Marc Platt Productions
Early life
Platt was born and raised in a Conservative Jewish home in Pikesville, Maryland, the son of Sue Ellen (née Sezzin), a schoolteacher, and Howard Platt, who worked in the retail shoe business. He has an older brother and a younger sister. 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.
Career
 Logo used since 2005 | |
| Industry | Film Production Television Stage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2001 |
| Founder | Marc Platt |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Key people | Marc Platt (Principal) Adam Siegel (President) |
| Website | marcplattproductions |
Platt started producing in theatre, before moving into film. Platt was a business-affairs lawyer for (ICM) In- ternational Creative Management's superagent Sam Cohn, laying the essential groundwork of entertainment contacts. He was thirty-three years old when he replaced Mike Medavoy, at Orion Pictures, as production chief. After Orion, he served as president of production for two more movie studios: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.
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. 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. He will also produce the upcoming stage adaptation of La La Land.
Personal life
Platt and his wife Julie (née Beren) also a Penn graduate and trustee of the university, 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.
The Platts have five children, including actor and singer Ben Platt.
Filmography
He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.
Film
- 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 |
| 2024 | Wicked: The Real Story | Documentary |
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 |
| 2024 | Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked | With gratitude |
- Cameo appearances
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Backstage Pass | |
| 2004 | Broadway: The American Musical | Episode: "Putting It Together" |
| 2008 | Max on Set: Wanted | Documentary |
| 2024 | Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked | Television special |
Theatre
- 1983: Total Abandon (play, associate producer)
- 2003–present: Wicked (musical)
- 2006: Three Days of Rain (play)
- 2008–09: Pal Joey (musical, associate producer)
- 2014: If/Then (musical)
- 2016: Oh, Hello on Broadway (Play)
- 2017: War Paint (musical)
- 2017: Indecent (play)
- 2017–19: The Band's Visit (musical)
- 2021–23: A Strange Loop (musical)
- 2022-23: Topdog/Underdog (play)
- 2023: Fat Ham (play)
- 2024: Death Becomes Her (musical)
- 2025: Purpose (play)
- TBA: La La Land (musical)
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
- ^ 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.
- ^ Bloom, Nate (February 25, 2016). "The tribe at the Oscars, 2016". Times of Israel.
- ^ Wolfsiz, Francine (February 27, 2017). "La La Land: Who knew it was so Jewish". Times of Israel.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Hughes, Samuel. "COVER STORY: Passion Plays". Pennsylvania Gazette. May/June 2006.
- ^ Lasswell, Mark (May 1991). "The Lost Tycoons". Spy (magazine). 5 (7): 71 – via Google Books.
- ^ Empire Falls cast biography. HBO Films.
- ^ "Ben Platt Is Facing Backlash Over His Latest Comments About The "Dear Evan Hansen" Film". BuzzFeed. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Galuppo, Mia (February 7, 2023). "'La La Land' to Become a Broadway Musical". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ "UPenn Trustees". University of Pennsylvania.
- ^ "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.
External links
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