Ben Platt, 27, mocked for playing a high school teenager in Dear Evan Hansen trailer

‘That dude looks like he’s the principal’ Ben Platt, 27, is mocked for playing a high school teen in Dear Evan Hansen trailer… as actor HITS BACK at ‘jerks’ complaining in since-deleted tweets


Ben Platt is hitting back at those mocking him on Twitter for playing a high school student in the trailer for new movie Dear Evan Hansen, the lead character that he originated in the Broadway musical.

The 27-year-old actor – who was around 21 when he first performed the role off-Broadway – called out ‘the randos being jerks about age’ in a now-deleted tweet, after many thought he now looked too old to play the part. 

‘That dude looks like he’s the principal’ one Twitter user wrote, while another said: ‘It is time to stop letting Ben Platt play teenagers in 2021.’

‘That dude looks like he’s the principal’ Ben Platt, 27, is mocked for playing a high school teen in Dear Evan Hansen trailer (pictured above) 

Ben – whose father is a co-producer on the film – tweeted: ‘thank u from the bottom of my [heart] for the outpouring of trailer love yesterday, the film required me to revisit areas of personal pain, so seeing ppl excited & moved makes it so deeply worth it. PS to the randos being jerks about age, read this great article and/or watch grease.’

The actor then linked to an article which showed the trailer, but later deleted his tweet as it only caused more fans to react about whether he looked too old to play the part. 

The movie – about a teenager with social anxiety, played by Ben – was a huge hit on Broadway upon its debut in December 2016 at the Music Box Theatre. 

Reactions: Fans were quick to poke fun at the actor for not resembling a teen in the trailer

Reactions: Fans were quick to poke fun at the actor for not resembling a teen in the trailer 

Teenager: Platt is certainly not the first adult actor in Hollywood to play a high school teen

Teenager: Platt is certainly not the first adult actor in Hollywood to play a high school teen 

Strong opinions: Ben's tweet only seemed to open the floodgates on Twitter

Strong opinions: Ben’s tweet only seemed to open the floodgates on Twitter 

Defending himself: Ben called out the 'jerks' who were complaining about his age

Defending himself: Ben called out the ‘jerks’ who were complaining about his age 

Mocked: Some compared the casting to high school classic Grease, where all the students were played by adult actors

Mocked: Some compared the casting to high school classic Grease, where all the students were played by adult actors 

It was on win six Tony Awards including Best Actor in a Musical for Ben Platt. He continued to play the role until it went on tour, with 23-year-old Ben Levi Ross taking over.

One Twitter user wrote that actor Jordan Fisher, who was one of Ben’s replacements on the musical, would be a better fit, though ironically he is also 27. 

In his now-deleted tweet, Ben had linked to a Vanity Fair article with the headline: ‘Dear Evan Hansen Trailer: Ben Platt on Going Back to High School, One Last Time.’ 

Movie magic: Ben admitted that the need to get the movie done was 'urgent' as he was getting older

Movie magic: Ben admitted that the need to get the movie done was ‘urgent’ as he was getting older 

In the piece, Ben discusses the age difference, saying: ‘I think everybody obviously had in their minds that I wasn’t going to stay teen-adjacent forever.’

‘The need to get it done was a little urgent. Then of course the pandemic happened, and I kind of assumed that was that – it would be a no-go, and by the time the pandemic was over, I’d have outgrown it.’

Since becoming a star thanks to playing the teen, Ben has gone on to play more adult roles, including Payton Obart on The Politician opposite Gwyneth Paltrow. 

Reactions: One Twitter user wrote that actor Jordan Fisher, who was one of Ben's replacements on the musical, would be a better fit, though ironically he is also 27

Reactions: One Twitter user wrote that actor Jordan Fisher, who was one of Ben’s replacements on the musical, would be a better fit, though ironically he is also 27