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Australian actor Ben Lewis, who portrayed the Phantom in the U.K. West End’s 2017 production of Phantom of the Opera, died at 46 years old after a battle with bowel cancer, according to his friend.
Celebrity Deaths: 2025’s Fallen Stars
A musical theater star is gone too soon.
Ben Lewis, an Australian native who starred in the titular role of the West End production of Phantom of the Opera from 2017 to 2018, has died after a battle with bowel cancer, according to his friend Todd Woodbridge. He was 46.
“Today we lost Ben Lewis,” Todd wrote on Instagram Oct. 6, “one [of] my families [sic] dearest friends way to [sic] young and the Australian Musical Theatre family also lost one of the greats!”
While sending love to Ben’s family, Todd added, “More importantly he was one of the great humans, funny, caring and a wonderful mentor to all of the people he work [sic] 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.”
In February 2024, Ben—who also starred in the 2012 film version of Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Phantom sequel—learned that he had bowel cancer that had spread to his lymph nodes and liver, despite having no symptoms, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser. After multiple surgeries and chemotherapy, the actor discovered that tumors had spread to his lungs and pelvis, and his cancer was determined to be “incurable.”
Throughout his battle with cancer, Ben was also the caretaker to his wife Melle Stewart, who suffered a stroke in 2021, and “dedicated himself completely to her rehabilitation, despite his own declining health,” per the fundraiser.
GoFundMe
“Melle and I have been completely and utterly overwhelmed by the love and support we have received from so many people,” Ben wrote in a July update shared to the GoFundMe page. “The sheer strength and determination that my incredible wife has shown throughout this period, has taught me the importance of putting one foot in front of the other, staying as present as you possibly can, and being grateful for all the amazing family and friends that we have in our lives.”
He added, “To our families, in whatever part of the world you are, that you are our guiding lights, our peace, and our joy. Thank you for everything you do for us. We couldn’t do any of it without you all!”
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