Ben Platt: 5 Movies That Inspire Me as a Performer

Ben Platt began his career onstage, appearing in a Hollywood Bowl production of The Music Man when he was just 9 years old. At 23, he became the youngest solo recipient of the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for Dear Evan Hansen.

Between those milestones, Platt began growing his film career, beginning with a supporting role in 2012’s Pitch Perfect. He’s since played Meryl Streep’s biggest fan in Ricki and the Flash, reprised his role in the movie adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen, and signed on to Richard Linklater’s 20-year production of Merrily We Roll Along.

“As I get older and have the blessing of being even somewhat autonomous and choosing what I do— which is still not always the case. We’re all still auditioning now and then!” he says. “But I’ve really learned to appreciate what the experience of making it is going to be, and if that’s a worthwhile life experience to have.”

For Platt, The People We Hate At The Wedding, his newest film, was exactly the experience he was looking for. He and Kristen Bell star as self-centered and self-sabotaging siblings who travel with their mother (played by Oscar winner Allison Janney) to their half-sister’s wedding in England, with comically disastrous results.

“The script was hilarious and sweet, and I got to play something I hadn’t quite played before. But at the same time, the idea of shooting in a beautiful country with really kind people and having a really uplifting, joyful experience sealed the deal,” Platt explains. And though the role didn’t call on his vocals, “It’s the closest to my actual self that I’ve ever played. He’s a queer character and we have similar senses of humor. He definitely is different from me, but it was the most I was able to play into my own instincts and think less about transforming,” he says. “It was kind of a relief to not have to wear so many hats that aren’t my own hats.”

Platt’s identity as a queer person, a musical theater lover, and an actor looking for his next great part are all reflected in the movies that most inspire him. Below, he shares with A.Frame five of the films that make him the actor he is today.