpongeBob Musical | ||
| 2023 | The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel | Steven | Episode: "Susan" | |
| 2025 | Elsbeth | Officer Reese Chandler | 2 episodes | |
| 2025 | Gen V | Thomas Godolkin | 3 episodes |
Web
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Redheads Anonymous | Sam | ||
| New Mayor of New York | Nathan |
Theatre
| Year | Production | Role | Venue | Category | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Diner | Modell | Delaware Theatre Company | Regional | ||
| Claudio Quest | Luis | NYMF | ||||
| Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally | Cast | 59E59 Theatres | Off-Off-Broadway | |||
| 2016 | The SpongeBob Musical | SpongeBob SquarePants | Oriental Theatre | Regional | ||
| 2017 | Baghdaddy | Jerry Samuel | St. Luke's Theatre | Off-Broadway | ||
| 2017–2018 | SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical | SpongeBob SquarePants | Palace Theatre | Broadway | ||
| 2019 | Camelot | Mordred | Lincoln Center Theater | |||
| 2021–2022 | Assassins | The Balladeer / Lee Harvey Oswald | Classic Stage Company | Off-Broadway | ||
| 2022 | Good Night, Oscar | Max Weinbaum | Goodman Theatre | Regional | ||
| 2023–2024 | Spamalot | Prince Herbert / The Historian | St. James Theatre | Broadway | ||
| 2023 | Gutenberg! The Musical! | The Producer (One night cameo) | James Earl Jones Theatre | |||
| 2024 | Edge of the World | Ben | Classic Stage Company | Off-Broadway | Also composer, lyricist, author | |
| 2026 | Marcel on the Train | Marcel Marceau | Also author |
Discography
Cast recordings
| Release date | Title | Type | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 22, 2017 | SpongeBob SquarePants, The New Musical | Original Cast Recording | Masterworks Broadway | |
| September 28, 2018 | Who's Your Baghdaddy, or How I started the Iraq War | Broadway Records | ||
| August 6, 2021 | Edge of the World | Concept Album | ||
| March 18, 2022 | Assassins | 2022 Cast Recording |
Solo recordings
| Release date | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 5, 2019 | Richmond Rewrites | Single | |
| July 11, 2019 | Wanderer | EP | |
| July 21, 2020 | Life Is Weird | EP |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | NYMF Award | Outstanding Individual Performance | Claudio Quest | ||
| 2018 | Tony Award | Best Actor in a Musical | SpongeBob SquarePants | ||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | ||||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | ||||
| Broadway.com Audience Awards | Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Male) | ||||
| Favorite Leading Actor in a Musical | |||||
| Theatre World Award | |||||
| 2022 | Lucille Lortel Award | Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical | Assassins | ||
| 2024 | Alliance of Women Film Journalists | Best Ensemble Cast | Wicked | ||
| Astra Film Awards | Best Cast Ensemble | ||||
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society | Best Ensemble | ||||
| Michigan Movie Critics Guild | Best Ensemble | ||||
| New York Film Critics Online | Best Ensemble | ||||
| San Diego Film Critics Society | Best Ensemble | ||||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Best Ensemble | ||||
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | Best Ensemble | ||||
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | Best Acting Ensemble | ||||
References
- Marks, Peter, June 26, 2018, He absorbed all her high school drama expertise. And now he's SpongeBob, July 22, 2023, The Washington Post
- Ethan Slater Talks About Playing SpongeBob SquarePants on Broadway, Jackson, Dory, April 16, 2018, Newsweek, May 7, 2018, May 7, 2018, live
- Schleier, Curt, The happy-go-lucky 25-year-old Jewish guy who plays SpongeBob on Broadway, The Times of Israel, December 24, 2017, The Times of Israel, 2024-03-09, June 29, 2018, live
- Dayanim, Avital, 2023-07-21, 18 Things to Know About Jewish Actor and Singer Ethan Slater, 2023-09-06, Hey Alma, en-US, September 6, 2023, live
- Schleier, Curt, July 22, 2023, The happy-go-lucky 25-year-old Jewish guy who plays SpongeBob on Broadway, July 22, 2023, The Times of Israel, en-US, June 29, 2018, live
- Ethan Slater Is SpongeBob SquarePants, Tietjen, Alexa, December 22, 2017, Women's Wear Daily, May 7, 2018, May 8, 2018, live
- 2021-08-26, Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Ethan Slater, 2023-07-22, Pop Culturalist, en-US, July 22, 2023, live
- Bailey, Alyssa, July 20, 2023, All About Ethan Slater, Ariana Grande's New Boyfriend and 'Wicked' Co-Star, July 22, 2023, Elle, en-US, July 22, 2023, live
- Barry, John W., 'SpongeBob,' 'Junk' and Tony nominations showcase Vassar College, 2023-07-22, Poughkeepsie Journal, en-US, July 22, 2023, live
- Collins-Hughes, Laura, July 13, 2017, At New York Musical Theater Festival, a Video Game Sendup, Gospel Music and More, en-US, The New York Times, July 24, 2023, 0362-4331, July 20, 2023, live
- Archived Show: Please excuse my dear aunt sally, July 24, 2023, 59e59 Theater, July 22, 2023, live
- Haun, Harry, December 25, 2018, Ethan Slater on How He Prepares Each Night to Be 'SpongeBob' on Broadway, July 24, 2023, The Observer, en-US, July 20, 2023, live
- Evans, Greg, June 7, 2018, Sponge-Worthy: Ethan Slater Soaks Up Broadway Success – Tony Awards Watch, July 24, 2023, Deadline Hollywood, en-US, July 22, 2023, live
- Gans, Andrew, May 8, 2018, Noma Dumezweni, Hailey Kilgore, and Ethan Slater Among 2018 Theatre World Award Honorees, July 24, 2023, Playbill, July 22, 2023, live
- Haun, Harry, December 25, 2017, Ethan Slater on How He Prepares Each Night to Be 'SpongeBob' on Broadway, live, January 22, 2018, January 21, 2018, Observer, en-US
- Paulson, Michael, January 31, 2019, Lin-Manuel Miranda to Lead One-Night 'Camelot' Benefit Concert, en-US, The New York Times, July 24, 2023, 0362-4331, May 17, 2023, live
- Collins-Hughes, Laura, November 14, 2021, Review: This Revival of Sondheim's 'Assassins' Misses Its Mark, en-US, The New York Times, July 24, 2023, 0362-4331, July 22, 2023, live
- Culwell-Block, Logan, April 7, 2022, 2022 Lucille Lortel Awards: See the Complete List of Nominees, July 24, 2023, Playbill, June 4, 2023, live
- Hall, Margaret, March 21, 2022, Opening March 21, Goodman Theatre's "Good Night, Oscar" Extends Rubn, en-US, Playbill, August 31, 2023, September 7, 2023, live
- Gordon, David, March 5, 2024, Broadway Revival of Spamalot Sets Closing Date, April 15, 2024, TheaterMania
- D'Zurilla, Christie, July 21, 2023, Who is Ethan Slater? 5 things you need to know about Ariana Grande's new squeeze, live, July 23, 2023, July 24, 2023, Los Angeles Times, en
- Cuccinello, Hayley C., April 30, 2018, Tony-Nominated Broadway Star Ethan Slater On Making 'SpongeBob SquarePants' His Own, live, July 22, 2023, July 24, 2023, Forbes, en
- Jackson, Angelique, December 7, 2022, 'Wicked' Movie Casts Ethan Slater Opposite Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo (EXCLUSIVE), July 24, 2023, Variety, en-US, December 13, 2022, live
- Cartter, Eileen, 2024-10-30, How Wicked's Ethan Slater Made It to Oz and Back, 2024-11-06, GQ, en-US
- Dr. Jay, Lilly, December 19, 2024, How Does My Divorce Make You Feel?, subscription, live, December 19, 2024, December 19, 2024, The Cut, en
- He Knows Bikini Bottom. Now He Gets to Swim There., Deb, Sopan, November 22, 2017, The New York Times, December 2, 2018, January 17, 2019, live
- Showstopper, Engel, Margaret, April 2, 2018, Bethesda Magazine, December 2, 2018, December 2, 2018, live
- Juneau, June, July 27, 2023, Ethan Slater's Ex Breaks Silence About His Romance with Ariana Grande: 'My Family' Is 'Collateral Damage', 2023-07-28, People, en, July 28, 2023, live
- Ethan Slater Shares Rare Comments About Being a Dad to His 2-Year-Old Son: 'Best Thing in the World', 2025-06-13, People.com, en
- Jay, Dr Lilly, 2024-12-19, How Does My Divorce Make You Feel?, 2025-06-13, The Cut, en
- Flam, Charna, Juneau, Jen, September 13, 2024, Ariana Grande's Boyfriend Ethan Slater Finalizes Divorce from Lilly Jay, 2024-09-14, Peoplemag, en
- Clack, Erin, July 27, 2023, Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater Are 'Full-On Dating' After Being 'Sweet' with Each Other on Set: Source (Exclusive), 2023-07-28, People, en, July 28, 2023, live
- OneFilmFan, 2016-07-08, Indie Film Review "Evol: The Theory of Love, 2024-12-17, One Film Fan, en-US
- 25 July 2024, Sylvester Stallone-Produced Feature 'Lost on a Mountain In Maine' Slated for November Release by Blue Fox Entertainment, Variety
- 7 December 2022, Wicked, Variety, December 7, 2022, December 13, 2022, live
- Aniftos, Rania, July 20, 2023, Who Is Ethan Slater? 5 Things to Know About the Actor, July 21, 2023, Billboard, en-US, July 21, 2023, live
- Clement, Olivia, December 13, 2019, How Did The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage! Fare in the Ratings?, July 21, 2023, Playbill, July 21, 2023, live
- He Knows Bikini Bottom. Now He Gets to Swim There., Deb, Sopan, November 22, 2017, The New York Times, December 2, 2018, January 17, 2019, live
- Marks, Peter, December 12, 2015, 'Diner': Improved, but it still needs more oomph, July 21, 2023, The Washington Post, November 24, 2020, live
- Collins-Hughes, Laura, July 13, 2015, At New York Musical Theater Festival, a Video Game Sendup, Gospel Music and More, en-US, The New York Times, July 21, 2023, 0362-4331, July 20, 2023, live
- Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, July 20, 2023, One Year Lease Theater Company, en-US, July 20, 2023, live
- Collins-Hughes, Laura, October 6, 2015, Review: 'Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally,' a Phone's Tale, en-US, The New York Times, July 21, 2022, 0362-4331, June 16, 2022, live
- Oxman, Steven, June 20, 2016, Pre-Broadway Review: 'The SpongeBob Musical', July 21, 2023, Variety, en-US, June 23, 2016, live
- Clement, Olivia, March 31, 2017, Spongebob's Ethan Slater Joins Cast of Baghdaddy, July 21, 2023, Playbill, July 22, 2023, live
- Brantley, Ben, December 5, 2018, Review: 'SpongeBob SquarePants,' a Watery Wonderland on Broadway, en-US, The New York Times, July 21, 2023, 0362-4331, October 16, 2021, live
- Paulson, Michael, 31 January 2019, Lin-Manuel Miranda to Lead One-Night 'Camelot' Benefit Concert, The New York Times, May 1, 2019, May 1, 2019, live
- McPhee, Ryan, January 13, 2020, Tony Nominee Ethan Slater Joins Off-Broadway Assassins Revival, July 21, 2023, Playbill, July 22, 2023, live
- Cristi, A.A., February 18, 2022, Sean Hayes, Ethan Slater and More Prep for GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR at Goodman Theatre, BroadwayWorld, February 18, 2022, February 19, 2022, live
- White, Abbey, 2023-08-09, Michael Urie, Ethan Slater Among Cast of Broadway's 'Spamalot' Revival, 2023-08-09, The Hollywood Reporter, en-US, August 9, 2023, live
- Aniftos, Rania, 2023-11-13, Ariana Grande & Ethan Slater Pose Backstage at 'Gutenberg! The Musical!', 2025-02-10, Billboard, en-US
- Culwell-Block, Logan, July 20, 2021, Lilli Cooper, Ethan Slater, Nick Blaemire, More Star on Concept Recording of , Edge of the World, December 17, 2021, Playbill, December 17, 2021, live
- Harms, Talaura, March 18, 2022, Assassins, Off-Broadway Cast Recording Drops Digitally March 18, March 18, 2022, Playbill, March 18, 2022, live
- Hetrick, Adam, February 6, 2019, SpongeBob SquarePants, Tony Nominee Ethan Slater Releases New Single 'Richmond Rewrites', December 17, 2021, Playbill, December 17, 2021, live
- Fierberg, Ruthie, July 21, 2020, Tony Nominee Ethan Slater Releases New EP , Life Is Weird, December 17, 2021, Playbill, December 17, 2021, live
- Viagas, Robert, July 28, 2015, Check Out the Winners of the 2015 New York Musical Theatre Festival Awards, July 22, 2023, Playbill, en-US, July 22, 2023, live
- Evans, Suzy, May 29, 2018, Tonys 2018: Ethan Slater on Humanizing 'SpongeBob SquarePants' for the Stage, July 21, 2023, The Hollywood Reporter, en-US, July 21, 2023, live
- Fierberg, Ruthie, June 4, 2018, Nathan Lane, Tina Landau, Ethan Slater and More React to Their 2018 Drama Desk Wins, July 21, 2023, Playbill, July 22, 2023, live
- McPhee, Ryan, May 7, 2018, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, My Fair Lady Win Big at 2018 Outer Critics Circle Awards, July 21, 2023, Playbill, May 31, 2023, live
- May 17, 2018, Mean Girls, Leads Broadway.com Audience Choice Award Winners; Ethan Slater, Hailey Kilgore Also Take Top Prizes, May 17, 2018, Broadway.com, May 17, 2018, live
- Evans, Greg, May 8, 2018, 'Harry Potter & The Cursed Child', 'Angels In America' Broadway Newcomers Among 2018 Theatre World Honorees, July 21, 2023, Deadline Hollywood, en-US, July 21, 2023, live
- Culwell-Block, Logan, April 7, 2022, 2022 Lucille Lortel Awards: See the Complete List of Nomiees, live, April 7, 2022, April 7, 2022, Playbill
- 2024-12-13, The 2024 EDA Award Nominees, 2024-12-13, Alliance of Women Film Journalists, en-US
- 2024-12-09, The 2024 Las Vegas Film Critics Society (LVFCS) Nominations, 2024-12-09, Next Best Picture
- 2024-12-09, Michigan Movie Critics Guild Announces Winners for the Best of 2024, 2024-12-09, Michigan Movie Critics Guild, en-US
- 2024-12-09, The 2024 New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) Nominations, 2024-12-09, Next Best Picture, en-US
- 2024-12-06, 2024 San Diego Film Critics Society Nominations, 2024-12-06, San Diego Film Critics Society, en-US
- Pedersen, Patrick Hipes,Erik, 2025-01-08, SAG Awards Nominations: 'Wicked' & 'A Complete Unknown' Lead Film Field; 'Shōgun' Tops TV, 2025-02-10, Deadline, en-US
- 2024-12-07, The 2024 St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) Nominations, 2024-12-08, Next Best Picture
- 2024-12-06, The 2024 Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) Nominations, 2024-12-08, Next Best Picture, en-US
External links
Category:1992 births
Category:Living people
Category:Male actors from New York City
Category:Male actors from Washington, D.C.
Category:American male musical theatre actors
Category:American male stage actors
Category:Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School alumni
Category:Vassar College alumni
Category:Jewish American male actors
Category:Georgetown Day School alumni
Category:Theatre World Award winners
Category:Jewish American singers
Category:21st-century American Jews