Photo: Universal Pictures

Dear Evan Hansen

Ben Plattis calling out critics after the release of theDear Evan Hansentraileron Tuesday.

Platt, who originated the role of Evan Hansen on Broadway in 2016, is reprising his role in the movie musical adaptation—although several took to social media to call out the age difference between Platt, 27, and Evan, who is a senior in high school. (Platt won the Tony Award for best actor in a musical in 2017.)

In a since-deleted tweet, Platt commented on aVanity Fairtweet about the articlein which he acknowledged that he has gotten older since playing Evan.

“Thank u from the bottom of my [heart] for the outpouring of trailer love yesterday,” Platt wrote in the deleted tweet. “The film required me to revisit areas of personal pain, so seeing ppl excited & moved makes it so deeply worth it.”

He added, “PS to the randos beings jerks about age, read this great article and/or watch grease.”

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Platt said Universal Pictures started filming onDear Evan Hansenas soon as movie filming started up again last summer.

Ben Platt and Kaitlyn Dever inDear Evan Hansen.Courtesy NBCUniversal

Dear Evan Hansen

“Much to my pleasant surprise, Universal seemed to be really hell-bent on making it, and specifically making it with me,” he said.

The work of getting back into Evan’s headspace “was much easier than performing in the show because obviously I wasn’t having to recreate the entire piece” each day, Platt said. “But physically it was very much the same experience.”

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“I’d lost about 15 pounds and did a very specific diet, grew my hair out, and was shaving to make sure that I didn’t look like I had five o’clock shadow all the time, you know,” he said. “I was just stripping myself into being a teenager for the last time. For what ishopefullythe last time.”

Kaitlyn Dever, 24, plays Zoe, Evan’s love interest and the younger sister of his late classmate.Amandla Stenberg,Julianne MooreandAmy Adamsalso star in the film.

Dear Evan Hansenis only in theaters September 24.

source: people.com