Ben Platt has apparently decided he’s no longer going to speak about his mega-producer father Marc Platt — and the internet is so not here for it.
During the press tour for his new film “Theater Camp,” which Platt cowrote with Molly Gordon (who herself is born to director Bryan Gordon and writer-director Jessie Nelson), a reporter for Rolling Stone asked him about being featured on New York Magazine’s infamous nepo baby cover from December.
“You were on the cover of New York Magazine’s Nepo Baby Issue. I’m curious what was your response to that? And what do you make of that whole discourse?” journalist EJ Dickson asked.
“We’re going to skip right over that if we can,” Platt responded.
“No comment?” Dickson responds.
The feature then indicated that Platt’s publicist intervened, saying, “If we could just focus on ‘Theater Camp,’ that would be great. Thank you.”
Marc Platt, a three-time Oscar nominee for producing Best Picture contenders “Bridge of Spies,” “La La Land” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” produced his son’s breakout performance in the “Dear Evan Hansen” Broadway musical, which led to Ben winning a Tony Award in 2017. Marc also produced the “Dear Evan Hansen” film adaptation in 2021, which also starred Ben.
The Rolling Stone interview quote caught fire on social media, with many criticizing Ben’s refusal to address the apparent benefits of having a father as a Hollywood decision-maker.
“Your dream was guaranteed, sis,” wrote one user who saw an imbalance of opportunity between Platt and “normals” who would pitch an indie like “Theater Camp” to financiers today.
Others mused the fact that Platt is “incredibly talented,” but “watching him struggle with the idea that talent alone didn’t get him to where he is really is enjoyable.”
Others still pointed to fellow so-called nepo babies who have found a way to respond to such questions with class, like “Girls” star — and Brian Williams’ daughter — Allison Williams.
“If you also are wondering that perhaps my relationships helped me get in the door and get me to where I am, then the answer is 100% yes,” Williams said in a January interview. “I don’t feel like I’m losing anything by admitting that. It’s totally unfair in a way that’s maddening, so to be told that it’s not real and it’s not happening is just gaslighting.”
Catch more responses to Platt’s PR blunder in the tweet roundup below.
