Posted: 5/29/20 at 1:31pm
Lot666 said: "Larry6417 said: "Ben Platt did not become a star until he originated the role of Evan Hansen; his celebrity did not come about because he's from a family that works in related fields. Do you "pretend" that people like Michael Douglas and Jamie Lee Curtis are "something special [because they were] just lucky enough to be born into a powerful family"?"
Naive.
Famous actors like Michael Douglas and Jaime Lee Curtis def have the talent, but would NOT be stars today without the family influence. I'm a talent agent at a large agency and children of celebrities get signed immediately, talent or no talent. This is the agency's decision, not mine. Mia Farrow is the same situation, but at least she admits to using her parents' money and connections."
The point is, lineage is not a reason to discount an individual's talent. Ben Platt blew up when he originated the role of Evan Hansen. Prior to that performance, "powerful family" notwithstanding,I'd never even heard of him."
It doesn't matter if you heard of him or not. He was given MANY opportunities before Dear Evan Hansen (Pitch Perfect, Book of Mormon, etc.) which ultimately led to his casting in DEH. Again, I'm not disputing his talent. He is a hardworking actor with a plethora of talent. There are many people out there, however, who can do exactly what he does, if not better, but will never be given the opportunities he has. I'm sure if you asked him yourself, he would admit to this.
