LET'S MEET OUR FIRST GUEST TONIGHT, IS HE A
GRAMMY, TONY AND EMMY-WINNING PERFORMER WE LOVE HERE AT THIS
SHOW, HIS NEW SINGLE "IMAGINE" IS OUT RIGHT NOW, PLEASE WELCOME
THE INCREDIBLE -- INCREDIBLE BEN PLATT.
OH, HOW, FRANKLY DELICIOUS TO BE IN YOUR ORBIT.
>> OH MY GOD.
>> James: FOR BUT A MOMENT.
HOW ARE YOU.
>> I'M GOOD, I'M SAD WE CAN'T HUG BUT I'M GOOD.
>> James: I KNOW, WE ARE-- NO, WE'RE NOT, BUT YOU'RE VACKED,
YOU'RE WAXED, YOU'RE READY TO GO.
>> I'M DOUBLE VAXXED AND I ALSO HAD COVID WAY AT THE BEGINNING,
SO I HAVE LIKE THE FULL-- I'M GOOD TO GO.
>> James: NOW YOU WERE BORN AND RAISED IN LOS ANGELES.
>> UH-HUH.
>> James: BUT WHENEVER I THINK ABOUT YOU, OR IMAGINE WHERE YOU
ARE, WHICH IS FREAK, I ALWAYS-- FREQUENT, IN MY HEART I
ALWAYS THINK OF YOU BEING A NEW YORKER.
BUT HAVE YOU ENJOYED SPENDING THIS PAST YEAR IN LOS ANGELES.
>> I LOVE IT.
I LOVE NEW YORK SO MUCH, I LEFT HOME AS SOON AS HIGH SCHOOL WAS
DONE, I WAS LIKE GET ME TO THE NEAREST STAGE, I WANTED TO BE
NEAR BROADWAY BUT WHEN THE PANDEMIC STARTED I WAS LIKE IF
THERE IS SOMEWHERE I CAN BE I MIGHT AS WELL BE AT HOME WITH MY
WHOLE FAMILY, L.A. IS HERE, AND WILL.
AMPLET IS WEIRDLY MADE FOR THIS BECAUSE IT IS SO SPACED OUT AND
EVERYONE HAS THEIR WEIRD LITTLE ISLAND.
I STAYED IN MY BEDROOM, THE WHOLE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC
WHICH WAS BIZARRE AND REVERTED ME TO MY TEENAGE SELF BUT IT WAS
REALLY NICE TO BE HERE AND WITH MY FAMILY.
I MISSED A LOT.
MI SCARED TO GO BACK BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I DESERTEDDED IT IN A
WAY, I GAVE UP ON HER.
>> James: I DON'T THINK YOU GAVE UP.
BUT WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO GO BACK.
>> IN COMING WEEK, MY BROTHER IS GRADUATING FROM UNIVERSITY OF
PENNSYLVANIA, HENRY SO I AM GOING TO HIS DISTANCED
GRADUATION AND THEN NEW YORK, FINALLY.
>> James: IT IS GOING TO BE GREAT.
YOU HAVE HAD A REALLY QUITE AN AMAZING-- LAST WEEK YOU
CELEBRATED YOUR BOYFRIEND NOAH GALVIN'S BIRTHDAY.
>> I DID.
>> James: HOW DID YOU CELEBRATE.
>> YOU ARE ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT TALK ABOUT MY BOYFRIEND
STRKS WEIRD.
>> James: YES, HOW LONG YOU HAVE BEEN, HOW LONG YOU HAVE
BEEN BEN AND NOAH.
>> WE WERE FRIENDS FOR QUITE SOME TIME, WE MET DOING A
MUSICAL WORK SHOP OF COURSE AS YOU DO IN NEW YORK.
AND WE WERE FRIENDS FOR LIKE FIVE YEARS.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN DOING THE DATING THING FOR A YEAR AND A
HALF.
>> James: I IMAGINE THAT IS A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME TO START
TALKING ABOUT YOUR PARTNER.
>> THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, WHAT IS WEIRD
IS WE STARTED DATING SIX WEEKS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC SO WE HAD A
MINUTE OF REGULAR DATING AND THEN IT WAS LIKE OKAY, 0 TO 60,
LIVING WITH ME AND MY PARENTS IN MY CHILDHOOD HOUSE AND WAKING UP
AND HAVING BREAKFAST WITH MY PARENTS EVERY DAY, IT WAS VERY
INTENSE.
THIS WAS THE ACTUAL TRIP I GOT TO TAKE HIM ON FOR HIS BIRTHDAY.
AND IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL AND THE ONLY SORT OF
STRANGE THING THAT HAPPENED WAS WE, I TOOK HIM FOR HIS BIRTHDAY,
WE WERE LIVING DINNER AND THERE WERE BEAUTIFUL STARS, NO LIGHT
POLE USE, WE LOVE STAR GAZING, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, WE'RE SUPER
GAY.
AND I SAID LET'S LOOK AT STARS, WE WALKED OUT OF THE RESTAURANT
AND LOOKED UP AT THE STARS AND THERE IS A LINE OF 40 OR 50 WHAT
LOOKED LIKE STARS IN A STRAIGHT LINE, ZOOMING FORWARD, ONE AFTER
THE OTHER AND WE BOTH LOOKED AT EACH OTHER, DID WE JUST GET
DRUGGED IN THAT RESTAURANT.
IS THERE AN ALIEN INVASION YRK IS NOBODY FREAKING OUT.
WE WENT TO THE FRONT DESK, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE AWARE BUT
STLAN ALIEN ENVISION AND THE WOMAN TOLD US IT WAS STAR LINK
OR SOMETHING, SOME SATELLITE THING THAT WERE 40 SATELLITES
ALL AT ONCE FOR WI-FI DESERT TO BRING WI-FI TO PEOPLE AND
APPARENTLY WE ARE THE LAST ONES TO KNOW.
GLAD IT WASN'T ALIENS.
>> James: BUT YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS, I CAN FEEL YOU
KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
>> PLEASE.
>> Reggie: STAR LINK, ELON MUSK THING.
>> James: OF COURSE IT IS.
NOW I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THIS, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT
THIS.
YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE FILM VERSION OF DEAR EVAN
HANSEN.
OBVIOUSLY LIVE ON STAGE, IT WAS THE MOST RE-- REMARKABLE
PERFORMANCE AM BUT YOUR FATHER IS PRODUCING THE MOVIE AND THIS
IS YOUR FIRST TIME WORKING WITH YOUR DAD.
>> UH-HUH.
>> James: HOW WAS IT?
>> IT WAS GREAT.
IT WAS, WEIRD, THE THING IS WE LIKE SKATED AROUND WORKING
TOGETHER FOR SO LONG AND HAVE ALSO BEEN VERY CONSCIENCE
ESPECIALLY ON HIS END LETTING ME KIND OF CREATE MY OWN LIFE AND
MY OWN CAREER AND COME UP ON MY OWN.
THIS IS THE FIRST PROJECT WHERE REGARDLESS OF ME OR HIM WE WOULD
BOTH BE THE PEOPLE TO DO IT SO IT WAS KIND OF THE FIRST TIME IT
MADE SENSE.
BUT BECAUSE OF COVID, WE WERE LIVING TOGETHER WHEN WE SHOT IN
ATLANTA, HE DIDN'T WANT TO LIVE BY HIMSELF, IT WAS EARLY IN THE
PANDEMIC, LAST FALL, HE WASNER VOWS ABOUT COMING, I WASSER IN
VOWSES FOR HIM, I DIDN'T WANT HIM TO LIVE BY HIMSELFK I SAID
WE CAN GET A HOUSING TO.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE PROTOCOL WE DIDN'T WANT TO BE DEEMED CLOSE
CONTACT, EVEN IF IT IS A-- IF WERE YOU CLOSE IT IS GAME OVER,
AND IF I WAS EVER DEEMED CLOSE, THAN THE MOVIE SHUT DOWN AND
UNFORTUNATELY I'M IN EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
SO WE SHARED A WALL.
TWO ROOMS NEXT TO EACH OTHER BUT I WASN'T EVER ALLOWED TO SEE OR
TALK TO HIM OR BE IN THE SAME ROOM.
HE WOULD USE THE BACK DOOR, I WOULD USE THE FRONT DOOR.
I WOULD ORDER HIM DINNER ON SEEMLESS AND KNOCK AND RUN AWAY
AND LISTEN HIM EATING AND THEN FREAKILY CHOKING BECAUSE HE LAYS
DOWN AND WATCHES SPORTS WHILE HE EATS.
>> AND JUST THINK TO MYSELF, GOD FORBID SOMETHING HAPPENED.
I CAN'T GO INTO THE OTHER WOMB BECAUSE THEN I'M CLOSE CONTACT
SO-- IF HE IS LAYING DOWN-- BUT IT WAS JUST REALLY KIND OF
BIZARRE AND LIKE THANKFULLY WE CAME HOME AN LIVED IN THE SAME
HOUSE AGAIN, WE WERE AROUND EACH OTHER SO WE GET TO VIEW IT AS
THIS WEIRD CHAPTER BUT IT WAS DYSTOPIAN TO BE THIS CLOSE BUT
NOT BE ABLE TO SEE HIM.
AND THE WHOLE PROCESS WAS WEIRD BECAUSE I NEVER SAW MY DIRECTORS
FROM HERE DOWN, I NEVER SAW ANYONE ON THE CREW FACE FROM
HERE DOWN, I WASN'T ALLOWED TO TOUCH ANYONE EXEXPECT FOR MY
FOUR COSTARS, LUCKILY EVAN HANSEN IS APP LONELY ISOLATED
GUY, IT MET INTO THAT, IF I WAS MAKING A ROM I DON'T KNOW HOW I
WOULD HAVE FARED.
>> TALKING OF DEAR EVAN HANSEN, BROADWAY ANNOUNCED IT IS
REOPENING THIS SEPTEMBER, INCREDIBLE NEWS WHAT DO WE
THINK, HOW ARE WE FEELING? IS THERE A WORLD WHERE BEN PLATT
GETS BACK ON THE BROADWAY STAGE.
>> 100%, YES.
I MEAN THERE AWHILE BEFORE FLA CAN HAPPEN BECAUSE ALL THESE
SHOWS THAT HAVE STARTED NEED TO COME BECOME AND FIGURE OUT THEIR
FOOTING.
BUT MY ULTIMATE DREAM IS ALWAYS TO BE ON BROADWAY SO I FEEL LAKE
AS SOON AS I CAN I WANT TO GET BACK.
MY CURRENT DREAM IS TO DO MUSICALS BECAUSE THE EVAN HANSEN
EXPERIENCE AS WONDERFUL AS IT WAS, THE ONE, AS YOU KNOW FROM
DOING EIGHT SHOWS A WEEK, WHEN YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE
VOICE AND THE INSTRUMENT T TAKES A LOT OF THE FUN OUT OF THE
EXPERIENCE.
>> I REMEMBER GOING FOR DINNER WITH YOU AFTER THAT SHOW, AND
EVERYONE WAS DRINKING WINE, WERE YOU DRINKING SORT OF A WARM TEA
AND WERE YOU JUST SO CONSCIENCE ALL THE TIME AND ARE YOU LIKE,
OF COURSE, BECAUSE IT IS A BIG THING THAT SHOW.
>> IT IS LIKE BEING AN@LET, SO THE IDEA OF DOING A PIECE OF
STRAIGHT THEATER WHERE I GET TO HAVE THE JOY OF EIGHT SHOWS A
WEEK AND INSTANT GRATIFICATION AND THE FAMILY OF THE CAST AND
NOT HAVE TO WORRY EVERY NIGHT IS THRILLING TO ME.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO DO LIKE SOME KIND OF CLASSIC LIKE AMADEUS
MAYBE OR.
>> YOU WOULD BE GOOD IN THAT.
>> SO IF ANYONE IS WATCHING WHO WANTS TO FINANCE AN AMADEUS
PRODUCTION.
>> THAT WOULD BE INCREDIBLE.
NOW THE OTHER DAY, TOM HOLLAND POSTED THIS PHOTO, A VIDEO OF
HIM PLAYING THE GUITAR AND HE WAS SINGING ONE OF YOUR SONGS,
DID YOU SEE THIS?
ARE YOU FRIENDS WITH TOM.
>> WELL NO, BUT I SAW IT.
HE DIDN'T EVEN SAY IT WAS-- MY SONG-- IS HE PLAYING IT,
LEARNING IT ON THE GUITAR SO I DMED HIM, OH MY GOD IS
THAT-- THAT IS SO COOL.
AND I HAVEN'T HEARD BACK SO-- .
>> James: WOWR, GHOSTED.
>> COMPLETELY GHOSTED BY SPIDERMAN.
>> James: HE ALSO LOOKS LIKE HE'S PLAYING ED SHEERAN'S
GUITAR.
>> GORGEOUS.
HE SOUNDED GREAT AND I HEAR HE SINGS AND IS FANTASTIC.
FIRST I WANT A FULL COVER AND SECOND I WANT HIM TO SLIDE INTO
MY DM'S.
>> James: OKAY.
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR BRILLIANT NEW SINGLE,
CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS, "IMAGINE" WHICH IS OUT RIGHT
NOW.
I LOVE THE VIDEO FOR THIS SO MUCH.
TELL EVERYBODY WHAT THE SONG IS ABOUT.
>> SURE, SO I FOUND THAT LIKE DURING QUARANTINE OR COVID OR
EVERYTHING, A LOT OF US ARE EXPERIENCING ITS SAME KIND OF
ORDINARY SURROUNDINGS IT GETS A BIT MUNDANE AND YOU ARE TRAPPED
IN ONE SETTING AND I WAS INSPIRED BY THIS IDEA OF WHO ARE
THE PEOPLE IN MY LIFE THAT LIKE MAKE ME FEEL SOME WHAT FAN TAS
KAL AND CAN ELEVATE OR CREATE A FANTASY OR MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I'M
SOMEWHERE ELSE.
MUSIC DOES THAT BUT SPECIFICALLY THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU
CAN'T IMAGINE BEING WITHOUT ARE THE ONES THAT DO THAT, FOR ME
THIS SONG IS NOS MOSTLY ABOUT NOAH WHO I AM SURE EVERYBODY IS
SICK OF ME TALKING ABOUT AT THIS POINT.
BUT IT IS-- YEAH, I THINK IT IS JUST BECOME THE REASON I LOVE
THE SONG IS THERE ARE SO MANY SONGS ABOUT LOSING SOMEONE OR
THE FEAR OF LOSING SOMEONE OR FINDING SOMEONE YOU CAN'T
IMAGINE BEING WITHOUT, AND THE SADNESS OF THAT OR THE FEAR OF
THAT THOUGHT, I THINK FOR ME THE SONG IS ABOUT CELEBRATING
FINDING THAT PERSON AND JUST THE EUPHORIA OF THAT AND REVELING IN
IT AND REV ELEVATORRING IN THAT IDEA OF SOMEONE YOU CAN'T BE
WITHOUT.
AND HOPEFULLY IT MAKES PEOPLE THINK OF THOSE PEOPLE.
>> IT DEFINITELY DOES, THE SINGLES OUT, WHEN WILL THE ALBUM
BE HERE, IS THERE A TOUR, WHAT YOU CAN TELL US.
>> I HAVE TO BE VERY POLITICAL ABOUT IT BUT THERE IS A DATE FOR
THE ALBUM AND A TOUR SET UP.
YOU WILL HAVE THE RECORD BY THE END OF THE SUMMER WHICH I AM
EXCITED ABOUT AND NEXT YEAR THERE WILL BE A TOUR WHICH I AM
EXCITED ABOUT.
AND ALL THE DETAILS ARE TO COME BUT THE SONG IS DEFINITELY A
TASTE OF THE NEW VIBE, SORT OF LIKE A PHIL COLLINSY, PELTER
TBAB REAL, 2021.
>> I LOVE THAT.
AND YOU WILL GET TO SEE A PERFORMANCE OF THIS WHEN WE COME
BACK.
STICK AROUND, EVERYBODY.