Ben Platt spills on filming Dear Evan Hansen movie adaptation

Ben Platt has spilled all on filming Dear Evan Hansen’s upcoming movie adaptation.

Platt will reprise his Tony-Awarding winning performance in the title role having originated the character on Broadway in 2016.

Filming for the adaptation took place last year amid the pandemic, which Platt says was a “bizarre” experience.

Appearing on James Corden’s US chat show, Platt shared: “The whole process was weird because I never saw my director’s face from [the nose] down. I never saw anyone on the crew from [the nose] down.

“I wasn’t allowed to touch anyone apart from my four co-stars. It was very bizarre.”

He continued: “As you know Evan Hansen is quite a lonely, isolated guy so it kinda fed into that.”

Platt also recalled how he had to isolate from his producer father – even though they were sharing a house during filming.

He explained: “I could never see him, or talk to him, or be in the same room as him. So he’d use the front door of the house and he’d use the back door. I’d order him dinner, bring it to his door, knock and then run away. It’s kinda bizarre, to be close to him and not see him.”

The Dear Evan Hansen movie is currently due for release 11 October 2021 here in the UK (and 24 September in America).

Alongside Plat, the movie will feature Julianne Mooreas Evan’s mum Heidi with Kaitlyn Dever and Colton Ryan as Zoe and Connor Murphy.

Amy Adams and Danny Pino will play Zoe and Connor’s parents with Amandla Stenberg and Nik Dodani starring as Alana Beck and Jared Kleinman respectively.

Dear Evan Hansen follows socially awkward teenager Evan who finds himself at the centre of a tragedy as the result of a letter that was never meant to be seen. The stage version returns to the West End in October and to Broadway in December.

Meanwhile, Platt has shared hopes to return to Broadway in a piece of straight theatre.

He said: “My ultimate dream is to always be on Broadway. My current dream is to do something that isn’t a musical.

“The Dear Evan Hansen experience as wonderful as it was, the one thing is when you have to worry about your voice, it takes a lot of fun out of the experience.”

About the author: Rachel Wise

UK based freelancer journalist Rachel contributes regularly to Stageberry with features and interviews from the hottest new shows and stage stars.