You probably know Ethan Slater from the headlines. Or maybe you know him as the guy who somehow turned a yellow sea sponge into a Tony-nominated masterpiece of physical comedy. Either way, his career has taken a massive turn lately. If you're looking for ethan slater movies and tv shows, you’ve likely realized he isn't just a "musical theater kid" anymore. He’s fully crossed over into the mainstream, and his filmography is getting surprisingly dense.
The Big One: Wicked and the Boq Transformation
Let’s be real. Most people searching for Ethan Slater right now are doing it because of Wicked. Being cast as Boq was a huge deal, not just because it’s one of the biggest movie franchises of the decade, but because of who he was acting alongside.
Playing Boq isn't just about wearing a munchkin outfit. In the 2024 film Wicked and the 2025 follow-up Wicked: For Good, Slater had to pull off a pretty tragic arc. If you’ve seen the second part, you know it gets dark. He shifts from this wide-eyed, slightly desperate guy with a crush on Glinda (played by Ariana Grande) into the Tin Man. It’s a lot of prosthetics and a lot of "limbic rage," as he’s described it in interviews.
One thing that’s actually cool about his performance? He did his own singing live on set. In an industry where dubbing is the safe bet, he, Grande, and Cynthia Erivo were actually belting it out while the cameras rolled. It gives the songs a different kind of breathiness and grit that you don't get in a studio recording.
From Bikini Bottom to the Big Screen
Before the emerald city, there was the pineapple. Honestly, if you haven’t seen The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage! (2019), you’re missing out on some insane athleticism. It aired on Nickelodeon and basically captured the Broadway production before the theater was renovated.
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Slater didn’t wear a bulky mascot suit. He just... became the character through his voice and how he moved his body. It’s probably the most "human" version of a cartoon you'll ever see. He won a Drama Desk Award for it and got a Tony nod. If you have kids—or if you just want to see a masterclass in physical acting—this is the one to track down on streaming.
Ethan Slater on the Small Screen: SVU, Maisel, and Beyond
Most actors have that one Law & Order episode on their resume. It’s like a rite of passage in New York. Slater is no different. He showed up in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit back in 2018 as Riley Porter. It wasn't a huge role, but it showed he could do the "gritty procedural" thing just as well as the "bright musical" thing.
He’s also popped up in some pretty high-profile prestige TV:
- Fosse/Verdon (FX): He played the legendary Joel Grey. This was a perfect fit because it’s a show about theater history. He nailed the "Willkommen" vibe from Cabaret.
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon): He had a guest spot as Steven in the final season.
- Murphy Brown: He played Officer Reynolds in the 2018 revival.
- Instinct: A quick appearance as a character named Noah.
More recently, he’s been working on Elsbeth, playing Officer Reese Chandler. It’s a bit of a departure from his usual high-energy roles, and it’s been interesting to see him play a more "regular guy" character in a police uniform.
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The 2026 Projects: Marcel on the Train
If you think he’s slowing down after the Wicked press tour, you’re wrong. Ethan is actually a writer too. He co-wrote and is currently starring in a project called Marcel on the Train.
He plays Marcel Marceau, the world-famous mime. It’s an Off-Broadway production at the Classic Stage Company (running through early 2026), but there’s already talk of it being filmed or adapted further. The story focuses on Marceau’s time in the French Resistance during WWII, where he used his miming skills to save Jewish children. It’s heavy stuff, but it shows the direction Slater is heading—moving into creator roles where he has more control over the narrative.
A Quick Look at the Filmography (So Far)
Instead of a boring list, here’s the breakdown of where you can actually find him.
The Major Films
In 2024, he starred in Lost on a Mountain in Maine. He plays Henry, and it’s a survival story based on a true account from the 1930s. If you only know him as a singer, this will surprise you. It’s dirty, cold, and very dramatic. Then, of course, you have the two Wicked installments (2024 and 2025).
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The TV Staples
He recently did a three-episode stint on Gen V as Thomas Godolkin. It’s a weird, bloody show (it’s a spin-off of The Boys), and seeing him in that universe is a total trip.
Short Films and Indies
He’s been in a few smaller projects like Lightning Bugs in a Jar and Evol: The Theory of Love. He also wrote and starred in a short called Intervenors back in 2022.
Why He’s Not Going Away
There’s a specific type of "theater-to-film" pipeline that usually results in actors getting pigeonholed into Disney live-action remakes. Slater seems to be avoiding that. By taking roles in Gen V and writing a play about the French Resistance, he’s building a career that has more layers than just being "the guy who can hit a high C."
His relationship with the public is... complicated. The tabloid stuff with Ariana Grande definitely changed how people Google him. But if you look at the actual work—the technical skill it takes to play Lee Harvey Oswald in Assassins or the stamina to be SpongeBob for eight shows a week—the talent is undeniable.
What to watch next:
If you want to see his range, watch Lost on a Mountain in Maine for the drama and then immediately flip over to the SpongeBob musical special on Paramount+. The contrast is actually wild. You can also catch his guest spots on Elsbeth if you want something lighter. Keep an eye out for The Designer, which is rumored for a late 2026 release.