NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n\n- \n\n
LJ Benet exclusively tells PEOPLE why he took a break from acting before making his Broadway debut in The Lost Boys<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n- \n\n
\u201cHonestly, I had no idea who I was because I feel like I’d been playing this character of LJ, you know, the actor for such a long time,\u201d he recalls<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Tickets for the stage adaptation of the 1987 horror comedy at New York City’s Palace Theatre are now on sale<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
LJ Benet<\/a> is opening up about why he stepped away from acting after starring in Dog with a Blog <\/em>as a teenager.<\/p>\nAfter appearing as the recurring character Karl Fink on the hit Disney Channel show, the 29-year-old actor reveals to PEOPLE why he decided to take a break from the spotlight before returning to make his Broadway debut in The Lost Boys<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cI was doing a musical in Las Vegas when I was 19. I just finished doing Dog with a Blog<\/em> at that time,\u201d Benet recalls. \u201cWhile I was doing this musical in Las Vegas, I really felt like I was just losing who I was.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cGrowing up in the industry, you really develop an identity for just performing, not only on stage but off the stage, not on camera but off camera,\u201d he continues, going on to reference Keke Palmer<\/a>‘s recent TED Talk<\/a>, in which she discussed having to \u201cput on this character every day in order for herself to feel successful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\nLJ Benet and Ali Louis Bourzgui in ‘The Lost Boys’ Broadway musical
Credit: Matthew Murphy<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for<\/strong> PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/strong><\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\nEmphasizing that he relates to that sentiment all too well, Benet explains that, as he got older, putting on a constant facade grew more and more difficult.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gets so exhausting not being you,\u201d he says. \u201cHonestly, I had no idea who I was because I feel like I’d been playing this character of LJ, you know, the actor for such a long time. LJ, the performer for such a long time, I had no idea who LJ the person was outside of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n![\"LJ](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/04D842E02885C5A3C952A94641DB956524ECA31711FA1090160D5FFDF7EBE172\/subgraphmysterio\/resizefit_w960_h640;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Faol_people_articles_471%2Fd8a3cb65b50c5c4e08b646fc9beb06a8\"\/)
<\/div>\nLJ Benet in Broadway’s ‘The Lost Boys’
Credit: Matthew Murphy<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
In taking some time to prioritize self-discovery, Benet explains that he found comfort in discovering his faith before taking on dozens of \u201codd jobs\u201d to make ends meet.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had no idea what was happening in my life,\u201d he admits. \u201cI started doing Uber Eats. I started selling solar [panels]. I became a handyman for a period of time. I worked at a gymnastics summer camp that my sister helped hook me up with. I did the most odd jobs ever.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my heart of hearts, I just still felt like God was just like, \u2018Trust me with this, trust me with this. I have something for you,’ \u201d he continues, noting that the most impactful moments came when he didn’t need to act or perform for anyone. \u201cIt was during that time that I really felt like I found who LJ was \u2014 who I was on the inside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n![\"LJ](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/EFA0B1F17A4DA277BB1222619CC58539E9D8A042561CE1241DC5D94A0240B5C8\/subgraphmysterio\/resizefit_w960_h640;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Faol_people_articles_471%2F90a2cf7d954811db70b416c2e750d23a\"\/)
<\/div>\nLJ Benet, Ali Louis Bourzgui, Brian Flores, Dean Maupin, Sean Grandillo in ‘The Lost Boys’ Broadway musical
Credit: Matthew Murphy<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
Landing his first Broadway role in the stage adaptation of the beloved 1987 horror comedy The Lost Boys<\/em><\/a> came at the right time.<\/p>\nDirected by Tony Award winner Michael Arden with music by The Rescues, the new musical follows two brothers who move to a small California beach town with their single mother (played by Tony nominee Shoshana Bean) only to discover it’s home to a gang of teenage vampires. Benet stars as Michael, the older brother who finds himself drawn into their mysterious world while struggling to hold on to the people he loves.<\/p>\n
Those themes of identity, belonging and found family resonated with Benet after his own years-long journey of self-discovery.<\/p>\n
Working on the show \u2014 which is up for 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical<\/a> \u2013 \u201cmade him a better human,\u201d and brought him \u201cpinch-me moments\u201d that he never even expected.<\/p>\n\u201cI think a lot of people, when they come to see our show, are gonna be surprised by how much they see themselves in these characters,\u201d he says. \u201cYou really get to see yourself in the show no matter who you are. I really hope that people leave with a sense of hope that there is something bigger that they can be a part of, this idea of chosen family or a family that you grew up with \u2026 you can be a part of our little vampire clan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tickets to <\/a>The Lost Boys<\/em><\/a> are now on sale.<\/p>\nRead the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
LJ Benet exclusively tells PEOPLE why he took a break from acting before making his Broadway debut in The Lost Boys<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n \u201cHonestly, I had no idea who I was because I feel like I’d been playing this character of LJ, you know, the actor for such a long time,\u201d he recalls<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Tickets for the stage adaptation of the 1987 horror comedy at New York City’s Palace Theatre are now on sale<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n LJ Benet<\/a> is opening up about why he stepped away from acting after starring in Dog with a Blog <\/em>as a teenager.<\/p>\n After appearing as the recurring character Karl Fink on the hit Disney Channel show, the 29-year-old actor reveals to PEOPLE why he decided to take a break from the spotlight before returning to make his Broadway debut in The Lost Boys<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI was doing a musical in Las Vegas when I was 19. I just finished doing Dog with a Blog<\/em> at that time,\u201d Benet recalls. \u201cWhile I was doing this musical in Las Vegas, I really felt like I was just losing who I was.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGrowing up in the industry, you really develop an identity for just performing, not only on stage but off the stage, not on camera but off camera,\u201d he continues, going on to reference Keke Palmer<\/a>‘s recent TED Talk<\/a>, in which she discussed having to \u201cput on this character every day in order for herself to feel successful.\u201d<\/p>\n LJ Benet and Ali Louis Bourzgui in ‘The Lost Boys’ Broadway musical Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for<\/strong> PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/strong><\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n Emphasizing that he relates to that sentiment all too well, Benet explains that, as he got older, putting on a constant facade grew more and more difficult.<\/p>\n \u201cIt gets so exhausting not being you,\u201d he says. \u201cHonestly, I had no idea who I was because I feel like I’d been playing this character of LJ, you know, the actor for such a long time. LJ, the performer for such a long time, I had no idea who LJ the person was outside of that.\u201d<\/p>\n LJ Benet in Broadway’s ‘The Lost Boys’ In taking some time to prioritize self-discovery, Benet explains that he found comfort in discovering his faith before taking on dozens of \u201codd jobs\u201d to make ends meet.<\/p>\n \u201cI had no idea what was happening in my life,\u201d he admits. \u201cI started doing Uber Eats. I started selling solar [panels]. I became a handyman for a period of time. I worked at a gymnastics summer camp that my sister helped hook me up with. I did the most odd jobs ever.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn my heart of hearts, I just still felt like God was just like, \u2018Trust me with this, trust me with this. I have something for you,’ \u201d he continues, noting that the most impactful moments came when he didn’t need to act or perform for anyone. \u201cIt was during that time that I really felt like I found who LJ was \u2014 who I was on the inside.\u201d<\/p>\n LJ Benet, Ali Louis Bourzgui, Brian Flores, Dean Maupin, Sean Grandillo in ‘The Lost Boys’ Broadway musical Landing his first Broadway role in the stage adaptation of the beloved 1987 horror comedy The Lost Boys<\/em><\/a> came at the right time.<\/p>\n Directed by Tony Award winner Michael Arden with music by The Rescues, the new musical follows two brothers who move to a small California beach town with their single mother (played by Tony nominee Shoshana Bean) only to discover it’s home to a gang of teenage vampires. Benet stars as Michael, the older brother who finds himself drawn into their mysterious world while struggling to hold on to the people he loves.<\/p>\n Those themes of identity, belonging and found family resonated with Benet after his own years-long journey of self-discovery.<\/p>\n Working on the show \u2014 which is up for 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical<\/a> \u2013 \u201cmade him a better human,\u201d and brought him \u201cpinch-me moments\u201d that he never even expected.<\/p>\n \u201cI think a lot of people, when they come to see our show, are gonna be surprised by how much they see themselves in these characters,\u201d he says. \u201cYou really get to see yourself in the show no matter who you are. I really hope that people leave with a sense of hope that there is something bigger that they can be a part of, this idea of chosen family or a family that you grew up with \u2026 you can be a part of our little vampire clan.\u201d<\/p>\n Tickets to <\/a>The Lost Boys<\/em><\/a> are now on sale.<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Credit: Matthew Murphy<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>
Credit: Matthew Murphy<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>
Credit: Matthew Murphy<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n