▁Font ana . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Ast in ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁M ery l ▁and ▁Barry ▁Lip stein , ▁a ▁gar ment ▁industry ▁executive . ▁He ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁New ▁City , ▁New ▁York , ▁in ▁Rock land ▁County . ▁He ▁has ▁a ▁sister , ▁B ri elle , ▁and ▁two ▁brothers , ▁Milan ▁and ▁J ace . ▁Ast in ▁is ▁Jewish . ▁Having ▁graduated ▁from ▁Clark st own ▁High ▁School ▁North , ▁he ▁attended ▁St aged oor ▁Man or ▁performing ▁arts ▁summer ▁camp . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁student ▁at ▁the ▁T isch ▁School ▁of ▁the ▁Arts ▁at ▁New ▁York ▁University , ▁but ▁he ▁took ▁a ▁leave ▁of ▁absence ▁when ▁cast ▁in ▁Spring ▁Aw ak ening . ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁ 1 5 , ▁his ▁agent ▁selected ▁his ▁middle ▁name , ▁Ast in , ▁as ▁his ▁stage ▁name . ▁ ▁Career ▁Ast in ' s ▁first ▁professional ▁role ▁was ▁a ▁minor ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁original ▁Off - B road way ▁and ▁Broadway ▁cast s ▁Spring ▁Aw ak ening ▁as ▁Georg , ▁a ▁male ▁student ▁with ▁a ▁cr ush ▁on ▁his ▁piano ▁teacher . ▁He ▁had ▁short ▁sol os ▁in ▁multiple ▁songs , ▁but ▁the ▁character ▁is ▁noted ▁for ▁his ▁bel ting ▁in ▁the ▁song ▁Touch ▁Me . ▁During ▁his ▁run ▁as ▁Georg , ▁Ast in ▁fil med ▁the ▁role ▁Rand ▁Pos in ▁in ▁the ▁movie ▁Ham let ▁ 2 . ▁He ▁sang ▁" R aped ▁in ▁the ▁Face " ▁on ▁the ▁sound track ▁with ▁Pho