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Ben Platt Reflects on 'Disappointing' Dear Evan Hansen Movie Response
The then-27-year-old was decimated for playing a high schooler in the film.
Ben Platt has finally opened up about the negative reaction across social media to the movie adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen, and how it impacted his overall mental health.
Although the stage musical was well-loved by Broadway enthusiasts, the film version of Dear Evan Hansen did not receive the same adoration for a variety of reasons. From the moment the trailer was released, people online started commenting on how bizarre it was that Platt, who also originated the role on Broadway, was playing a high schooler despite the actor being in his late 20s.
That in and of itself isn’t necessarily uncommon, but with Platt, it simply didn’t work. Add on the fact that so many members of the general public suddenly learned that Dear Evan Hansen was not, in fact, a queer story as many had assumed. Ultimately, the film seemed doomed before it even hit theaters. Once it did, the reviews from critics were fairly scathing.
Criticisms of the film itself aside, Platt previously brushed off people commenting about his age in the film, suggesting that they should watch Grease – which very blatantly has older adults playing teen roles.
\u201cBen Platt\u2019s defense of \u201cwatch Grease\u201d...\n\nHoney, babe, my dear little nepotism darling, you\u2019ve made our point.\u201d— \u2728Final Bimbo \ud83d\udc96\u2728 (@\u2728Final Bimbo \ud83d\udc96\u2728) 1621482014
More recently, though, he admitted to The New York Times that the whole thing was “definitely a disappointing experience,” and one that opened his eyes “to the internet and how horrific it can be.”
Having a movie or acting performance dunked on by the internet is extremely common in the age of social media, and something that all successful creatives eventually have to learn to deal with. For Platt, that meant leaving Twitter altogether and focusing on fans who felt like Dear Evan Hansen resonated with them.
“I find that Twitter is almost exclusively for tearing people down,” he said. “It is very easy for the good to get drowned out by the bad.”
So to any fans hoping the actor might pop back up on Twitter anytime soon... it looks like you're out of luck. But sometimes, keeping a communication barrier up between the general public and the people making movies is the best call — especially when those movies are anything like Dear Evan Hansen.
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Rachel Kiley is presumably a writer and definitely not a terminator. She can usually be found crying over queerbaiting in the Pitch Perfect franchise or on Twitter, if not both.
Rachel Kiley is presumably a writer and definitely not a terminator. She can usually be found crying over queerbaiting in the Pitch Perfect franchise or on Twitter, if not both.
