Ethan Samuel Slater (born June 2, 1992) is an American actor and singer. He is well-known for playing SpongeBob SquarePants in the musical of the same name. Ethan also had small parts in independent films. His first big movie role was as Boq Woodsman in the musical film Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025).
Ethan Slater attends the 37th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards at NYU Skirball Center on May 1, 2022 in New York City.
Early Life and Education
Ethan Samuel Slater was born on June 2, 1992, in Washington, D.C.. He is the third child of Jay Slater. His father worked for the Food and Drug Administration. Ethan is Jewish and grew up in the Conservative Jewish faith. After attending Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, his family moved to Silver Spring, Maryland. Slater's mother passed away when he was seven years old. He has said this was a very important event in his life.
Slater finished school at Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C. He then studied drama at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.
Career Highlights
While in college, he tried out for a Shakespeare workshop. This led to an audition with director Tina Landau. Ethan Slater's first theater show was in July 2015. He played Luis in the musical Claudio Quest at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. He was nominated for an award for his performance. Later that year, he acted in Please Excuse my Dear Aunt Sally. He also joined the Delaware Theatre Company in Wilmington. There, he acted in Barry Levinson's play Diner.
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In 2016, Ethan Slater was chosen for the main role of SpongeBob SquarePants. This was for Kyle Jarrow's musical The SpongeBob Musical. The show was directed by Tina Landau and first opened in Chicago. Because of its success, the show moved to Broadway in New York. It played at the Palace Theatre from 2017 to 2018.
For his amazing performance, Ethan was nominated for a Tony Award in 2018. He won the Outstanding Actor in a Musical at the Drama Desk Awards.
Television and Film
After his time as SpongeBob, Ethan appeared in several TV shows. These included Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. From 2021 to 2022, he starred in the musical Assassins. He played Lee Harvey Oswald and was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Awards for his performance. He also played Max Weinbaum in the play Good Night, Oscar in Chicago.
Ethan played Boq Woodsman in the two-part movie version of the musical Wicked. The first movie, Wicked, came out in 2024.
Personal Life
Ethan Slater married his high school classmate, Lilly Jay, in 2018. Their son was born in August 2022. They separated in 2023, and their divorce was finalized in September 2024.
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Since 2023, Ethan has been in a relationship with singer Ariana Grande. Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater met while filming Wicked in London. They frequently socialized with the cast at parties and dinners. In mid-July 2023, Ethan Slater informed his wife, Lilly Jay, of his intention to divorce. Just days later, on July 20, reports emerge that Ariana and Ethan have started dating after both separated from their spouses.
A souce told TMZ "Ari and Ethan are just trying to lay low and be respectful of their exes as they pursue this new relationship". A day later, Ethan deactivates his Instagram amid public scrutiny. By July 26, Slater officially filed for divorce. On July 27, another source told TMZ "It was obvious on the set from early on... they were very sweet to each other and often seen laughing together, everyone just thought they were both happily married though and didn’t expect them to end up dating.” The source also added that the pair are currently “full-on dating.”[6] The same day, Lilly Jay expresses feeling blindsided by Ethan's new relationship.
Lilly, publicly addressed the situation in a statement to Page Six, saying, “Ariana’s the story really. Not a girl’s girl. My family is just collateral damage.” She emphasized that her focus remains on her son and being a good mother, adding, “The story is [about] Grande and Dalton.”
Meanwhile, a source close to Grande and Slater told Page Six that Ethan and Jay had already been separated for two months before his romance with Ariana began. “Jay is understandably upset because her marriage ended, but Ariana and Ethan didn’t do anything wrong,” the insider said.
Ariana had even met and held Lilly and Ethan’s baby, and they shared dinners together in London. During one of these visits, Ariana reportedly told Lilly that she looked forward to having a child of her own someday and starting a family.
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The insider also claims that Lilly discovered Ethan and Ariana's relationship after visiting him on the Wicked set. Despite this, there was an initial effort by everyone involved to move forward and focus on repairing their respective marriages. “There was a time when they all agreed to try to make their marriages work and leave everything in the past,” the source explained.
According to Us Weekly on August 2, Ariana Grande wished to make her relationship with Ethan Slater public but was advised to wait and proceed more cautiously due to concerns about public perception.
In early September People reports that Grande and Slater are still together and “while this entire situation has been blown out of proportion, it’s much different than what has been portrayed in public. They are just trying to navigate their new relationship in private. People have tried to question the timeline.
On September 6, Ariana officially likes a post by Ethan who hasn't been posting for a while.
According to an Us Weekly source on October 4, Ethan and Ariana are living together in New York. The source reveals that Ethan has informed his friends and soon-to-be ex-wife about the move, noting that they are happy and well-suited for each other, with all of Ariana's friends approving of him.
On October 22, TMZ publishes photos of Ariana and Ethan on a rare public date night in New York City, where sources say Ethan repeatedly moved to sit closer to Ariana.[11] She was seen whispering sweet words to him and sharing kisses.
On November 12, Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater attend Gutenberg! The Musical! at the James Earl Jones Theater in New York City. Ariana shares a photo of her signed Playbill on Instagram, describing the experience as “the best time.”
Two days later, according to Us Weekly, the couple’s relationship is progressing well, with both having met each other’s families. Ariana’s relatives and friends reportedly approve of Ethan, describing him as respectful, motivated, and a great match.
Ariana releases her single "Yes, And?", seemingly addressing the hate in the lyrics.
The following month, a source tells that Lilly and Ethan's split “haven’t been finalized yet. Ethan and Ariana are living together at her place and are very happy, but he’s eager to get things finalized with the divorce.
On March 19, Ariana and Dalton have finalized their divorce.
A week later, a source tells Entertainment Tonight that things have been getting more serious.[12] Ariana and Ethan were spotted holding hands outside of Ethan’s Broadway show, Spamalot on April 8.[13] On May 28, Ariana Grande was seen attending Ethan Slater’s debut performance at his week-long residency at Café Carlyle in New York. According to People, she appeared supportive and engaged throughout the show.
Along with going on dates with one another, in June Grande and Slater attended the Stanley Cup finals to support the Florida Panthers.[15] On June 8, Grande and Slater share a sweet moment at the Wicked L.A. premiere. On June 29, Ariana accidentally flashes her lock-screen photo, revealing a photo of herself with Ethan.
In September, Grande defends herself and Ethan for the first time in an interview saying "It definitely doesn’t get any easier, seeing some of the negativity that was birthed by disreputable tabloids. Of course, I went through a lot of life changes during the filming of this movie. A lot of people that were working on it did. We were away for two years. So, of course, I understand why it was a field day for the tabloids to sort of create something that paid their bills.” she then goes on, "There couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him....No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about.
A month later, on October 30, Ethan stated "Obviously, it was a really super-big year and I think there was something that was really difficult about things in your private life being commented on and looked at by the public. There were a lot of big changes in private lives that were really happening, so it’s really hard to see people who don’t know anything about what’s happening commenting on it and speculating, and then getting things wrong about the people you love.
On November 9, Ariana is spotted fixing Ethan's bowtie at a Wicked premiere in LA. Followed by more sweet moments in the next days. In January, Ethan and Ariana was spotted being all over each other at The National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala. A month later, on February 7, Ariana, Ethan and Doug sit together at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards. On February 12, Ethan expresses his gratefulness and how proud he is of Ariana and Cynthia.[20] Ariana and Ethan attended the SAG Awards together on February 23.
Awards and Nominations
Ethan Slater has received several awards and nominations throughout his career, including:
- Tony Award Nomination for Best Actor in a Musical (SpongeBob SquarePants)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (SpongeBob SquarePants)
- Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (SpongeBob SquarePants)
- Lucille Lortel Awards nomination for Best Performance (Assassins)
Facts About Ethan Slater
- Before catching the eye of the media as Boq in Wicked, Slater captured the hearts of audiences in the SpongeBob SquarePants musical.
- Slater's portrayal of SpongeBob earned him a prestigious Tony Award nomination in 2018 for the best actor in a musical category.
- Beyond his accomplishments on stage, Slater's personal life includes being a loving father.
- Ethan Slater's journey to success began in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he spent his formative years. Later, he pursued his passion for theater at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.
- Slater's talent is not limited to the stage; he has also ventured into the realm of television.
- He graduated from Vassar College, where he studied theater, honing his skills and setting the stage for a successful career in the performing arts.
- Apart from his acting prowess, Ethan Slater is also a talented singer and songwriter.
- Beyond his creative endeavors, Slater is also a passionate advocate for the arts and arts education.