How Ben Platt Became Evan Hansen for ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ | Rotten Tomatoes

Actor and musician Ben Platt is so closely associated with the role of awkward and anxious teenager Evan Hansen – he came onto the musical ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ during workshops and originated the role on Broadway – that it’s sometimes hard, especially among musical theater lovers, to remember they’re two separate people. It’s not just that Platt has been with Evan for so long, but that he has portrayed him with such unforgettable power and raw emotion – enough, it turns out, to nab him a Tony. In September, after a few years away from the role, he steps back into Hansen’s scruffy joggers for the film adaptation of the beloved musical, something that both excited and terrified him – and which may not help with that confusion. Ahead of the movie’s release in theaters, Platt sat down with Rotten Tomatoes for an exclusive, extended talk about how he initially developed the character of Evan, how he’s evolved his performance for the screen, and what it means to him to play someone who’s inspired so many.