Ben Lewis, the Australian actor best known for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera in London's West End, has died of bowel cancer in Sydney. He was 46.
His death was announced on Instagram by his friend, Australian TV presenter Todd Woodbridge. Lewis was diagnosed with bowel cancer in February 2024.
Born in London on September 28, 1979, into a family of opera singers, Lewis studied voice at the Royal College of Music and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. He began his stage career in Sydney in the early 2000s, appearing in productions such as Urinetown, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and A Little Night Music.
In 2011, he starred in the original Australian production of Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber's sequel to The Phantom of the Opera. He later played the Phantom in London from 2017 to 2018. Other credits include UK tours of Love Me Tender and The Bodyguard, and the 2018 West End revival of Company.
Lewis is survived by his wife, Australian actress Melle Stewart, who suffered a debilitating stroke in 2021 linked to a rare adverse reaction to the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. She later became a staunch advocate for vaccination.
