20 Movie Roles That Were Insanely Miscast

14. Ben Platt - Dear Evan Hansen

Dear Evan Hansen
Universal Pictures

On paper, there was a certain amount of logic in casting Ben Platt to play the title character in the coming-of-age musical Dear Evan Hansen, considering that Platt himself originated the stage role to Tony Award-winning success.

The problem, however, is that the stage show launched in 2015 when Platt could quite convincingly play a high-schooler, yet by the time the film adaptation wrapped shooting in late 2020, he was 27 years of age.

And so, the single biggest talking point surrounding the movie wasn't any of its artistic accomplishments but the baffling decision to place a thoroughly age-inappropriate Platt front and centre.

For his part, Platt suggested that the adaptation might've never been made without him being cast in the lead role - and his father being the film's producer probably helped - and considering the film was ultimately a massive critical and commercial flop, perhaps it simply shouldn't have been.

 
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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.