HE STARS IN "DEAR EVAN HANSEN."
BEN PLATT!
>> Reggie: WELCOME TO THE SHOW, IT'S BEN PLATT FOR HIS
VERY FIRST INTERVIEW HERE AT THE "LATE, LATE SHOW."
BEN PLATT, MIAMI VICE.
>> James: HI, BEN.
>> HI, JAMES.
>> James: HOW ARE YOU.
>> I'M GOOD, I'M HAPPY TO SEE YOU.
>> James: I'M HAPPY TO SEE YOU, I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO SEE
YOU.
WE SAW EACH OTHER IN NEW YORK CITY JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO.
>> YES, WE DID.
>> James: AND NOW YOU ARE HERE, WHERE DO YOU CONSIDER
HOME, DO YOU CONSIDER THIS HOME AND NEW YORK HOME.
>> BOTH IF DIFFERENT WAYS, I GREW UP HERE IN L.A. AND MY
WHOLE FAMILY IS STILL HERE SO I FEEL LIKE MY TEN AGE SELF WHEN
I'M HERE.
BUT AS AN ADULT I HAVE ONLY ALWAYS LIVED IN NEW YORK SO I
FELT LIKE ADULT HOME.
>> James: WHICH PLACE WHEN YOU FLY IN GIVES YOU A FEELING OF
OH, THANK GOD.
>> NEW YORK CITY.
>> James: NEW YORK CITY, I'M SO HAPPY YOU ARE HERE, YOU HAVE
YOUR NEW MOVIE, OUT TOMORROW, YOUR BIRTHDAY IS ON FRIDAY.
>> YES.
>> James: YOUR ALBUM IS BRILLIANT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> James: AND ALL HAPPENING.
WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY, WHAT IS HAPPENING?
>> WELL, AFTER THIS, I THINK SOME SORT OF SURPRISE, AMAZING
PLANS BY PAY BOYFRIEND NOAH I DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, I HAVE
NEVER BEEN SURPRISED BEFORE.
I REALLY LICK TO PLAN MYSELF BIRTHDAYS.
>> James: YOU THINK THERE IS A SURPRISE BIRTHDAY, THAT IS A
BOLD HAND PLAY TO COME OUT AND BE LIKE I'M PRETTY SURE SOMEONE
IS ORGANIZING SOMETHING AMAZING FOR ME.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO IF THERE IS NO SURPRISE.
>> I'M PRETTY SURE THERE IS, IS HE NOT THAT SLICK, I LOVE HIM
BUT I CAN TELL THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON.
I HAD THE PREMIER OF EVAN HANSEN LAST NIGHT, I GOT A COUPFUL OF
SLIPUP, SEE YOU TOMORROW NIGHT, OH, OH.
>> James: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHEN YOU WALK IN, HAVE YOU
GOT YOUR FACE READY?
BECAUSE HE'S GOING TO WANT YOU TO BE SURPRISED.
>> YOU GUYS, LIKE THAT.
>> James: HANG ON, WAIT, LET'S-- SO WE'RE ALL-- YOU WALK
IN.
>> HELLO?
>> James: SURPRISE.
>> OH, YOU GUYS.
>> James: I THINK YOU'VE GOT TO DO BETTER THAN THAT.
I THINK YOU'VE GOT TO DO BETTER THAN THAT, I DO.
LIKE THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO.
I'M YOU, YOU ARE AT THE PARTY.
OH.
I WONDER WHY WE'RE GOING IN HERE AT THIS HOUR?
ITS.
>> IT'S LASER TAG.
>> James: AAHHH, AAAHH, AAHH, OH, OH, JEEZ, IT'S YOU, I
THOUGHT I WAS BEING ATTACKED AND THEN BREAK DOWN CRYING.
>> BRAVO.
>> James: BECAUSE HE'S LOOKING TO HIT YOU, NOAH, HERE YOUR
LOVELY BOYFRIEND, HERE YOU ARE.
JUST HERE, WHAT ARE YOU HOPING FOR.
>> FROM NOAH?
>> UH-HUH.
>> HE IS AN AMAZING CHEF AND COOK SO I THINK ANY KIND OF FOOD
WOULD BE REALLY NICE.
I SPENT A LOT OF TIME EATING VERY LITTLE FOR EVAN HANSEN,
THAT IS SO SAD.
WHY ARE YOU LETTING HIM FALL LIKE THAT.
>> James: BECAUSE THAT IS THE LEVEL OF BUDGET WE'VE GOT HERE.
THAT'S IT.
>> YEAH, JUST PACK T IN CARDBOARD, SHOULD BE FINE.
WHAT IS IT?
IT IS A PICTURE OF THE LOVELY-- SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM,
THERE WE GO, LOOK.
(LAUGHTER) >>
>> James: JUST CUT TO A SHOT OF IT.
>> THIS IS NICE, THIS FEELS LIKE MARTHA STEWARDY, HOMEMADE.
>> YOU CAN USE IT A LOT.
>> James: THERE IS THE NEXT ONE, DIDN'T EVEN STRAIGHTEN THAT
ONE UP, THAT'S COMING UP.
SO GET READY, GUYS, CRACK TEAM HERE.
>> WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THAT, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF STICKING
THESE ON?
>> JUST BEEP IN WITH THAT.
>> James: SORRY, I WON'T TRY TO MAKE THE SHOW FUNNY, ROB,
THAT'S ALL RIGHT, THAT'S ALL RIGHT, NO, IT'S ALL RIGHT, DON'T
WORRY.
YEAH, YEAH.
SILLY ME.
FIND COME AT THE ANYWHERE, SORRY, ROB, I'M AN IDIOT.
SORRY, BEN, YOU'VE COME ON A TOUGH DAY WITHIN THAT'S ALL
RIGHT.
I FEEL BAD FOR ROB.
>> James: HE'S ABSOLUTELY LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO BANK.
>> OKAY,ED GOOD.
>> James: AND CUT THE CATERING TODAY, STRAIGHT IN THEIR BACK
POCKET, YEAH, BOO, BOO.
YOU THINK, I MEAN THAT IS THE LEVEL, THAT IS WHAT HAPPENSK YOU
CUT CATERING, THAT IS WHAT YOU GET.
>> I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD JUST KEEP IT.
>> James: NOW YOU HAVE HAD SO MANY AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN
YOUR CAREER.
AND YOU, THIS, YOU WERE A BIG SUMMER CAMP GOER, WHICH SUMMER
CAMP DID YOU ATTEND.
>> I WENT TO THIS CAMP, A JEWISH SUMMER CAMP IN O.J. AI,
CALIFORNIA, THERE ARE A BUNCH AROUND THE COUNTRY BUT I, THERE
IS A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT IT THAT I DIDN'T RELATE TO BECAUSE I AM
SUPERGAY, AND I STILL AM, UNFORTUNATELY, I'M JUST KIDDING,
I LEV IT BUT IT IS A VERY BIARNY TRADITIONAL CAMP, SPORT,
ATHLETIC EVENTS AND THAT IS NOT MY THING, BUT THERE IS A THING
CALLED COLOR WAR THAT WE DO THE WOL CAMP IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR
TEAMS OF DIFFERENT COLORS AND CAPTAINS OF EACH TEAM.
WHEN ARE YOU COUNSELOR YOU GET TO BE A CAPTAIN, AND ALL MY
SIBLINGS HAD BEEN RED TEAM CAPTAINS IT WAS A DYNASTY AND
THEY ALL WON, SO THERE WAS A LOT BE MY SHOULDERS TO REALLY
DELIVER.
WHAT YOU GET TO DO, SUPPOSEDLY A SPORTS COMPETITION BUT ST A
JEWISH CAMP SO NO ONE IS ATHLETIC.
SO THE MAJOR POINTS COME FROM BIG ENTRANCES AND CHEERS YOU DO
FOR EACH SET OF EVENTSES WHERE YOU HAVE TO ORCHESTRATE SOME
LARGE NARRATIVE LIKE PERFORMANCE WITH ALL 100 KIDS ON YOUR TEAM
TRK IS MY ABSOLUTE DREAM COME TRUE.
I WORKED ON IT FOR THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR LEADING UP TO THE
SUMMER.
>> James: AND YOU WON.
>> AND WE WON.
>> James: AND THIS IS THE PHOTO OF THE MOMENT YOU REALIZED
YOU WON, LOOK AT THAT, LOOK AT BEN PLATT.
>> YEAH, THAT'S ME.
>> James: LOOK AT THE JOY.
AND NOW HERE WE ARE.
WITH DEAR EVAN HANSEN, THE MOVIE VERSION.
FOR ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T KNOW, TELL US WHAT THE FILM IS ABOUT
AND WHO YOU PLAY WITHIN SURE, SO I PLAY THE PITCH OF THE ROLE, IN
DEAR EVAN HANSEN, BASICALLY IS HE A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR DEALING
WITH ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AND A LOT OF SORT OF MENTAL HEALTH
STRUGEL AND IS VERY LONELY AND HAS TROUBLE CONNECTING WITH
PEOPLE AND GETTING OUTSIDE OF HIS OWN HEAD.
AND WE LEARN HE IS DEALING WITH HIS OWN ISSUES OF SELF-HARM AND
LOTS OF THINGS.
AND BASICALLY THROUGH A VERY CONVOLUTED MISUNDERSTANDING A
LETTER THAT HE IS ASKED TO WRITE TO HIMSELF AS AN EXERCISE WITH A
THERAPIST AS A SORT OF MOTIVATIONAL TOOL IS
MISCONSTRUED AS ANOTHER STUDENT'S SUICIDE NOTE, ANOTHER
STUDENT THAT TAKES HIS LIFE.
AND THE PARENTS OF THIS STUDENT FIND THIS NOTE AND THEY BELIEVE
THAT HE EVAN AN THIS OTHER STUDENT USED TO BE VERY CLOSE
FRIENDS AND THEY LOOK TO EVAN TO GIVE THEM INFORMATION ABOUT
THEIR SON THAT IS PASSED AND GIVE THEM KIND OF A BETTER IMAGE
OF WHO HE WAS THAN THEY HAVE LEFT BEHIND.
AND EVAN HAVING NEVER HAD ANYONE ASK HIM FOR ANYTHING OR WANT HIM
AROUND OR HEAR WHAT HE HAS TO SAY, STARTS TO OPEN UP AND HEAL
AND COME OUT OF HIS SHELL IN ORDER TO HELP THIS FAMILY HEAL,
ALTHOUGH IT IS ALL PREDICATED ON THIS VERY TERRIBLE LIE THAT HE
USED TO BE FRIENDS WITH, AND THEY DID NOT USED TO BE FRIENDS,
SO THIS CONSTANT TENSION OF ROLLER COASTER THAT ALL OF THE
GOOD THAT COMES FROM THE LIE AND THE HORRIBLENESS ABOUT IT AS
WELL.
ST ALL ABOUT HUMAN CONNECTION AND TRYING TO BE WHO PEOPLE
REALLY ARE UNDERNEATH WHATEVER THEY OPERATE WITHIN THE WORLD
TRK IS A BEAUTIFUL MOVIE FOR RIGHT NOW, WHERE ESCH IS
FEELING, I KNOW I'M FEELING ISOLATED AND LONELY, I THINK WE
ALL ARE.
I THINK IT A NICE MESSAGE.
>> James: AND THE SONGS ARE EXTRAORDINARY.
AND YOU ARE, I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT YOU ARE BORN TO PLAY IT, I
THINK THERE ARE LIKE 50 ROLES ARE YOU BORN TO PLAY BUT I'M
THRILLEDDED THAT THIS WILL LIVE FOREVER ON FILM.