The Phantom of The Opera star Ben Lewis dies at 46, what was the cause of his death?
Tributes have been paid to Australian actor Ben Lewis following his death at 46.
Australian actor Ben Lewis who appeared in The Phantom of The Opera, has died at 46. His friend Todd Woodbridge paid tribute to Ben on Instagram and wrote: “Today we lost Ben Lewis one my families dearest friends way to young and the Australian Musical Theatre family also lost one of the greats! Ben was a star on stage as Phantom in Love Never Dies and In Phantom of the Opera on the West End.. more importantly he was one of the great humans, funny, caring and a wonderful mentor to all of the people he work with…so many fond memories of holidays together in Scotland, visiting the dressing rooms of Her Majesty’s Theatre in London to times spent at Wimbledon… and our last pic together in late June at our home…sending our love to all the family tonight.”
In response to Todd’s Instagram, one fan wrote: “My deepest sympathies on the loss of such a good friend 💔 I saw Ben in Priscilla and Spamalot so many times. Such a talented man. He will be missed. Vale Ben 😢🎭,” whilst another said: “I was lucky enough to see him in Love Never Dies, in the West End, incredible 🙏.”
Broadway World reported that “In 2017 and 2018, he reprised the role in Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera in the original West End production. Other notable roles include Chad and Frank Farmer in the UK tours of Love Me Tender and The Bodyguard, as well as Larry in the 2018 West End revival of Company.
Ben Lewis was reportedly diagnosed with incurable bowel cancer last year. Actress Anna O’Byrne took to Instagram to pay tribute to Ben and wrote: “Vale Ben Lewis.
An incredible artist and human. Kind, generous, darkly fiery, mischievous, playful, wise.
“A natural and effortless leader. A gentleman in every sense of the word.
“His phenomenal talent was matched by his fierce work ethic and his big heart. Our young LND Gustaves looked up to him with awe, as if he were a real-life superhero. So did I. I think perhaps we all did.
“To sing with him and to watch him work was one of the greatest honours of my life.
A profound loss. Deep condolences to his beloved Melle, his family and friends.”
A GoFundMe page had been started for Ben’s wife Melle after she suffered a stroke. It read: “ Melle Stewart was a healthy, talented 40-year old Australian actor living and working in London with her husband, actor Ben Lewis. On May 24th 2021 Melle received her first dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 Vaccine. She has been and continues to be an advocate for vaccination. It was a happy day for Melle. Two weeks later on June 8th, Melle’s life changed.”