Ethan Samuel Slater is an acclaimed American actor, singer, writer, and musician. He is best known for his portrayal of the iconic character SpongeBob SquarePants in the musical adaptation of the beloved Nickelodeon series, a role for which he received a Tony Award nomination and won the prestigious Drama Desk Award in 2018.
During his career, he also appeared in other musicals such as Wicked, Spamalot and Assassins.
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- Full Name: Ethan Samuel Slater
- Stage Name: Ethan Slater
- Date of birth: June 2, 1992
- Age: 32 years old
- Place of birth: Washington, DC, USA
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: American actor, singer, writer and musician
- Height: 1.7 m
- Parents: Jay Slater and Ellen Goldmuntz
- Siblings: Sara Slater and Tamara Slater
- Spouse: Lilly Jay (married 2018–2023)
- Partner: Ariana Grande
- Children: Ezra Slater
- Relationship: Dating
- Net worth: $3 million
Early life and education
Ethan Samuel Slater was born on June 2, 1992, in Washington, DC, United States. His father, Jay Slater, worked for the Food and Drug Administration, while his mother, Ellen Goldmuntz, died when Ethan was young. Ethan has two older sisters, Sara Slater and Tamara Slater.
After attending Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Ethan’s family moved to Silver Spring, Maryland. He later graduated from Georgetown Day School in Washington, DC, and continued his drama studies at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Drama in 2014. Ethan is white and is Christian.
Career
Ethan Slater has been an active presence in the entertainment industry since 2012. His career began with a stage appearance at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in July 2015, where he played the role of Luis in the musical Claudio’s MissionDirected by John Tartaglia and nominated for the festival award for Best Individual Performance.
In 2015, Slater continued to hone his craft, starring in Sorry my dear Sally with the One Year Lease Theatre Company and appeared in several short films, including Firefly in a Jar And EvolutionHe then joined the Delaware Theatre Company in Wilmington, acting in Barry Levinson’s play EateryDirected and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall.
Slater’s breakthrough role came in 2016 when he was cast as the lead role of SpongeBob SquarePants in the musical of the same name directed by Tina Landau.
The show was a huge success, transferring to Broadway at the Palace Theatre in New York from 2017 to 2018. Slater’s performance earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, as well as a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award. He also received the Theatre World Award for Best Performance in a Broadway Debut in 2018.
In the following years, Slater continued to demonstrate his versatility, appearing in a number of television series, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Murphy Brown, InstinctAnd The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselIn 2019, he was cast by director Bartlett Sher in the special film of Camel at Lincoln Center Theater in New York.
More recently, Slater has taken on challenging roles, starring in the musical The Assassins with the direction of John Doyle at the Lynn F. Angelson Theater in New York, where his performance earned him a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Best Performance. In 2022, he originated the role of Max Weinbaum in the play Good night, Oscar at the Goodman Theater in Chicago.
Social media
- Instagram Name: @ethanslater
Personal life
Ethan Slater is currently dating pop star Ariana Grande. Their relationship went public in July 2023. Slater was previously married before dating Grande. In 2012, Slater began dating his high school sweetheart, Lilly Jay.
They married in 2018 and welcomed a son named Ezra Slater in August 2022. However, in 2023, it was reported that Slater filed for divorce from Lilly Jay, after it was reported that he started dating Ariana Grande.
Net worth
Ethan Slater’s net worth is estimated to be around $3 million, a figure largely due to his successful career as a musical theater performer.
Slater rose to prominence with his Tony-nominated performance in the Broadway play about the title character SpongeBob SquarePants: The MusicalIn addition to his acclaimed work on Broadway, Slater has appeared in other musicals and television shows, contributing to his considerable net worth.
